Page:Life of Sir William Petty 1623 – 1687.djvu/49

 cause. Certain special reservations were also made in Dublin and Cork for maimed soldiers and the widows of those who had perished in the war; and well-affected Protestants and English owners, who might wish to leave Connaught in consequence of the Irish transplantation, were offered the opportunity of receiving lands of equal value on the left bank of the Shannon.

Such was the general scheme in outline, but large powers of adjusting details were left to the Irish Council of State, which was entrusted with the execution of the Act. The formation of an Army Commission, to distribute the lands to the soldiers when the survey was finished, was provided for by the Act.

It was one thing, however, to make a general arrangement of this kind, it was another and far more difficult task to carry it out. A survey and map was the first thing needed, but surveying was an infant art, and nothing of the kind existed, except in Tipperary and in some parts of Connaught, where, during the reign of Charles I., Strafford had instituted and partly carried out a survey.

There were said to be 85,000 claimants of land in all, and the Act settled nothing, except that 1,000 Irish acres, equal to 1,600 English measure, in the counties situate in Leinster were to represent 600l., in the counties situate in Munster 450l., and in those situate in Ulster 300l. of debt; the Act rates being 12s. per Irish acre in Leinster, 8s. in Munster, and 4s. in Ulster, the latter being considered the poorest of the three provinces.

In the period between the end of the war and the year 1653, rough lists of the proscribed had been drawn up, and courts had been held to determine who could clear themselves of the charge of conspiracy in the late rebellion, and prove constant good affection. But a large category of 'dubious lands,' as they were called, still remained, which awaited a further and final inquiry, and these both the army and the adventurers were now clamorously demanding should at once be assigned to them. The army also confidently expected that if the adventurers were satisfied first, a large surplus