Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015 https://archive.org/details/yearsevictionsinOOiris A YEAR’S EVICTIONS IN IRELAND. JANUARY TO DECEMBER, 1886. STATEMENT AND RETURNS, JDitl) 21p}jcnbicc£. PREPARED AND PUBLIShED BY THE IRISH LOYAL AND PATRIOTIC UNION. OFFICES : 109, GRAFTON-STREET, DUBLIN ; 26, PALACE CHAMBERS, BRIDGE- STREET, WESTMINSTER. DUBLIN: HODGES, FIGGIS, & CO., GRAFTON-STREET. LONDON : P. S. KING & SON, PARLIAMENTARY AGENCY, KING-STREET, WESTMINSTER. NOVEMBER, 1887 . Price OftE PElfUfl [461 CONTENTS Top Paging. Bottom Paging. Preliminary Statement, 3 4 6 3 Eviction Returns — Table I., 10 470 Table II., 12 472 APPENDICES— A. An Irish Tenant’s Privileges, J 3 473 B. Savings Banks Investments, Ireland, .. 1 7 477 C. Analysis of Sales of Tenants’ Interests, 21 481 D. Loans to Ireland, 22 482 4621 O’NEILL LIBRARY BOSTON COLLEGE A YEAR’S EVICTIONS IN IRELAND. JANUARY to DECEMBER, 1880. STATEMENT AND RETURNS. In Parliament, in the Press, and on Home Rule plat- forms, throughout the length and breadth of England, the changes have been rung upon the atrocities committed by Irish landlords in connexion with Irish land. Irish evic- tions are made the subject of regular quarterly parlia- mentary returns, and the sum total of those events have been summarized since the time of the Famine: and not merely so, but Mr. Michael Mulhall, aided by a vivid imagination and the multiplication table, has made every person evicted into a family, and with a generosity that puts the Census Commissioners to shame, counting seven individuals to every family, establishes, apparently to the satisfaction of Mr. Gladstone, the astounding proposi- tion that since 1849 no fewer than 3,668,000 individuals have been evicted in Ireland ! And not only have the figures, both real and fictitious, been published, but the public are given to understand [463 ( 4 ) that every one of these cases is attended with circum- stances of unheard-of cruelty. Mr. Gladstone has described them as “ sentences of death, ” while less eminent authori- ties describe the tenants against whom these decrees have been executed as being “houseless and homeless/’ as “ thrown on the roadside, ” or, according to the picturesque description of an English newspaper, “ wandering aimlessly over the storm-swept hills. ” With a view of correcting the erroneous impression created by these repeated and gross misstatements, the Irish Loyal and Patriotic Union determined, if possible, to ascertain the essential particulars in connexion with the evictions which took place in Ireland during the year 1886. The first proceeding was to obtain from the Sheriff of each county an authoritative List of the Ejectment Decrees executed by him during the year, and the Committee of the Irish Loyal and Patriotic Union have gratefully to acknowledge the promptitude and readiness with which most of these officials placed the information at their dis- j)Osal. The number of evictions stated in the Parliamen- tary papers to have taken place in Ireland during 1886 is 3781. In a few instances the Committee, owing to changes in the shrievalty, and other causes, were unable to obtain the necessary information ; but the lists received from these officials, numbering altogether 3533 cases, practically covers the whole ground. Upon the receipt of the Sheriff’s return, a form was im- mediately despatched to the plaintiff in each case, asking for an accurate statement of every particular that would be likely to throw light upon the circumstances attending the eviction. In one or two counties — Kerry and Armagh more par- ticularly — the Sheriffs had not kept a record of the addresses of the plaintiffs, and consequently was found impossible to despatch the necessary forms to them,. 464] C 5 ) except where public lists or private local inquiries enabled the Committee to ascertain the addresses. However, in spite of these and other manifest disadvantages, the Com- mittee think they may claim to have succeeded fairly well in their undertaking, when it is remembered that they have ascertained the particulars in no fewer than 3024 cases out of the total of 3533, and that in 16 counties the information is available in almost every case returned by the Sheriff. The first thing that will strike the reader who is un- acquainted with the facts is, that over 14 per cent, of the evictions accounted for are not from agricultural holdings at all, or even from holdings with which land has anything what- ever to do, but are evictions from dwelling-houses mainly situated in cities and towns. The number of these evic- tions