THE NEXT RACE OF IRISH PROPRIETORS.
[To THX EDITOR OF THE ”EIPSCTATOILl BIR,—I/ost authorities seem to agree that to make the Irish tenant-farmers owners of their land would be the best solution of the Irish difficulty; but I never see any explanation of the terms on which the property is to be held. Could you explain this mystery P
When we have thoroughly got rid of the present landlords, and substituted for them the present tenants, will these new landlords be forbidden by law to let their land ? If so, how will the law be enforced ? If not, will the recent legislation in favour of tenants be maintained as against the new landlords ?
Is it supposed that the present tenant-farmers will gladly submit, for the sake of the privilege of " owning " their farms, to the restrictions on disposing of them that the present nominal owners have had to submit to. Hitherto, tenant. farmers have not been in general very indulgent to their sub- tenants, and the law has not, I think, much interfered between them. If these sub-tenants, on becoming tenants without "sub," are taken under the protection of a paternal Govern- ment, and the new landlords should not welcome Governmental interference with the rights of property, is there not some danger that the triumphant destruction of the "felon" class may leave us not much " forrarder " than we are at present ? Ownership of the soil may foster respect for the rights of the proprietor ; but is it likely to produce joyful acquiescence in the limitation of those rights P—I am, Sir, dm., A BEWILDERED WELL-WISHER TO IRELkED. [Why is not Belgium let in sub-tenancies P—En. Spectator.]
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