THE QUESTION OF THE IRISH LAND--SKETCH OF THE HISTORY OF THE LAND SYSTEM OF IRELAND TO THE YEAR 1870
Great importance in the history of Ireland of the conditions of land tenure--The ancient Celtic land system and its characteristics--The Norman conquest of Ireland--Norman feudalism in the Irish land--The policy of Henry VII., and especially of Henry VIII.--The era of the conquest and confiscation of the Irish land--The possessions of the O'Connors of Offaly wrested from them--Forfeiture of the domains of Shane O'Neill, and of the Earl of Desmond--Attempts at colonisation--All Ireland made shire land--The extinction of the old Celtic land system--The Plantation of Ulster-- Progress of confiscation during the reigns of the two first Stuarts--The Civil War--Immense confiscations made by Cromwell--His scheme of colonisation a failure--The era of confiscation closes after the battle of the Boyne and the fall of Limerick--The Penal Code of Ireland--Its fatal effects on the Irish land--Dismal period in Irish landed relations-- Gradual improvement--The period described by Arthur Young-- Evil traces of the past remain--Whiteboyism and agrarian disorder--State of Irish landed relations up to the rebellion of 1798, and after the Union--Over-population and the results--Distress after the Peace--State of Irish landed relations up to 1844--The Report of the Devon Commission--The Famine and its effects on the Irish land--The Encumbered Estates Acts--State of Irish landed relations from 1848 to 1868 84-129
THE QUESTION OF THE IRISH LAND (_continued_)--THE IRISH LAND ACT OF 1870--THE LAND LEAGUE AND THE NATIONAL LEAGUE--THE LAND ACT OF 1881--SUBSEQUENT LEGISLATION AS REGARDS THE LAND SYSTEM OF IRELAND
State of landed relations in Ireland in 1869-70--Mr. Gladstone Prime Minister--The Land Act of 1870--Its merits and defects-- A short period of prosperity in Ireland--Ominous symptoms-- Michael Davitt--The teaching of John Finton Lalor in 1848--The 'New Departure' in Fenianism arranged in America--Foundation of the Land League--It was a foreign rebellious conspiracy, with an agrarian side, under a constitutional mask--Parnell the master spirit of the League--His visit to America and the results--A short period of distress in Ireland--Conduct of the Irish landlords--Progress of the Land League--Mr. Gladstone again Prime Minister in 1880--The Compensation for Disturbance Bill rejected by the House of Lords--Outburst of agrarian crime, as the Land League increases in power--Rents at Griffith's valuation--Boycotting--Frightful state of Ireland in 1881--After a short attempt to repress it, Mr. Gladstone surrenders to the Land League--The Land Act of 1881--Mr. Gladstone breaks the pledges he had made in 1870--His promise of compensating the Irish landlords--The Land Act of 1881 a bad and unjust measure directly inconsistent with that of 1870--The 'No Rent Manifesto'--The Kilmainham Treaty--The Phoenix Park tragedy--Coercion--Parnell founds the National League, the successor of the Land League--Renewal of agitation in 1886--Struggle with law and the Government--Subsequent agrarian legislation for Ireland--This is really a concession to agitation, for the benefit of Irish tenants, and to the injury of Irish landlords 130-187