§ Mr. Lucas, in moving the second reading of this bill, observed, that his object in introducing it had been to improve the condition of the peasant tenantry of Ireland, with reference to a subject in which their individual interests were, almost without an exception, involved. By a report of the Poor Law Commissioners for Ireland it appeared that Conacre was found to be general in every barony which had been visited by the Assistant-Commissioners, with the single exception of a barony in the county Mayo; and the 734 number of Conacre tenants in the province of Leinster had increased considerably within the last two years. Conacre was a species of sub-letting which regarded the poorer classes merely, and consisted in the fact of the farmer letting a small portion of land to the labourer, and furnishing the manure for the soil, while the labourer supplied the seed and tillage. In periods of famine it was frequently found that the Conacre tenant was unable to pay the rent, and subject to great distress by the uncertain state of the law. The crop, he should observe, consisted almost uniformly of potatoes. He (Mr. Lucas) sought to introduce the principle that the labourer should not be compelled to keep the land, but that the farmer should take it off his hands in the case of his inability to pay the rent, provided that there was no express agreement to the contrary, and upon reasonable notice having been given beforehand. The second clause of the Bill sought to provide a remedy for the following grievance:—In addition to the security afforded to the farmer by the promissory note which was given him in the first instance for the rent by the Conacre tenant, it was usual to claim the additional security of a legal lien on the property. He proposed to modify the law by introducing the provision, that if the landlord should have consented to accept the security of a promissory note, such acceptance should deprive him of the right to claim any other security. This arrangement would of course be without prejudice to any specific agreement. Without the introduction of such a provision the tenant would be compelled either to starve or purchase other potatoes, the only food within his reach, at a high rate of credit. He proposed that the bill should be read a second time this night, and that its committal should be postponed to a distant day, in order that the assizes, having in the mean time taken place, every Irish Member might have an opportunity of expressing his opinion upon the question.
§ Bill read a second time.