E hes J 
Tue houfes are built, not by the landlord, but by the tenant, 
and to build an houfe for his family is not always an eafy 
matter to an Irifh peafant: The fearcity of timber and of 
watling is an additional impediment. In the tillage counties 
(and tillage is becoming very general) if the peafant arrives at 
better circumftances, it is after a courfe of painful induftry ; and 
money fo acquired is not readily parted with. He is more 
defirous of taking more land than of improving his houfe. He 
lives in the fame fort of habitation that he has been. ufed to; 
and that his poorer neighbours inhabit, but he hires labourers 
and fervants who live in his houfe; and increafes the number of 
his houfchold without increafing their accommodations. How- 
ever I may contradic the opinions of others as to the nature 
of the Irifh peafantry, I will venture to ftate what I have 
obferved in a county where tillage has taken root. I think that 
no peafantry can be more induftrious ; and the continued frugality 
of thofe who have grown rich is perfe@ly aftonifhmg. The 
fhortnefs of tenures is another caufe that the peafantry are 
unwilling to build houfes in feveral parts of the kingdom, and 
of courfe of families not feparating early. J am happy to obferve 
that in my own memory the peafantry have grown more intel- 
ligent, more fturdy, and have more confidence in the laws then 
they ufed to have. But I am informed, and I cannot difbelicve, 
that in thofe parts. where the lands are let to middle-men, the 
peafant wifhes ftill to conceal his fubftance, and efpecially that 
he is unwilling to build a good houfe, which would only increafe 
the rent of his farm, of which he generally has but a. fhort 
tenure. : 
Upon 