is 434 out of the total of 3024. Besides these there were 67 evictions, if they can be so called, from “townparks,” and other non-agricultural hold- ings, such as osier-beds. (In one case there was an “ evic- tion” from an oyster-bed.) Townparks, it may be stated, are fields or small portions of land adjacent to a town, and are held by persons living in that town for their accommo- dation ; they are not “ agricultural holdings, ” and are specially excluded from the provisions of the Land Act of 1 88 1 Proceeding still further, we find that the Sheriff exe- cuted decrees in 305 cases where the defendant did not reside on the holding, but resided upon an adjacent farm, or had left the place derelict. It is evident that the scenes so often pictured in connexion with Irish evictions could not have taken place in this class of case. In fact, in these 305 cases there was no actual eviction at all. There remain, therefore, to be dealt with 2218 cases of eviction from agricultural holdings on which the tenants resided at the time of the eviction. [46s ( 6 ) An analysis of these cases shows that in 198 of them the cause of action was “ On Title ” — that is, the tenants had no legal right whatever to the holding. In some cases they were trespassers, in others they were wrongfully in possession under disputed wills and settlements, and in many of them the eviction was brought about by the tenant being in- debted to the local shopkeeper or money-lender, who sold the interest to satisfy his demand. The elimination of the cases of title leaves 2020 cases of evic- tion from agricultural holdings with residences for non-payment of rent to be dealt with. These are really the cases which demand serious investigation. Proceeding to examine the nature of the tenancy in each of these 2020 cases, we find that in 113 cases the farms were held under lease, in 668 the rents had been judicially fixed by the Land Court, and in 348 they were either non- judicial yearly tenancies, or cases in which no information was obtainable upon this point. But the crucial question comes, were these 2020 families thrown from their homes on the roadside ? Despite Nation- alist oratory, a dispassionate investigation shows that in no fewer than 518 of the cases the defendants have been actually reinstated as tenants, and in 916 cases as caretakers, pending redemption. And what will appear still stranger is the fact that in 41 cases (23 of them being in Ulster) the tenant, even after eviction, sold his right of redemption. To the ordinary English mind it is, no doubt, a cherished article of faith that once a man is evicted his interest is gone for ever. So far is this from being true, the tenant not only has six months after the eviction to redeem his holding, but, as these figures go to show, can even during that period sell his equity of redemption, free himself from all arrears with his landlord, and in many instances put a considerable sum in his pocket. For instance, in one case, in the county Kilkenny, a tenant was evicted from 3 466] ( 7 ) holdings for non-payment of 2J years* rent, amounting to £150. The interest was sold (in this case after the period for redemption had expired), and after paying the amount of rent due, the tenant received ^300. In another case in the same county a tenant owed ^30, the amount of 3 years’ rent. His equity of redemption was subsequently sold for a sum equal to 15 years’ rent, viz. £ 150. Again, in Ferma- nagh, a tenant evicted for non-payment of 2 years’ rent, amounting to £8 7 s., sold his interest to a neighbour- ing farmer for ^100, while another tenant in the same county, also evicted for non-payment of 2 years’ rent, amounting to ^12 ns. 4 d. } sold his interest for ^45. It will be noticed that this privilege is more largely availed of in Ulster than in the other provinces. The sum total of the eviction record is, that out of 2020 cases there were 545 , or about 27 per cent., in which tenants were evicted from agricultural holdings, on which there were residences, for non-payment of rent, and were not re-admitted in any form by the landlord. An inquiry into the legal status of these 545 evicted tenants shows ( a ) that they have a period of six months’ grace after the date of eviction, during which they can re deem their holdings or [b) sell their equity of redemption (c). During that period the landlord will have to account to them for any profit he could have made out of their farms And, further, (d) during these six months the tenant, in case he does not wish to redeem, can obtain from his landlord payment for all