The administration of the Land Act of 1870 in the main good--Difficulty about claims for tenants' improvements--The administration of the Land Act of 1881, and of its supplements--The Land Commission and its Sub-Commissions-- Allowances to be made for these tribunals--Principles which the Land Commission should have adopted in fixing 'fair rents'--The procedure and practice it ought to have established--It made mistakes as to both--The nature of the Sub-Commission Courts--This was objectionable in the highest degree--These Courts have, however unconsciously, done grave wrong to Irish landlords--Causes of this--Characteristics of their proceedings--They disregarded the principles they ought to have followed, and adopted faulty and erroneous methods--Different illustrations of these grave mistakes-- The Land Commission and appeals as to 'fair rent'--Importance of this subject--Faulty procedure of the Land Commission in appeals--Valuers--The second Land Commission--Its procedure worse than that of the first--Theory of occupation right-- This another wrong done to landlords--The Fry Commission and its report--Confiscation of the property of Irish landlords--The proofs of this--Apologies made for the Land Commission--The administration of the Land Purchase Acts 188-229 CHAPTER VI THE QUESTION OF THE IRISH LAND (_continued_)--PROPOSED REFORM OF THE IRISH LAND SYSTEM Retrospect of the present Irish land system--Position of the Irish landlords--Position of the Irish tenant class--This not as advantageous as might be supposed--The effects of the land code on Irish agriculture injurious--The effects on the general Irish community--Confiscation, violation of contracts, shock given to credit, increased alienation of classes, and demoralisation--The land system considered on the side of ownership--'Voluntary purchase'--Mischief of this policy--It sets up a false standard against rent, and creates unjust distinctions between different classes of tenants--The results it has produced already--An instance of the system--The demand for the compulsory purchase of the Irish land caused by 'voluntary purchase'--Compulsory purchase has some hold on opinion, but is an impossible, and would be a disgraceful and ruinous policy--It would ruin Irish landlords as a class--Instances--It would ultimately bring Ireland into the state in which she was before the Great Famine--Proposed plan for the reform of Irish land tenure--Questions as to the means of compensating Irish landlords, a deeply wronged order of men 230-270 CHAPTER VII THE QUESTION OF THE FINANCIAL RELATIONS BETWEEN GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND