36 A LIFE'S WORK TN IRELAND. 



CHAPTEE IV. 



THE IKISH LAND QUESTION. 

 FEBRUARY 1868. 



I HAVE stated in previous chapters the common-sense 

 views of a resident on rents in Ireland, and the 

 great improvement in that country since the begin- 

 ning of the century. I wish to do so once more on 

 what is called " the land question." It should never 

 be lost sight of that the farmers are only half the 

 agricultural population. The labourers are the other 

 half. 1 The interest of the labourers is not at all 

 identical with that of the farmers. Their treatment 

 by the farmers is of the very closest and hardest 

 kind. Such cases come before any one living in 

 Ireland continually. I cannot tell how often in the 

 year the words of Solomon in the Proverbs rise in 

 my mind about " the poor man that oppresseth the 

 poor," etc. If the farmers were treated by the land- 

 lords with one -half the hardness they show the 

 labourers, there would be plenty heard about it. One 



1 The number of labourers has greatly lessened since this 

 was written. 