improvements which he may have made, namely, permanent buildings, reclamation of waste lands, or unexhausted manures ;* and [e) in case the rent does not * Lord Salisbury’s statement to this effect (Oxford, November 23rd, 1887), having been challenged by the Pall Mall- Gazette, Manchester Guardian, and other papers, it may be useful to give here the reference to the law as bearing on the point. Sect. 9 of the Land Act of 1870 (33 & 34 Viet., cap. 46) says ‘ a person who is ejected for non-payment of rent . . . shall stand in + 6 7 ] ( 8 ) exceed ^15, in addition to the value of the improvement, a sum which may equal 7 years’ rent, where the court declares the rent to have been an exorbitant one. (See an “ Irish Tenant’s Privileges,” Appendix A, p. 473). It only remains to add, that before proceeding to evict a tenant a landlord is bound, under a penalty of £20, to give 48 hours’ notice to the Relieving Officer of the Poor Law Union, so that shelter and food may be provided for the evicted family. Another point, which is a fair subject for inquiry, is the amount of rent generally owing by a tenant before extreme proceedings are taken against him. It will be apparent that much need for enlightenment exists with regard to this feature of the Land Question, when it is mentioned that one speaker in England — a man of considerable local influence — recently gave a circumstantial account, to a large meeting in the place in which he resides, of a family he had interviewed when in Ireland, that had been evicted from an agricultural holding in the South for non-payment of a quarter’s rent! Of course no one possessing even the most elementary acquaintance with the law would have been guilty of making such an absurd statement : the fact being that a tenant cannot be evicted for non-payment unless there is at least one year’s rent due. But, as a matter of fact, Irish landlords do not, in the vast majority of cases, avail themselves of this right. Indeed, in only 12 per cent, of the cases have proceedings been taken for non-payment of merely one year’s rent, and in 52 per cent., or over half the total number, the amount of rent due was two and a- the same position, in all respects, as if he were quitting his holding voluntarily.’ Sect. 4 deals with the case of a tenant quitting his holding, and enacts that he may claim ‘compensation to be paid by the landlord under this section in respect of all improvements on his holding made by him or his predecessors in title,’ with certain exceptions enumerated in sub. -sect. 1., which do not practically affect the point at issue. +68 | ( 9 ) half years’ and over, while the average amount of rent due in the 760 cases dealt with in the return under consideration was two and a-half years’ at the time of obtaining the decree. With- out the slightest exaggeration, it may safely be said that the average amount of rent due at the time of eviction in these cases was three and a-half years, because a considerable time often elapses after the decree is pronounced before it is put into force. The following statement analyses in detail 2018 cases of eviction for non-payment from agricultural holdings with residences, calculating in each case only the amount of rent due when proceedings were first commenced for recovery of possession. Two cases in which no informa- tion is given accounts for the total of 2020 given above. (See Table II.) 238 cases, or 1 1.8 per cent., in which 1 year’s rent was due. 353 >> I 7*°5 yy yy 1* y y 20.17 y y y y 2 y y 281 ,, 13-9 » » 2i 274 „ 1 3 - 6 yy yy 3 „ 13+ » 6.7 y y yy 32 - » 131 - 6.5 yy y y 4 y y 37 » 1.8 yy yy 42 - yy 36 „ *•7 >> yy 5 yy* 24 » 1 .1 yy yy 52 - yy 42 ,, 2.1 yy yy 6 yy 50 » 2.6 yy over 6?r yy B [469 ( io ) TABLE I. — Analysis of Eviction Returns, Nature ok Holding. Cases in No. of Cases returned by Sheriff. NAME OF COUNTY. which detailed Information has been o m o w £3 rn Parks, r other i-agricul- Holding. ricultural loldings without ?sidence. Agricultural Holdings with Residence. received. O HH 6 ° S'S H & £ fcot—t 1 2 3 4 5 6 Donegal, 330 329 31 8 40 250 Monaghan, . . 150 150 7 4 18 121 Cavan, 146 145 5 4 9 127 Tyrone, 136 136 10 3 9 114 Down, 88 75 25 5 11 34 Londonderry, 56 54 8 2 1 13 Fermanagh, . . 56 52 — 1 5 46 Armagh, 76 15 2 5 8 Antrim, 49 48 7 3 5 33 Total of ULSTER, . . 1087 1004 95 30 103 j 776 King’s County, 62 62 21 1 4 36 Queen’s County, 63 63 21 1 5 36 Carlow, 31 31 13 — 8 10 Wicklow, 35 32 14 l ! 3 14 Longford, 68 63 4 8 51 Louth, 27 27 16 7 l 2 9 Meath, 47 36 9 2 18 Westmeath, . . 62 50 10 i ! 