Page:Letters to Lord John Russell on the Further Measures for the Social Amelioration of Ireland.djvu/27

LETTER III.

Bill proposed in 1846 for Appropriation and Reclamation of Waste Lands—Its Effects now had it been then passed—Stopped hy Irish Landlords—Are they always to prevail?—Waste land should be the Domain of the State—Objection to "Government turning Farmer" considered—Work must be found—Where better than on Wastes?—Authorities in favour—Mr. Brownlow's Bill 1828—Poor Commission of 1834-6—Land Commission 1846-7—Digest of Evidence 1847.

My Lord,

I trust I have established (though treating the argument with unavoidable brevity) these two propositions: 1. That the waste lands of Ireland offer a readily available and almost inexhaustible field for the immediate productive employment of the able-bodied poor of the distressed districts of Ireland. 2. That this resource will not be brought into play to anything like the extent or with the promptitude required by the urgency of the case, "without legislative interference," in the words of the Monaminey relief committee.

I proceed to consider the mode in which the Legislature may most effectually interfere. And, believing that the bill which I introduced for this purpose in 1846 was well adapted to the end in view, I will give here a short abstract of its provisions. It authorised the appointment of a Waste Lands Commission, consisting of the Chairman of the Board of Works, together with two other commissioners, having power to purchase (compulsorily) tracts of