Lord Farnhammoved for various Returns respecting the parishes which had agreed to a Composition of Tithes in Ireland, under the late Act of Parliament on that subject. He explained, that the operation of that Act was greatly impeded by the manner in which the Select Vestries for settling the composition of tithes were constituted. The land of many parishes in Ireland was 1203 occupied principally in pasture, and in the cultivation of potatoes. Upon the latter the whole burthen of the tithes was thrown; so that the very poorest parishioners, to whom the potatoe-land, chiefly belonged, paid the most part of the tithes, from which the pasture-lands, always in the hands of the richer parishioners, were wholly exempt. Hence it became the interest of the Select Vestries, which consisted of only twenty-five persons (they being of course the richest inhabitants), to oppose the composition; because that would equalize the burthens between them and their fellow inhabitants. To enable the poor of Ireland, whose advantage the Act was chiefly calculated to promote, to benefit by its provisions, it was necessary to enlarge the Vestries. He would introduce a bill to increase them to fifty parishioners, in the course of the Session; unless the Government, in whose hands he should prefer leaving the matter, should themselves introduce such a measure. He would take that opportunity of stating, that, in those cases where the operation of the Act was prevented by the tithe-owners, the opposition was more frequently from lay impropriators than from the clergy.
Lord Kinghad no doubt, that if the tithe composition Act were carried into effect in Ireland upon fair terms, it would operate greatly to the advantage of the poorer classes, who would get rid of tithe Gatherers and Proctors, and the whole harassing and expensive machinery for the recovery of those vexatious claims. He held in his hands documents respecting the tithes in six parishes of the county of Wicklow, of which the names were to him unpronounceable, occupying a surface of upwards of 40,000 acres. In those parishes a meeting of 4,000 farmers was assembled to make a composition with Archdeacon Magee. The venerable Archdeacon not agreeing with the parishioners, resorted not to the Consistory Court, but to the Court of Exchequer, as affording the most expensive process for the recovery of his tithes. He would read to their Lordships an account, furnished by the Archdeacon to one of those farmers:—
Varney Cooney, to Archdeacon Magee, debtor Out of the Lands of Grange,1204 This land contains 12 acres of Wheat, 12½ of barley, 11 of oats, and 20 of meadowing. Any measures which would put an end to such a state of things would be beneficial.
To Tithe of 47 tons of Hay at 30s. £7 1 10 Tithe of 197 brls. of Barley at 16s. 15 15 2 Tithe of 88 brls. of Wheat at 30s. 13 4 0 Tithe of 193 brls. of Oats at 15s. 13 10 2 £49 10 4
§ Motion agreed to.