4 35 Kildare, 27 22 10 — 6 6 Dublin, 40 26 24 — 1 1 Kilkenny, 51 46 7 4 7 28 Wexford, 111 92 18 2 12 60 Total of LEINSTER, . . 624 550 167 17 62 304 Clare, 75 75 20 4 8 43 Cork, 84 84 3 — t) 78 Tipperary, 57 46 2 2 8 34 Waterford, 58 52 10 — 3 39 Kerry, 448 189 31 9 149 Limerick, 61 61 8 o 1 1 2 39 Total of MUNSTER, .. 783 507 74 8 43 382 1 Galway, 229 224 28 22 174 Mayo, 372 316 33 8 35 240 Roscommon, 192 187 7 4 14 162 Sligo, . . 75 67 16 6 45 Leitrim, 171 169 14 — 20 135 Total of CONNAUGHT, 1039 963 98 12 97 756 TOTAL, 3533 j 302 A 434 G? 305 2218 47 °] ( " ) 1st January to 31st December, 1886. Agricultural Holdings with Residences. (See Col. G.) Proceedings Evictions for Non-paymj ;nt of Rent. (See Col. 8.) Instituted. Nature of Tenancy. A j On Title. For Non- payment of Rent. Leasehold. J udicial Tenancies. Non- J udicial Yearly Tenancies. Reinstate as Tenant Right of Rede tion sold b Tenant afte Eviction. C3 c £ ’S o Ph Vi c3 o O "2 cj 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 20 230 6 123 101 45 5 i 139 41 10 111 2 42 67 18 2 79 12 10 117 5 27 85 36 5 63 13 114 3 50 61 34 3 74 3 6 28 3 7 18 9 1 11 7 19 24 — 8 16 6 2 8 8 46 — 21 25 7 3 18 18 8 3 3 2 6 — 2 — 33 4 10 19 19 2 5 7 65 711 26 291 394 180 23 397 m 4 32 5 27 7 10 15 0 30 1 11 18 4 — 18 8 o 8 2 — 6 2 — 4 2 4 10 3 7 1 — 8 1 3 48 — 10 38 7 24 17 4 5 __ 1 4 — — 3 2 5 13 — 3 10 2 7 4 0 29 2 6 21 4 15 10 1 5 1 26 3 1 1 1 20 1 1 11 — 3 1 2 6 2 8 5 16 44 7 4 33 5 — 21 18 53 251 15 50 186 45 2 121 83 11 32 5 27 5 6 21 2 76 44 9 23 8 — 45 23 3 31 2 9 20 9 — 15 7 7 32 3 15 14 4 1 8 19 2 147 12 38 97 32 2 49 64 5 34 — 2 32 4 2 16 12 30 352 61 78 213 62 5 139 146 11 163 1 24 138 43 48 72 21 219 3 ! 113 103 96 6 80 37 9 153 2 61 90 60 1 62 30 6 39 — 13 26 9 1 24 5 3 132 5 38 89 23 3 45 61 50 706 11 249 446 231 11 259 205 198 2020 113 | 668 1339 518 41 916 545 [+7 1 ( 12 ) TABLE II. Amount of Rent due (in years) at time of Eviction. NAME or County. Hi < 1 H 2 2i ^*2 1 1 3 H ! 4 4i 5 1 1 1 1 6 6£ and o U) a p 1 1 i 1 over. Donegal, 230 10 20 40 25 64 21 18 2 t 2 1 13 F7 9 A Monaghan, . . 111 2 21 20 14 24 10 13 4 1 - 1 2 Cavan, 117 12 24 28 14 13 7 10 2 9 1 ! 1 3 2 Tyrone,* 113 12 11 31 15 13 8 12 ; 4 3 — 2 2 3 Down, 28 5 1 8 6 6 — 1 — 1 1 — 9 Londonderry, 24 4 1 4 2 3 1 5 1 — — 1 2 1 3 Fermanagh, . . 46 5 9 12 9 4 4 1 1 1 ! , 2 Armagh, 8 1 — 2 2 2 — — — — — 1 I 3 Antrim, 33 3 1 10 6 ( 3 2 1 — — 1 — — i o » i “ a Total of 1 ULSTER, ] 710 54 88 155 93 136 I 54 62 15 14 4 17 1 18 * King’s Co., . . 32 4 3 4 3 3 1 2 2 i 1 3 ! 6 3 Queen’s Co.,* 29 . — — 4 5 3 5 5 3 — 3 1 — H Carlow, 8 — 1 6 — — 1 1 — 1 — — — I 2 Wicklow, 10 — 2 1 3 1 3 91 — 2 Longford, 48 13 9 9 8 4 2 3 — — — — <> Louth, 5 1 1 1 — 1 — 1 — — — — 2 Meath, 13 7 1 1 3 — — 1 — — — — — i Westmeath, . . 29 12 5 4 2 1 1 1 — 1 1 ! 1 9A “ 2 Kildare, 0 — 1 2 1 — — 1 — — — 2 A Dublin, 1 — 1 ll Kilkenny, 26 1 8 3 4 4 I 2 3 — — — — — 2 Wexford, 44 2 12 5 7 2 4 7 i — — — 3 3 Total of 1 LEINSTER, ) 250 40 44 40 36 19 17 22 | 1 7 4 5 6 10 2^ Clare, 32 1 4 4 7 9 i ! i > 3 2 3 Cork, .. 76 i 19 14 24 5 7 1 i 4 2 | — — ! 2 Tipperary, 5 10 5 I 2 5 3 1 — — j — 9 Waterford, . . 32 1 6 8 8 2 2 3 1 2 — ! — — 2 Kerry, 147 j 26 34 39 1 17 17 4 3 o 3 i 1 1 2 Limerick, 34 11 9 9 ! 4 1 — — — — — H Total of \ MUNSTER, ) 352 68 79 89 1 1 37 41 11 10 4 6 ' | 4 3 2 Galway, 163 12 49 22 1 26 15 10 6 ' 1 4 5 7 7 : 2 , Mayo, 219 29 38 42 | 35 26 16 11 7 6 4 1 4 Roscommon, . . 153 29 26 31 ! 27 7 13 6 2 1 5 4 2 ' 2 Sligo, . . 39 6 7 8 3 2 2 — — ( 1 3 9 Leitrim, 132 — 22 31 20 27 11 12 2 1 1 I 2 3 k Total of 1 CONNAUGHT, / 706 76 142 134 115 78 52 37 11 12 15 » 15 19 2 1 TOTAL, .. ! 1 2018 238 353*118 1 281 2*4 134 131 1 37 * 3G 24 :“l 50 2.V * Note. — In one case in Tyrone, and one in Queen’s County, no information is given. 47 2 ] < >3 ) APPENDIX A. AN IRISH TENANT’S PRIVILEGES. The privileges of Irish Tenant Farmers are of gradual growth, and date from various Acts of Parliament. They have, however, in recent years, been largely ex- tended by three great measures: — (I.) the Land Act of 1870; (II.) the Land Law Act, 1881; (III.) the Land Purchase Act, 1885; and (IV.) the Land Law Act, 1887. It will, then, be convenient to consider these various privileges in chro- nological order. I-— PRIVILEGES ACQUIRED PRIOR TO 1870. No Tenant can be evicted for non-payment of rent IJXXESS owe year’s rent is in arrear. (Landlord and Tenant Act, i860, sect. 52.) Even when evicted for non-payment of rent — A Tenant can RECOVER POSSESSION within six months by payment of the amount due, and in that case The Landlord MUST PAY to the Tenant the amount of any profit he could have made out of the lands while the tenant was out of possession. [1 1 Anne, c. 2, sect. 2 ; 8 Geo. I., c. 2, sect. 4 ; Act of i860 (23 & 24 Viet. c. 154), sect. 70.] The Landlord must pay HALF the Poors-Rate — If the Government Valuation of a hold- ing is ^4 or upwards. (Poor Relief Act, 1843, sect. 1.) The Landlord must pay the EXTIRE Poors-Rate — If the Government Valuation is under £i[. (Poor Relief Acts, 1838, sect. 74; 1849, sect. 11.) II.