INCREASE OF KATES. 133 



establishments were enormous, and have increased 

 the grand-jury cess in many instances nearly 100 per 

 cent. 



The poor-rate, of course, progressed in a far more 

 frightful ratio, increasing in one of the unions of the 

 county of Limerick from 4Jd. per pound in 1846, the 

 first year of the famine, to lis. 2d. in 1849. For the 

 whole county of Limerick, it is shown, by a report on 

 the financial condition of that county, which was unani- 

 mously agreed to by the magistrates and grand jurors, 

 on 24th November last, that the annual expenditure of 

 grand-jury rate, poor-rate, and labour-rate, had in- 

 creased from 



£48,131 £229,769 



When it is considered that two-thirds of this enor- 

 mous increase was laid exclusively on the tenant, the 

 reader will be at no loss to understand what he sees in 

 the newspapers about " the flight of tenants/' and 

 " abandonment of farms." When the tenant goes, the 

 landlord gets the land to himself, with all its engage- 

 ments. No rent is coming in ; the rate-collectors call 

 regularly for their rates ; the bankers are applied to for 

 advances, which they are very chary of making on such 

 doubtful security ; and, by degrees, if a definite limit is 

 not put to the increase of poor-rates, the landlords must 

 follow the tenants. 



The abandonment of farms, and consequent diminu- 



