The Convention of Irish landlords held this week is evidently
uncertain what to do about Purchase, and has practically post- poned the subject until the meeting to be held just before the Session begins. A detailed scheme will then be proposed for dis- cussion. The balance of opinion as yet is in favour of an extension of Lord Ashbourne's Act, which provides for voluntary sale. The landlords shrink from expropriation, and would rather the State should lend them money to pay off mortgagee at 3 per cent., reduce family charges equitably, and abolish certain public burdens on land. The second request is probably just, as the family charges were imposed when rent was matter of contract ; but the first will not be accepted by Parliament. It would make the State the grand foreclose; and ultimately burden it with masses of the worst property in Europe,—namely, Irish land. The money required, it is said, would be seventy millions. As to the public burdens, the difficulty is that, as peasant- proprietorship is ultimately certain, to reduce taxation on land is to reduce the peasants' inducement to keep down rates, We might easily, under a lax system in Ireland, see all the evils of the old Poor-Law revive, the popular Guardians voting to their electors grants in aid of wages and profits.
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