— PRIVILEGES UNDER THE ACT OF 1870. A Yearly Tenant who is disturbed in his holding* by the act of the Landlord, for causes other than non-payment of rent, and the Government Valuation of whose holding does not exceed £100 per annum, must be paid by his Landlord not only — (a) Full compensation for all improvements made by himself or his predecessors, such as unexhausted manures, permanent buildings, and reclamation of waste lands ; but also as — [473 ( 14 ) (b) Compensation for disturbance, a sum of money which may amount to seven years’ rent. (Land Act, 1870, sects. 1, 2, and 3.) Note. — Under the Act of 1881, the Landlord’s power of disturbance is practically abolished. A Yearly Tenant, even when evicted for non-payment of rent, must be paid by his Landlord — (a) Compensation for all improvements, such as un- exhausted manures, permanent buildings, and reclamation of waste land. (Sect. 4.) And when his rent does not exceed £15 he must be paid in addition — - (b) A sum of money which may amount to seven years’ rent, if the Court decides that the rent is exorbitant. (Sects. 3 and 9.) Note. — Until the contrary is proved, the improvements arc presumed to have been made by the tenants. (Sect. 5.) The tenant can make his claim for compensation imme- diately on notice to quit being served, and cannot be evicted until the compensation is paid. (Sects. 16 and 21.) A Yearly Tenant, even when VOLlXTARILY DERlXCr his farm, must either be paid by Landlord — (a) Compensation for all his improvements; or be (< b ) Permitted to sell his improvements to an in- coming tenant. (Sect. 4.) I X ALL SEW TESASCIES — The Landlord must pay HALF the County or Grand Jury Cess, If the valuation is £4. or upwards, The Landlord must pay the ESTIRE County or Grand Jury Cess, If the value does not exceed ^4. (Land Act, 1870, sects. 65 and 66.) III.— PRIVILEGES UNDER THE ACT OT 1881. The Act of 1870 mainly conferred two advantages on evicted Tenants — {a) Full payment for all improvements; (b) Compensation for disturbance. The Act of 1881 gives three additional privileges to those who avail themselves of them — 1. FIXITY OF TEXURE — By which the tenant remains in possession of his land FOR EVER, subject to periodical revision of his rent. (Land Act, 1881, sect. 8.) Note. — If a Tenant has not had a fair rent fixed, and his Landlord proceeds to evict him for non-payment of rent, he can apply to the Court to fix the fair rent ; and meantime the eviction proceedings will be re- strained by the Court. (Land Act, 1881, sect. 13.) 474 ] ( T 5 ) 2. FAIR REST — By which any yearly tenant may apply to the Land Commission Court (the Judges of which were appointed under Mr. Gladstone’s administration) to fix the fair rent of his holding. The applica- tion is referred to three persons, one of whom is a lawyer, and the other two inspect and value the farm. This rent can never again be raised by the Landlord. (Land Act, 1 88 1, sect. 8.) 3. FREE SAFE — By which every yearly tenant may, whether he has had a fair rent fixed or not, SELL HIS TENANCY TO THE highest bidder whenever he desires to leave. (Land Act, 1 88 1 , sect, i.) Note. — There is no practical limit to the price he may sell for, and 20 times the amount of the annual rent has frequently been obtained in every province of Ireland. Even if a Tenant be evicted, he has the right either to re- deem at any time within six months, or to sell HIS TENANCY WITHIN THE SAME PERIOD TO A PURCHASER WHO CAN LIKEWISE REDEEM, and thus acquire all the privileges of the Tenant. (Land Act, 1881, sect. 13.) IV.— PRIVILEGE UNDER THE LAND PURCHASE ACT OF 1885. If a tenant wishes to buy his holding, and arranges with his landlord as to terms, he can change his position from that of a perpetual rent-payer into that of the payer of an annuity terminable at the end of 49 years, the Govern- ment supplying him with the entire purchase-money, to be repaid during those 49 years at 4 per cent. This annual payment of^4 for every ^100 borrowed covers both prin- cipal and interest. Thus if a tenant already paying a statutory rent of ^50 agrees to buy from his landlord at 20 years’ purchase (or ^1000), the Government will lend him the money, his rent will at once cease, and he will pay, not ^50, but ^40 yearly, for 49 years, and then be- come the owner of his holding, free of rent. It is hardly necessary to point out that, as these 49 years of payment roll by, the interest of the tenant in his holding increases rapidly in value. (Land Purchase Act, 1885, sects. 