The processes were not
all served, for some of the houses were empty, and there was no one on
whom to serve them; we turned our steps, or our horses rather, homeward
to Ballina, the boys calling out in compliment to America, "Three cheers
for the noble lady," as we drove off.
The threatened rain came on and came down heavily and we got our share
of it before we got under shelter. An elderly gentleman was introduced
to me at Ballina who had had a very great opportunity of noticing the
working of the law and the struggles of the people. He admitted to me
that some might possibly have paid some rent before the agitation began,
but kept it back hoping for a permanent reduction, and then when they
had it by them had used it for living, and now had nothing to meet the
rent with. He said, however, that the most part had not recovered from
the effects of the scarcity sufficiently to be able to pay up arrears -
or, indeed, to pay anything on arrears.
We conversed a little about peasant proprietorship. He instanced the
case of two persons who had become owners of church land, one of eight
acres, another of sixteen. He spoke of the prosperity that had crowned
their labors ever since hope came to them and they had something to
struggle for. He said they came now decently clad to church and market.
He had been in their houses and noticed as much as two flitches of bacon
hanging in the chimney. One of them owned a team of horses. A man with a
team of horses on his farm is in a different position from a man with
only an ass and creels. Absolutely, said he, the man has devoted a
portion of his land to apple trees.
It was a touching thing to see the earnestness with which this man spoke
of these great evidences of prosperity - horses to work the farm, two
flitches of bacon and planting apple trees. In Mayo, in two instances, I
have seen a corner left untilled in a field. As there was an ass in one,
and a goat browsing in the other, I do not know but what it was the best
thing they could do to leave them untilled.
I may as well mention that the wretched people on whom the processes
were served lived in Sligo, and the landlords who were pursuing them, as
it were between the hay and the grass, were Sligo landlords, of those
whom I heard praised so highly in Sligo town. Round Ballina, as round
Sligo, there are few tenants on the land near the town; it has gone to
grass and has cows instead of tenants. Sir Charles Gore's demesne and
residence is very fine, and, as he seems to have a blessing with it,
long may he enjoy his good things.
