ULSTER TENANT-RIGHT. 169 



on in every farmer's and labourer's house. The land 

 in Ulster had already been very much subdivided. 

 When the linen trade flourished, it enabled industrious 

 families to make money and pay great sums for the 

 tenant-right of the small lots of their neighbours, 

 willing to sell from any cause. 



The spinning-wheel and the loom afterwards 

 earned the means of stocking and manuring the land 

 bought. Tenant-right can only live when the rent is 

 under the true value of the land. If the land is let 

 at the full value, the tenant has nothing to sell. 

 Very little thought will show it is impossible men 

 should go on, from generation to generation, paying 

 the full value of the land in rent, and a great sum 

 of money besides on entry. In those days, and long 

 after, rents were very ill paid in Ireland ; the land- 

 lords lost in this way very largely. As under tenant- 

 right all arrears of rent due were paid out of the 

 purchase-money, most Ulster landlords acquiesced in 

 the system, and sanctioned it. The purchaser paid 

 his money into the landlord's office ; the arrears were 

 taken out of it, and the balance handed to the out- 

 going tenant. It was well known that often incoming 

 tenants thus paid away not only all their own money, 

 but also all they were able to borrow from their 

 friends besides, in order to buy Tenant-right. 



When thus stripped of capital it was impossible 

 a tenant should farm the land well. If a few bad 

 years chanced to come he was ruined, and had to sell 



