THE STATE OF IRELAND.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IV, Issue 209, 6 April 1877, Page 9

THE STATE OF IRELAND.

Mr Pirn, formerly a Liberal M.P. for Dublin City, and one of its leading merchants, has delivered an interesting address at the opening of the thirteenth session of the Irish Statistical Society. The address, a retrospect of the labours of the society for twentynine years, is practically a review of tbe gradual change in the social and industrial condition of the country during that period. The statistics with regard to land-holdings are very suggestive, and show that while farms of from one to thirty acres have decreased enormously in numbers, those over thirty acres have increased in proportion. The greatest decrease was in farms of from one to five acres; the greatest increase in those of from 30 to 200 acres, that is m medlum , h ° ldin S s - In crops, during the period between 1844 to 1875, cereals diminished to nearly one-half, while green crops doubled. Sheep have doubled, and cattle more than doubled during the same period. Mr. Pirn condemns the decrease of cereals, and cites the case of Scotland to show that the increased culture of cereals and green crops may be co-existen b. This part of his report is a bitter comment on the conduct of the landlords of Meath and other grazing sections who have blotted out whole villages and given as guardians for cattle-runs of 200 acres, a herd, and a do». The operation of the Irish Landed Estate Courts Mr Pirn notices and commends. Three million acres, or over one-seventh oi the whole soil of Ireland, was sold under the Courts, in 6400 estates, to 16,000 distinct purchasers, and realized some fifty million pounds. Their operation has wrought sweeping changes, generally in favour of the tenantry. The quality of the dwelling houses had improved generally, and the mud cabins had almost disappeared. Within the last thirty years 2143 miles of railway had been constructed in Ireland at the cost of 5,900,000. Commerce had considerably increased, the maximum increase being in the northern and the minimum in the western ports. Belfast and Waterf ord had trebled shipping trade since 1854. Dublin came next, then Newry Cork, and Londonderry. The increase of property and profits, based on the Income Tax returns, were in Ireland double, in England two and a-half times, and in Scotland three-fold. Mr. Pirn turbher states that in Ireland well-considered enterprise affords a safe and remunerative field for the investment of capital. Mr. Pirn is evidently a master of statistics— pity he did not carry them a little further. The kingdom of Belgium would have furnished the example. Both countries are chiefly agricultural, and populated by tenant peasantry, cultivating small holdings. Ihe soil and climate of the two countries are about equal. BeMmn has an area of 7,273,612 acres ; Ireland, about 20,807,680. The population of Belgium is about 4,530,228 ; if Ireland was as densely peopled in the same ratio, her population would be, in round numbers, 13,000,000; yet Sir G. Nicholls, who made a critical exatninae?u ° -ri i condltlon of ttte two countries, pronounced the condition or the Belgian as infinitely superior to that of the Irish peasant, lo account for this extraordinary disparity of numbers and condition, it will not do to say that the bulk of the Irish are Catholics, tor so are the Belgians. The causes are to be sought in bad landlords and bad land laws, in absenteeism and union with England and remedies should be sought accordino-ly. °