Page:Irish Emigration and The Tenure of Land in Ireland.djvu/130

Rh placed in possession of land by the owners, with the express intention they should sublet, and it is with, and the Superior Courts gave verdicts also in his favour, still the county juries never would agree, and the landlord failed. "Timber and slates are given to them by the landlord, consequently the estate is now, on these new farms, varying from twenty to fifty acres, studded with slate houses." ''Dig. Dev. Com. p.'' 437. "Between the years 1780 and 1787, James Lord Caher let immense tracts of land in large farms to single individuals. They have now enjoyed them for sixty-one years, and the leases are about expiring—some have expired. Those farms have been sublet in the most astonishing manner, and except upon one or two of those great farms, varying from 1,000 acres to 100, I do not think there are above two or three lessees now in possession of any part of those lands which were let to them by James Lord Caher.

"They are entirely new people brought in?—Entirely a new population. The lands were altogether in grass in those years. They were great grazing farms. In the high times during the war, those lessees sublet their lands ad infinitum, and became middlemen; and when the peace came prices fell, and the middlemen became totally ruined.

"What course has your lordship taken upon them?—I will take the first case which presents itself to me in the statement, Kilcoran, 161. That is 281 acres Irish, and the rent formerly paid was 13s 10d an Irish acre.

"What the sub-rents were you do not know?—No. The lease was for sixty-one years, let in 1782. It was completely deluged with paupers, and the lessee himself did not hold above sixteen acres. One house, inhabited by a most notorious ruffian, was thrown down and the man turned out. The land was squared as much as possible into from fifteen to twenty acre farms to residents, the rest of the people still remaining on the lands in their houses . ..

"Are they numerous?—Very numerous, I should say. The land is remarkably good, generally speaking, and worth from about 30s to 35s an Irish acre.

"As what they had been in the habit of paying?—I cannot