Page:Confiscation in Irish history.djvu/82

 Furthermore the Commissioners found that the inhabitants complained of gross frauds in admeasurements.

The result of this Report was a new project, drawn up in London by the Lords of the Council, and transmitted to Ireland in August, 1614.

This project completely upset all Chichester's proceedings. It first provided that all who claimed land, whether old English or Irish, and all patentees whether old or new, thus including such of the undertakers as had already got lands, were to surrender their holdings before Christmas, 1614.

Then a quarter of the lands in dispute, viz., 16,500 acres of arable and pasture lands besides barren mountain and boggy or unpasturable woods, were to be bestowed upon eleven of such new patentees as Chichester should choose: each getting 1,500 acres, "or such other fit natives as will accept the same if the said patentees refuse." The lands thus allotted to the undertakers were to be in the more inland and hilly parts, along the borders of the Irish countries of the Dufferin, Ferrenoneale, Shilelagh and the Lordship of Arklow; and those who actually held these 16,500 acres including " old pretended patentees" were to be competently satisfied by the rest of the inhabitants.

The remaining three-fourths of the country, comprising the parts along the sea and the more level inland parts, were to be repassed to such of the natives and former inhabitants as the Lord Deputy and his assistants shall deem fit to be free-