TENANTRY. n 



When therefore it is confidered, that no advantages to the 

 eftate can arife from a nonrefident tenant, and that a refident 

 intermediate one improves no more than the poor occupiers 

 v/ho are prevented by his oppreinons, that the landlord often 

 gains little or nothing in fecurity from employing them, but 

 that he fufifers a prooigious deduction in his rental for mere 

 expectations, which every hour's experience proves to be de- 

 lufive. When thefe facts are duly weighed, it is prefvmed. 

 that the gentlemen in thofe parts of the kingdom, which 

 yet groans under fuch a fyftem of abfurdity, folly and oppref- 

 fion, will follow the example fet by fuch a variety of intelli- 

 gent landlords, and be deaf to the deceitful afleverations with 

 v.'h-ich their ears are affailed, to treat the anecdotes retailed 

 of the cottar's poverty, with the contempt they deferve, when 

 coming from the mouth of a jobber; when thefe bloodfuckers 

 of the poor tenantry boaft of their own improvements, to open 

 their eyes and view the ruins which are dignified by fuch a 

 term, and finally determine, as friends to themfelves, to their 

 poftcrity and their country, TO LET THEIR ESTATES TO 



NOME BUT THE OCCUPYING TENANTRY. 



Having thus defcribed the tenants that ought to be rejected, 

 let me next mention the circumftances of the occupiers. The 

 variety of thefe is very great in Ireland. In the North, where 

 the linen manufacture has fpread, the farms are fo fmall, that 

 ten acres in the occupation of one perfon is a Jaige one, five 

 01 fix will be found a good farm, and all the agriculture of 

 the country fo entirely fubfervient to the manufacture, that 

 they no more deferve the name of farmers than the occupier 

 of a mere cabbage garden. In Limerick, Tipperary, Clare, 

 Meath and Waterford, there are to be found the greateft 

 graziers and cow-keepers perhaps in the world, feme who rent 

 and occupy from 3000!. to ro.oool. a year : thefe of courfe 

 are men of property, and are the only occupiers in the king- 

 dom, who have any confiderable fubftance. The effects are 

 not fo beneficial as might be expected. Rich graziers in 

 England, who have a little tillage, ufually manage ii well, 

 and are in other refpects attentive to various improvements, 

 though it muft be confefled not in the fame proportion with 

 great arable farmers ; but in Ireland rhefe men are as errant 

 flovens as the moft beggarly cottars. The rich lands of Lime- 

 rick are in refpect of fences, drains, buildings, weeds, &c. 

 in as wafte a ftate as the mountains of Kerry ; the fertility of 

 nature is fo little feconded, that few tracts yield lefs pleafure 

 to the fpectator. From what I obferved, I attributed this to 

 the itllenefs and diflipalion fo general in Ireland. Thefe gra- 

 ziers are too apt to attend to their claret as much as their 

 bullocks, live expenfively, and being enabled, from the nature 

 of their bufinefs, to pafs nine-tenths of the year without any 

 exertion of induftry, contract fuch a habit of eafe, that works 

 of improvement would be mortifying to their floth. 



In 



