36 ON THE STATE OF IRELAND. [BOOK I. 



to tenants not having a lease, which those who held leases 

 would certainly never obtain. 



Nevertheless it has been remarked, in many parishes, 

 that those who held leases had considerably improved 

 their lands, whilst those who had not any had done no- 

 thing for theirs. 



In the barony of Dromahair, in the same province, it 

 was stated, that formerly the custom existed of granting 

 leases for the term of three lives, which extended them 

 beyond fifty years; but that at present this custom has 

 nearly ceased, and the leases are shorter. The witnesses 

 state, that the farmer who holds a long lease labours for 

 himself, whilst he whose lease is short labours for another, 

 and the farm is no better cultivated. 



The witnesses examined respecting the condition of the 

 barony of Carbery, in the same province, stated, that leases 

 for twenty-one years were generally speaking replacing 

 those for the term of three lives ; because, when the land 

 was in an uncultivated state, it was necessary to grant 

 longer leases, in order to encourage the tenants to under- 

 take the labours which were indispensably needful. In 

 the barony of Clonlisk, province of Leinster, tenants hold 

 from year to year, for otherwise the peasants vote con- 

 trary to the will of the proprietors. The Commissioners 

 think that very short leases are preferable when the pro- 

 prietor is resident, because he pays for the improvement 

 of the land and for building, which is not the case when 

 the lease is long. In the barony of Kells the Commis- 

 sioners found, that one-half of the estates was let on long 

 leases, and the other half from year to year. They do not 

 think that this has created any difference in the cultivation 

 of the land. They remark that the farmers know absolutely 