2, 3, and 4.) V.— PRIVILEGES UNDER THE LAND ACT OF 1887. This Act gives Tenants the following privileges : — 1 . IT AFFOWS LOSES TO RF BROIiEI. All leaseholders whose leases would expire within 99 years after the passing of the Act have the option of going into Court and getting their con- [475 ( .6 ) tracts broken, and a judicial rent fixed. No equiva- lent power is given to the landlords. (Land Act of 1887, sects. 1 and 2.) Note. — This will affect nearly 150,000 leaseholders in Ireland. 2. IT VARIES ROT ALREADY JUDICIALLY FIXED. In view of the recent fall in price of agricultural produce, the Land Commission is empowered, and required, to vary the rents fixed by the Land Courts during the years 1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, and 1885, in accordance with the difference in prices between those years and 1887, 1888, and 1889. These rents were originally fixed for 15 years. (Land Act of 1887, sect. 29.) 3. IT STAYS EVICTIONS, AND ALLOWS RENT TO RE PAIR BY INSTALMENTS. In the case of tenants whose valuation does not exceed ^50, the Court before which proceedings are being taken for the recovery of any debt due by the tenant is empowered to stay his eviction, and may give him liberty to pay his creditors by instalments, and can extend the time for such payment as it thinks proper. (Land Act of 1887, sect. 30.) It must also be remembered that the privileges cited in this leaflet, though the most important, are by no means the entire of the legal privileges of the Irish tenant. Thus it will be seen (to use the words of Mr. Chamber- lain), that “ The Irish tenant is in a position which is more favourable than that of any agricultural tenant throughout the whole of Europe. I will say in any civilized country on the face of the globe. . . . There are thousands and tens of thousands of tenants throughout Scotland and England who would receive as an in- estimable boon those opportunities which the Irish tenant so scornfully rejects.” — SPEECH AT HAWICK, Scotsman , January 24th, 1887. In considering these privileges, it must be borne in mind that those conferred by the Acts of 1881 and 1887 COULD NOT HAVE BEEN GIVEN UNDER THE CONSTITUTION of the United States * * See Federal Constitution, Article I., sect. x. i. — “No State shall pass ANY LAW IMPAIRING THE OBLIGATION OF CONTRACTS.” 476] ( i7 ) APPENDIX B. Irish Savings’ Banks Investments. 4 The flowing table* shows by Counties and Provinces the amounts standing to the credit of depositors in the various Post Office Savings’ Banks in Ireland on the 31st of December in each ofthe years from 1877 to 1886, both inclusive. The Metropolitan PoliceDistrictofDublin(embracingthelargesuburbsonthesouth side of the city proper), Belfast, Cork, Derry, and Limerick have been separated from the counties in which they are situated. It will be seen that in every county in Ireland there has been a progressive, and in some cases a rapid increase in the amounts deposited. A column has been added showing the per centage of increase of 1886 over 1877. The counties showing the largest per centage of increase are Armagh, 146 ; Down, 150 ; Monaghan, 146 ; Tyrone, 156 ; King’s Co., 146 ; Cork, 143; Kerry, 141; Limerick, 173 ; and Roscommon, 15 1. The following is the rate of increase by Provinces since 1877 : — Ulster (exclusive of Belfast and Derry) - 130 per cent. Leinster (exclusive of Dublin) - - 86 „ Munster (exclusive of Cork and Limerick) 131 „ Connaught - - - -114 „ Comparing the rate of increase in Ireland with other portions of the United Kingdom an examination of the tables gives the following results : — England and Wales - - 74 per cent Scotland - - 107 Ireland - - - US Adding the deposits in the Post Office Savings’ Banks to those in the old or Trustee Savings’ Banks, and com- paring 1886 with 1877, the returns show that Ireland has made much more rapid strides than the sister countries, the rate of increase of deposits (in all classes of Savings’ Banks) per head of the population being as follows : — Ireland - - - - - 40 per cent Scotland ----- 29*8 „ England - - - - - 17-7 * The figures given in the following tables are taken from the following Parliamentary Returns— No. 255, session 1879; 2 4 > session i 83 o; 347, session 1882 ; 203, session 1884 ; 19 and 149, session 1886 ; 197, session 1 887. [477 FFICE S A KINGS' BANKS , IRELAND, from 1877 t° 1886 . Increas from 1877 to Per cent 117 124 14G 120 150 116 86 135 120 146 156 1 _ CO 110 92 107 73 146 95 123 38 112 1886 1 © O CO CO »THw^QO(OH{OQO(Meo ^ CO^ cO_ »C 00 N t> O 0) 1(5 CO Q 0 O tp' »o” CO* b'T *T !