TO INQUIRE INTO THE OCCUPATION OF LAND IN IRELAND.
951 trade, and as a merchant, but finding it not profitable, I withdrew from it.
I am now a 10*A Sept.,
1844.
shipowner, and have property in land, such as mortgages.
g.
In this district is the state of agriculture improving, or otherwise?--!
do not think
,r J5,1^',,.
it is improving; I think more could be made of tho lands if the lands were let more reasonably than they are.
I think tho lands are over-let.
I tMnk if the people had capital they would improve—but from their paying an over-rent they cannot.
I suppose the lands are from one-third to one-fourth over tho value, consequently the farmer is deprived of his capital, and is obhgod to meet his engagements in this way:—I have known some of them to take cattle on credit, when their money was gone, and take them to the next fah* and sell them, to meet tho landlord's engagements.
I have recommended many of them myself to the bank, giving them tho use of my name, until I considered that they were in a state of bankruptcy, and I withdrew myself from reHevhig them.
6.
GeneraHy speaking, what is the rate of interest charged by the local usurers hi the country?—I
understand from them they often pay to the loan banks, between fines and charges and interest upon the bills, about twenty-five per cent.,
but at the National Bank the mterest upon tho small biHs is about ten per cent.,
and upon large biUs over £20, about six per cent.
I am not much acquainted with the rate of interest charged by the local usurers.
7.
Do the tenants depend much upon loan funds in this neighbourhood for then* rent ?—
Yes, I beHeve they do.
In tMs town the loan fund is given up, but there is another at Baltimore.
The greater number of persons that apply to the loan fund are dealers in one thing or another.
8.
What is your ophiion of tho effect of loan funds on the agricultural population ?—I
do not thmk they are of any use at all: the charges are too high, ancl the loss of time is yery great.
They have to give a notice, and then come upon a particular day; then perhaps tiiey are told they have not funds, and then they must go home agam and bring in the person with them again, and every time they come in they are put to expense by going to me public house, and drinking, if thoy have the'means; and when they get the money, they very often are obHged to go to the pawn office to raise money to meet the payments they have to make to moot the instalments.
Ancl when they were hi the habit of borrowing of the agricultural fund, they went to the loan bank, and then to the pawn office, to reHeve the biU or note.
9.
Do the tenants hold generaUy at will or by lease ?—GoiieraUy
here at will.
There are some leases given, but they are very short—one life or twenty-one years; and such as hold at wiH do not place that confidence in their landlords that they miprove their lands, and besides that, they very seldom have the means.
The lands would produce larger crops, and of a better quality, if thc people had capital to manure the lands.
10.
Is it your opinion that the rent would not be too Mgh, supposmg the land properly cultivated ?—If
the lands wore properly cultivated the condition of the tenants might be a httle better, but that would not meet thc high rents; nor do I see any improvement in the condition of the tenants smce thc land has changed from the hands of the middleman to the owner in fee.
He generally lets at what thc middleman lets at, though many of those rents were fixed at war prices.
11.
Can you state that of your own knowledge?—Yes,
I can.
I hold lands myself I have taken very lately, and the lands aro let at the same rent that they were let by the middleman before me.
I pay the same rent that was paid before, though I have a very good landlord: he is a considerate man, but wishes to get the most he can.
12.
Had the tenants of tho middleman held at wiH, or by lease ?—By
lease ; the tenant of the middleman must have been residing there ten or twelve years.
13.
Do you -think that the people would be anxious for long leases at their present rents ?—I
tMnk the want of land is so great they do not care upon what conditions they hold, so that they are left in possession.
They wish for a long lease, but aU they want is land; they say we wiU have a few years out of tMs land.
They wiH make an offer for land which they are conscious they cannot pay : they say their cMldren wiU grow up whUe they are in the place.
14.
By whom are permanent improvements generaUy effected; by the landlord or tenant ?—The
permanent improvements made are generaUy by the tenants; the landlords will teH them that they will aUow them for these matters; but I beHeve it is seldom carried mto effect.
!5.
Has there been any consoHdation of farms in tMs district ?—Indeed,
hi a very smaH way; there are not many hi the district I am acquamted with.
The lands have been taken and made mto smaU lots.
The size of the farms may be about from ten to twenty acres; some may be less along the sea coast.
16.
Does the subletting still continue ?—There
are very few middlemen; there is no subletting just now.
The landlords set then-faces agamst it: they have gone so far that they do not wish the labourer to get either a house or land.
I know there were one or wo persons who Hved five miles from me, who would be glad if I would give them ground for potatoes, such as I am giving the labouring class—I did not give them the land.
I asked them the reason they came up there, ancl they said they could not get land where they came from—that the agent gave directions to the farmers not to give them any land, 1 told him the labouring class could be provided for with very Httle injury to the landlord, °r upon the 300 acres there are not more than six or seven labourers' houses.
If the upper jandbrd, the gentleman who holds in fee, had looked after the condition of the labourers, by giving them a house and one acre of land, with Ms other chances, he would be able to
