280 A LIFE'S WORK IN IRELAND. 



owner can sell part of the land held in fee to improve 

 the rest. 2. Such parts can be used in providing for 

 younger children. 3. He can improve the parts held 

 in fee to the utmost, and charge the cost, or leave the 

 whole value to younger children. 4. He can borrow 

 money on the best terms for such objects. 5. All the 

 time he has the income of the settled part of the 

 estate to live on, meet jointures or charges, etc. So 

 that if views adverse to settlements were true, the 

 land thus held in fee ought to be a very model of 

 improvement. Yet I will venture to say it is very 

 seldom that such land will be found to be either 

 better or worse managed than the parts of the estate 

 in settlement. To make out proof on the subject, 

 fair and full inquiry, such as I have here suggested, 

 ought to be made. But whilst it is asserted that 

 those who have got no land yet, have a passion for 

 getting it, it is assumed that those who have got it as 

 owners in fee will be ready to sell it for slight cause. 

 There was never a greater mistake. I believe the 

 case of an owner in fee being willing to sell part of 

 his estate in order to improve the rest is excessively 

 rare. The fund from which landlords' improvements 

 ought to be made is the rent. A moderate percentage 

 of the rental applied to this purpose is the proper 

 course. It is the want of will, not the want of power 

 to do this that is the true mischief. Men do not 

 know of, do not feel, its necessity and importance. 

 Often improvements, perhaps from want of manage- 



