42 A LIFE'S WORK IN IRELAND. 



fide works as the Bill of 1866, and by registration 

 prevented after-fraud and litigation. Its system of 

 loans was of great value to the tenant. It was, of 

 course, received with a howl in the House of 

 Commons by the extreme Irish party; but the 

 people at home were wiser than their M.P.'s, and 

 have seen how great the gain would be. Everybody 

 now wishes for it as a pis oiler at least. 



But it is said fixity of tenure and peasant pro- 

 prietors are the true remedy. Besides other objec- 

 tions to fixity of tenure, it would just stereotype the 

 evils of all estates now badly managed. There are 

 many estates still divided into farms too small to 

 support a family, or with farms carved out by the 

 tenants themselves on the principle of a good field 

 and a bad one to each, so that a man's share is 

 situated in half a dozen different spots. (I had lately 

 such a case, a purchase, with one thriving tenant on 

 it out of many at very low rent, and he had nineteen 

 acres in seven separate bits.) Neglect, and not bad 

 intention, is the main fault of Irish landlords, and on 

 110 estates are the tenants so ill off as on those where 

 they have been left to arrange for themselves, and 

 allowed to get in arrear from indulgence. Fixity of 

 tenure would cruelly injure those who have spent 

 life and money in improving the condition of their 

 estates and tenants, in the expectation that they or 

 their children would profit by it ; while it would do 

 little hurt to the neglectful landowner, who cares only 



