Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 12.pdf/689

 648

of the new world. It was no wonder its life was sapped out within a short span. The King, too, James II., grew dissatisfied. The course of Government in Carolina and elsewhere had not run to suit him. For one thing, he was not satisfied with his share of the revenues; for another, the Proprietors had usurped quite too much authority to his way of thinking. He determined to show who was master. The King played his hand, the result being the downfall of the Charter Government of New England, but, for some reason, the Lords Proprietors of Carolina, while they, too, were shaken up, were not then overtaken in the ruin that

overwhelmed the others. Their bitter est chastisement, and, in time, their over throw, came through those whose rights and privileges had been so shamefully ig nored, — the long abused common people. Thus their downfall was brought about, not by act of royal authority, but as the result of revolution. It was no mad riot, nor series of riots; no outburst of the spirit of anarchy, but the calm and persistent demonstration of a resolute people against a power that had had for them neither justice nor considera tion. The struggle extended over a period of several years, the final victory coming in 1719.

IN AN IRISH LAND COURT. THE little courthouse is grimy with the trampling of muddy feet, and the hot breath of the heating pipes draws out the steam from clothes soaked by the soft Irish rain. A couple of lounging policemen in the trim half-military uniform of the constabu lary represent the majesty of order. The hard, dirty benches are crowded by small farmers from " remote townlands " with un pronounceable names — Magherahamlet and Carluacreevy, and Slivenascullion, " such as had made Quintilian stare and gasp " — roughcoated, rugged-faced men, with a look of in tent expectancy. For to-day some of the first batch of " second term applications " came on for hearing, and rents which were reduced fifteen years ago, will be reduced again now, or the tenants will know the reason why. The well of the court is filled with country solicitors, some shades less rough in appear ance and speech than their clients, but often such as Chancery Lane and Bedford Row would be slow to acknowledge as colleagues. Yet for the hard-pounding, rough-and-tumble style of the work, which is to be done here, they are as far ahead of their glossy metro

politan brethren as they would be behind the latter on a chancery appearance before a finicking chief clerk. Mingled among the solicitors are two or three junior barristers. They wear no robes down here, and there is nothing to distinguish them from the " other branch " save that the cut of their regulation black morning coat tells of Grafton Street or West End tailors, for the Irish bar, spite of the evil days which have fallen upon it, still strives to keep up its ancient dignity in matters of dress. Both barristers and solicitors are divided sharply into landlords' men and tenants' men. The Irish farmer — quite as much in Ulster as in the south — looks upon all land court pro ceedings as a strict war of classes, in which he who is not with him is against him. A man who has once become known as a ten ants' attorney or a tenants' advocate would jeopardize his practice almost hopelessly by appearing on the other side in the battle be tween those who till the soil and those who (theoretically) own it. Quite lately a caucus met in an Ulster agricultural constituency to consider candidates, and the name of a prom