EQUITABLE RENTS IN IRELAND.
, . Corballis, Drogheda, 5th ,December 1853. Six—From the generally impartial tone and just tendencies of your ob- servations on the existing relation between landlord and tenant in Ireland, I am induced to submit to your, practised judgment the following suggestions for the modification of the law now in force; judging from the abortive efforts of the preceding sessions in Parliament, that a change is contemplated, and from the unequal and uncertain reductions in rent occasionally occur- ring, that it is of necessity felt and demanded, but disapproving equally with you of the "Tenant League " valuation' doctrine, as inconsistent with free trade in land, and believing that "tenant right" (heretofore generally un- derstood as conferring a power on the occupier to dispose of the interest and improvements in his farm to the best bidder) would, if now legalized, confer no benefit on the tenant, since recent abolition of duties has,reduced that in- terest iu his holding to, and in many instances below, the value of the rent sti- pulated on the. implied continuance of restrictive imposts, which have been suddenly abrogated in the midst of repeated famine and 'season-recurring failure, although at the same time rating and taxation have been enormously increased. Thus, while all admit something must be done to amend de- clining agriculture, I too have given some consideration to the subject, espe- cially in cases of existing agreements and terminable leases; arrangements which, if carried into law, I am induced to hope, might be beneficially worked ; leaving all parties, however, so long at least as free trade con- tinues, unshackled in their bargains for the future ; because there is suffi- cient evidence, from the immense extent of land now untenanted in Ireland, that people cannot at present be found to offer rents disproportioned to re- munerative prices, but at the same time where landlords have reduced their terms applicants.are as numerous as heretofore. With these preliminary observations, requeating you ever to bear in mind that in Ireland it is'the invariable practice for tenants to make all improve- ments and modifications on their farms at their sole cost without ever recei- ving any allowtmee-or compensation from their landlords, I be to state my proposition—That the average price of corn for the year in which a tenancy commenced should be referred to in the published tables and compared with the average of the present season, or whenever this, my suggestion might be acted on, and that a reduction of rent proportioned to a reduction of OHO half the difference of these averages should be legally substituted for ex- isting agreements. Thus, if a lease were made at 60s. per acre, when the corn average was f30s. per quarter, and that this season, or such time as the new arrangement might be entered on, the corn average might be 408. per quarter, the land should then on my plan be reduced to 45s. per acre, being the half only of the proportionate reduction on the price of corn. Again, if when the corn average was 60s. land had been set at 308. and that now the corn average might be 30s., the proportionate reduction in this case, equiva- lent to the difference in the corn averages, would bring down the land to 22s. fal. per acre. Or, to state the proposition arithmetically-find a fourth proportional to the average price of corn in one year, say at the inception of the tenancy : its supposed average in another year at the carrying out of this suggestion :: and the stipulated acreable rent : then the arithmetical mean or which is the same, one half the sum of the solvable rent and this fourth proportional, will be the required amount of reduced rental. Thus, in the year 1824 wheat 68.v. per quarter, and in 1850 wheat 438. per quarter, and rent 2/. per acre.
68 : 43 :: 40 : 25 al 40
68) 1720 ( 25 84 136
360 340 20 12 240 40 0 204 25 Etj 36 9 2) 65 Sj 4 )— —
68 17 32 7f Arithmetical mean. Answer-11. 12.s. 'tie:. would be the reduced rent in the year 1850, instead of 408.,
the previous rent. . .
I merely adopt these figures as exemplifying my proposition ; and as I am myself in the position of both head landlord of some property.and sub-tenant of other, I feel I am influenced only by what would be fair and feasible, producing a result such as would equalize between owner and occupier the admitted deficiency of return, and bring leasehold land property in Ireland to a standard equivalent to its present valuation ; for it must be supposed that each farmer in taking ground heretofore,. was, as he should be now, guided by the selling price of corn, which having been by law reduced, by law should he be relieved; and thus every one, without the cumbrous ma- chinery of valuators, arbitrators, and umpires, by referring only to the corn-averages for the two periods and his aereable rent, could tell at once for himself, by a simple sum in proportion, the exact reduction to which he would be entitled.
Should these views be entertained by you as just and practicable, some further detail can if necessary, be submitted.
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