>•* £Zf‘9 06 24,494 40,017 516,160 48,889 33,795 39,234 17,315 72,063 26,935 1885 £ 119,268 211,009 52,212 34,714 144,020 60,352 22,012 30,417 23,776 29,443 88,279 815,102 22,106 36,749 473,214 44,307 30,986 36,055 14,795 65,543 24,497 1884 £ 108,505 182,552 44,918 31,511 133,980 56,392 21,108 26,967 21,963 27,803 84,034 CO CO cf co !>• 20,016 34,155 430,741 43,822 29,374 33,883 13,066 62,538 22,923 1883 £ 97,471 171,228 40,490 28,747 122,978 53,630 20,322 24,313 20,384 25,097 78,908 <» O co* OO O 18,913 31,469 395,199 38,279 26,551 31,037 12,304 58,232 21,056 1882 £ 90,691 155,448 37,869 27,114 112,661 51,493 19,523 22,278 19,224 23,032 74,101 633,434 18,031 29,412 369,582 36,260 24,927 30,466 11,628 56,867 20,808 1881 £ 80,271 142,541 32,898 22,953 102,279 44,403 17,408 19,429 16,947 19,995 52,786 551,910 16,768 27,608 340,065 33,716 22,144 27,045 10,093 55,370 18,479 1880 £ 72,182 127,259 29,292 20,721 84,917 38,508 16,664 18,003 15,578 17,549 45,840 486,513 15,363 26,438 311,408 31,083 20,225 24,717 9,089 52,353 17,941 1879 £ G7,921 116,945 27,892 19,543 77,887 34,650 15,384 16,466 14,690 15,423 42,048 448,849 13,632 23,143 283,686 28,061 17,944 22,692 7,943 50,247 15,116 1878 QU03ioei^iQ«3 0ooooo (M t— 1 Ci CO ^ CQ 05 CO CO O l'- ^ CD QO (N O N C5 b- — 1-4 C(| ol h 10 cT (m" CO i-H CO 00 X-T co 1 ->H CO co N JO ox b >C tb CO CO rH CO 05 b- O ox CO r 00 05 00 ox tb 1—^ rH CO' CO O' 0 ctT co" jo" rS CO 05 ttH ox CO r CO ocf co" co" of rH rf of co" rH CM JO rH 05 lb CO CO rH ox JO 0 CO ■HH GO ox Xb co rH JO 0 05 i-H i-H JO ox Lr- ox" CD 0 I-H r-H CO CO X- 05 CM 0 JO CO JO JO CO CO 05 ■'H CO JO^ CO r tb 05 O' ox CO' cf co' 00 cf co" ox CO CO OX 10 05 05 cf cf Xb go" cf co" co*' rf rf CO CM rH rH co co jo CM CO r-H CO 00 co OX lb r— 1 CO ox CO Ol ox 00 I-H rH ox OX^ ox" CM 05 CO rH lb tb JO lb rH 00 tb 1— H CO 0 ox ox ox 0 CO rH OX O CO tb r-H rH 05 0 i-H O CO i-H ox C5 CO 00 JO JO co JO rH O JO CO i- ox r-H ox Lb CO 05 0 00 I— < rH CO rH co ox 0 r-H co' JO bT 0 ox tb JO 05 ■*H ox r-f X-" H i-T of co" cf 0 " of CO CM rH CO X— ox rH ox Ol rH CO 00 CO CO Lb rH JO ox CO rH JO ib rH CO ox O' ox" 0 00 05 JO co 1 — GO rH JO Lb rH co co ^H rr 'H >0 rH 00 co C5 r-H 05 "H 05 CO 05 |b. O 0 05 r-H i-H JO CO CO ox I-H Xb 1- 01 JO i-H rH i-H CO rH 05 CO O Xb rH 05 JO Xb 0 ^ ^H. °°r rH JO rH r-H r-H co" t-H JO OX 'etc tb CO r-H tb of co" cf co" jo" rf rH t-f JO CO CM co CO x-H rH OX ox i-H CO X- ox CO CO i-H jo ox CO 05 ox b* i-H co I-H C5" 1 — r CO CO *0 JO lb rr ib 00 ox 05 rH i>. ^ i JO 05 CO JO 05 Cfi JO Lb -H i-H 05 0 rH rH 05 CO 00 OX 00 0 JO 1 GO 00 CO tb co r-H JO 05 jo rH 05 co 00 CO 05 CO 05 Lb JO 00 hH 00 JO co JO CO Lr- CO rf 0 5 " O CO* cm" T— H CTi r-H rH 05 00 cf -h" of cf 00 " 0 " i— r co" cf 0 05 05 co O JO JO 0 1 CO 00 CM i-H (M rH Ib 05 JO 00 05 ox JO rH CO JO CO CO ox 05 05 1 0 CO JO tb o_ « JO^ JO" JO^ tb ox^ °°r O" o_ °°r -rH CO ■0 I-H CO' Lb JO CO cm" jf — ht of rf rf cm" cf r-f 00 " rH jef 01 " jf 00 " 0 " cf rH rf co" tb* CM H co CM CO 00 co 1 — 1 01 OX JO ox CO 'H rH rH rH ox co i-H JO ox 1—1 rH Xb M i-H CO 0 CO CO co rr 0 b- CO co CM Xb 00 CO rH OO Xb CO H rH GO CO 0 0 0 CO 01 co 1— 1 1b O b- co 0 OX JO co CO 0 CO tb 0 JO Lb CO CO' Xb O IO" O bT 00 { of rf 10 " ' co" ' co" O" 0 " cf 00 " cf ib cf 0 " cf cf CM r-H CO CM 0 tb ox rH rH OX JO rH ox ^H 1— H CO rH ox 01 JO JO ox r-H ox 1 1 r-f H • pf w 0 P 5 3 0 IP Q ■P c3 © a m 0 CO "fl 0 © 0 © £ O 3 O H xn g H |f) O 3 j» > 0 1 c3 0 B 0 0 > VI 0 to H £ 0 0 0 "cl HP pf cf I-H * o>£ £ O H O O O Ph 0 0 O ^3 3 E - 1 •s 0 H C3 © O iH 0 Eo 0 H 0 H [479 The following Table * gives the Total Amount Invested in Government and India Stocks , and Deposited in Joint Stock and Savings Banks in Ireland in the undermentioned years : — ( 20 ) 480] ( 21 ) APPENDIX C. Sales of Tenants’ Interests in their Holdings, No. of SALES of TENANTS’ INTERESTS, SUBJECT to the LANDLORD'S RENT. 1881-1S85. 1888. 1887. 1886- 18S7. Number of Years’ Purchase of the Landlord’s rent given for the Annual Rent Annual Rent Annual Rent Annual Rent Tenant’s interest. £20 AND UNDKK. £20 AND UNDER. £20 and under. £20 AND UNDER. Ireland. Ireland, Ireland. Ireland. 10 years’ purchase and under 331 154 94 248 Over 10 years, not exceeding 20 325 153 101 254 Over 20 years, not exceeding 30 102 50 41 91 Over 30 years, not exceeding 40 35 11 14 25 Over 40 years, not exceeding 50 15 9 1 10 Over 50 years ... ... 