The Letters of "Norah" on Her Tour Through IrelandNorah
History
The Letters of "Norah" on Her Tour Through Ireland
Norah
Ireland -- Description and travel
Another case he mentioned as happening on the estate of one Major Scott.
A tenant, one John Loughrey, was lost in the river. His widow died in a
few months afterward, leaving two little boys absolutely orphans. Their
uncle, who lived near, offered to manage the place for the boys and to
pay the rent till one of them came of age. Answer--"No, we cannot allow
minors to hold land on our estate." Very much against the wishes of the
uncle he was obliged to fall in with this landlord's arrangement, and
five years' rent were laid down as a settlement of the case by Mr. King,
the agent. The boys' uncle thought it a great hardship to have to give
up the place the boys' father had improved, for he was a thrifty man,
had some money, and was able to improve. When the five years' rent was
counted out on the table, Mr. King said to the boys' uncle, "That is the
money coming to the boys, count it." He counted it and said, "This is
five years' rent certainly." "Now," said Mr. King, "there is a bad house
upon the farm; it is not in as good repair as I would like and I would
like a good house upon it. I will take L100 of this money and with it I
will build a house upon the place." He took L100 of the five years' rent
and built a house that was never inhabited. The children never got this
money back. This case was referred to again and again in public meetings
and other places till Mr. King was obliged to make an effort to explain
it away. The children's uncle was rich, and they thought that,
therefore, the orphans need not get all the money. Mr. Brown knew this
case intimately, as the drowned man, his widow, and orphans were members
of his congregation. This is liberty of contract.
The argument that the children had relatives comparatively rich was the
same argument as Captain Dopping used as a reason for not restoring what
was robbed from the Buchanan children--their relatives were rich and
therefore they did not need it. Now, what person who was touched with a
trial like this would not consider this freedom of contract absolute
robbery. In the case of the Loughrey children there had been no
agreement or shadow of an agreement with the drowned man to keep up the
house, and the house was as good as any of the neighboring houses--a
good substantial farm house. This case was brought before the
Bessborough Commission.
XVI.
REMEMBRANCES OF "THE LONG AGO"--A SOAP AND WATER REMEDY NEEDED--SPOILING
FOR A FIGHT.
After I had seen Mr. Brown, and heard how well his new proprietors were
getting along, and had given attention to the complaints of those who
were not yet peasant proprietors, I made a sudden determination to run
over to Grace Hill for Easter and rest among my ain folk. Was not very
well and as home-sick for Canada as an enthusiastic Irishwoman could
afford to be.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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