highly injurious to Estates. 137 



The latter parties would no doubt gladly 

 avail themselves of this acquiescence, in their 

 new projected species of auction, it being the 

 best covering for the absence of that knowledge 

 of rural affairs, in which it cannot be expected pro- 

 fessional men should be so accurately educated 

 as to decide justly between parties of such op- 

 posite interests; and whilst a private auction 

 relieved them from all responsibility, it had the 

 further recommendation of passing matters of 

 great concern through their offices without per- 

 plexity, to completion, and without risking any 

 impeachment of their judgment. Should my 

 suggestions, as to the origin of these auctions 

 in obscurity, serve as a check to this ungenerous 

 mode of proceeding, the public, by possibility, 

 may be benefited. 



Mr. Roper, from whom we obtained much 

 important information respecting the value of 

 Irish estates, occupies the beautiful mansion of 

 Ely Place, three miles from Dublin, at the foot 

 of the Wicklow mountains. From the park we 

 commanded many charming views of the city 

 and bay of Dublin. 



The opinion I had formed, of land letting con- 

 siderably higher in Ireland than in England, 

 receives daily confirmation ; even after every 