5 8 — 8 Total 813 385 251 636 Annual Rent Annual Rent Annual Rent Annual Rest above £20. above £20. above £20. above £20. 10 years’ purchase and under 239 89 52 141 Over 10 years, not exceeding 20 125 52 42 94 Over 20 years, not exceeding 30 20 15 2 17 Over 30 years, not exceeding 40 1 — 1 — Over 40 years, not exceeding 50 1 — — — Over 50 years 1 — — — Total 387 156 96 252 The following Tables give t he pro portion yer cent, for the above Total o f 2,9 76 Cases : — j 1881-1885, 1886. 1887. 1886-1887. ! 1 Total. I Total. Total. Total. 10 years’ purchase and under : 1 47-5 44*9 42-1 43*8 Above 10 years ... ... 37-5 37-9 41-2 39-2 Above 20 years 10-2 12-0 12-4 12-2 Above 30 years 30 2-0 4-0 2-8 Above 40 years ... ... 1-3 | | 1-7 0’3 IT Above 50 years ... ... j •5 1-5 | 0-9 Total 100 100 100 100 The above Table of 1,200 sales in the years 1881-1885 was published by the Irish Loyal and Patriotic Union on 14th September, 1886. 1 he 888 cases of sales in 1886 and 1887 have been collected and tabulated by the Executive Committee of the Irish Landowners’ Convention. The figures show that the value of the tenant’s interest is steadily increasing. The cases in which the tenant-right was sold for more than 10 years’ purchase of the rent were 11 per cent, more numerous in 1887 than in 1881-5 : — 1881-1885 1886 1887 47*5 449 42*1 52*5 55-1 57*9 100-0 [481 At and under 10 years’ purchase Over 10 years’ purchase 1000 100 0 ( 22 ) APPENDIX D . LOANS TO IRELAND. From a tabular statement prepared by the Irish Loyal and Patriotic Union it appears that the total amount of money advanced on loan from the Imperial Exchequer to Ireland during the present century was £42,309,5 24. Of this sum £22,646,312 or over 53 per cent, was repaid as well as interest to the amount of £6,080,491. The amount of the loans re- mitted is £10,285,141, or 24 per cent, of the total advanced, leaving a balance outstanding of £9,378,070 of which, how- ever, nearly £9,000,000 is not yet due. The total amount advanced from the Imperial Exchequer for Loan purposes, from 1792 to 1886, was £111,000,000. Of this sum £5 1,500,000, or over 46 per cent., was advanced to England proper ; and upwards of £42,300,000, or 38 per cent., to Ireland. Scotland only received £8,200,000, or a little over 7 per cent. Of the total amount advanced, upwards of £14,000,000 was remitted or written off. Of this amount £10,285,000, or nearly 73 per cent, was remitted in the case of Ireland. This is equivalent to a remittal of over 24 per cent, of the total amount advanced to Ireland. Of the amount advanced to England, only £441,000 was written off This is equivalent to 3 per cent, of the total remitted, and less than I per cent, of the total amount lent to England. In the case of Scotland, £366,000 was written off, being 2 \ per cent, of the total amount remitted by the Imperial Exchequer, and 4T per cent of the amount lent, to Scotland. The amount of the Loans made to Ireland which was afterwards written off doubtless appears very large, coming to £10,285,000, being just one quarter of the total sum lent, which exceeded £42,300,000. On, however, examining, even cursorily, the items of Loans where the largest amounts were remitted, we will find that a very large proportion of the money nominally lent was really intended as a grant justified by the peculiar 4S2] 23 APPENDIX D ( Continued .) circumstances of the country. Thus ,£5,000,000, or one-half of the total amount remitted, was money given at the period of the famine in 1847-8 for the employment of the Labouring Poor and for Temporary Relief, &c. (under the Statutes 9 & 10 Viet. c. 107 ; and 10 Viet. c. 7). Of the remaining ,£5,000,000 remitted, upwards of ij million had been advanced for pur- poses of Tithe Relief, nearly I ^ million for Union Workhouses, and ,£1,200,000 for River Drainage and Navigation. Many of these purposes were of such a character that no particular section of the community could with fairness be compelled to repay them, being rather national than individual in their operation. The advances made for them accordingly partook more of the nature of grants for national objects than Loans to a particular section of the community. The bodies through which Loans were made to Ireland were the Irish Board of Works, the Treasury, the Public Works Loan Commissioners of England, and the Irish Land Com- mission. Over £35,000,000 or 83 percent, of the total sum advanced was given through the Irish Board of Works. 4? BOSTON COLLEGE