CH. IV.] SMALL TENANTRY. 6? 



land reaches to such a pitch, that in the last two or three 

 years there have been no less than fifteen crimes com- 

 mitted (in cases of the ejectment of farmers from their lands 

 for the non-payment of tithes or other causes) by bodies 

 of armed men, who set fire to two houses, killed two 

 men, and beat and wounded many others. These bodies 

 of men consisted of neutral persons, who revenged those that 

 had been ejected, and protected the poor. One man was 

 hung, and many others punished, and all have gone to 

 prison readily, and begged for death as a deliverance from 

 their misery. It was stated that these have now formed a 

 band of men, dressed in white, who have sworn to defend 

 themselves in a body against any that should attempt to 

 drive them from their farms. One man, whom his landlord 

 sought to eject, declared to the judges, that if they ejected 

 him from his farm, they might at the same time arrest him, 

 for in three days he who took his place would be killed. 



In the barony of Portnahinch, a witness declared that 

 the number and atrocity of crimes had frightened all the 

 people of the neighbourhood ; that the landlords are de- 

 sirous of dislodging the farmers, in order to consolidate 

 the lands ; and that the people have so deep a sense of the 

 injustice which they suffer, that they regard vengeance as 

 an act of justice. When the offender is known, he is so 

 protected, in a direct or indirect way, that it is impossible 

 to take him, however atrocious the crime he may have 

 committed. Rents meanwhile remain unaffected by this 

 system of intimidation ; for however strong may be the 

 fear of outrage in those who offer rent, or take land from 

 which another has been ejected, the fear of destitution is 

 still stronger, and land may be considered as the only 

 means of subsistence. The Commissioners have no hesi- 



F 2 



