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Experimental  Xegislation  37
iis  kingdom,  and  I  have  read  sufficient  of  the
rge  literature  of  the  subject  to  know  that  evidence
favour  of  and  against  such  a  tenure  of  land  is
ceedingly  divergent  and  perplexing.  The  pro-:r
  resource,  then,  is  to  try  the  thing—not  by  some
1st  revolution  in  the  land-owning  of  Ireland,  as
•oposed  by  the  late  Mr.  Mill,  a  measure  which,
the  first  place,  would  never  pass  Parliament,
td,  if  it  did,  would  cost  an  enormous  sum  of
-oney,  and  probably  result  in  failure—but  by  a
nail  and  progressive  experiment.  “  Earth
anger  ”  is  a  very  potent  passion,  and  1  believe
is  that  from  which  the  Irish  people  are  really
ifering.  Bread  and  bacon  are  not  the  only  good
-ings  an  Irish  peasant  might  aspire  to  ;  a  place
call  his  own,  a  share  of  the  air  and  sunlight  of
i  s  native  isle,  and  a  land-bank  in  which  to  save
)  the  strokes  of  his  pick  and  spade,  might  work
oral  wonders.  It  is  not  safe  to  predict  the  action
human  motive  ;  but,  at  any  rate,  try  it,  although
e  trial  cost  as  much  as  one  or  two  first-rate  ironi:
  ids,  or  a  new  triumph  over  a  negro  monarch.
irely,  the  state  of  our  Irish  Poland  is  the  worst
;■  issible  injury  to  our  prestige.
Much  doubt  exists,  again,as  to  whether  imprison-Ent
  is  necessary  to  enforce  the  payment  of  small
bts.  If  needless,  it  is  certainly  oppressive.
J:  it  if  the  abolition  of  the  power  of  imprisonment,
the  part  of  County  Court  judges,  would  really
stroy  the  credit  of  the  poorer  classes  with  their