CH. III.] YEARLY OCCUPATION, OR CON-ACRE. 49 



the inquiry of the Commissioners, that this system pre- 

 vails from want of employment, and that persons hold 

 con-acre even at the distance of five miles from their 

 dwellings, never with the view to make any profit by the 

 sale of their produce, but to insure to themselves a supply 

 of food ; and that they hope to be able to pay, by going to 

 seek work for some months in England. In England, 

 however, the law obliges each district to support the poor 

 who have established a claim upon the soil ; and as this 

 right is acquired by six weeks 5 residence, the magistrates 

 do not permit the poor who come over from Ireland to 

 reside so long a time. The following is an official state- 

 ment of the number of Irish driven from England by order 

 of the magistrates, on account of poverty, and who left 

 Liverpool for Ireland : 



In the year 1824 . . . 2481 poor. 



1825 ... 3028 



1826 ... 6428 



1827 . 6055 



1828 ... 4249 



1829 ... 5086 



1830 . . . 5679 



1831 . . . 5863 



The labourers are described by the witnesses to be in 

 such a state of misery, that social order is constantly en- 

 dangered. The large farms rear cattle, and yield little work; 

 the small farmers have not the means of employing the 

 labour which they need, so that the condition of agricul- 

 ture is rapidly growing worse, whilst the country is in a 

 state of famine ; and in spite of their utmost efforts, no- 

 thing is able to relieve the people from their miserable 



