Is it necessary for a man to have three acres to provide his family with sufficient food?-No, I think not.

What is the smallest quantity of land a man ought to have, to provide a common family with their means of subsistence ? I do not think he could do it at all with less than two acres, if he has a family of six children, and the father and mother, because they generally have a pig to feed.

What would he pay commonly an acre for that?—The rent varies very much, according to the nature of the soil, generally the poor creatures are charged very high rents.

What in your neighbourhood is the average rent ?—I should suppose something about two pounds or guineas an acre. How does he pay his rent?-Generally by his labour, and the sale of a pig he endeavours to feed. The pig he looks to most particularly, as his main prop and support.

How does he feed the pig?-On the offal of the potatoes; the smaller ones that are not fit for his own table are laid aside for the feeding of the pig; and the peels and refuse of that prepared for his family.

This pig is allowed to run about?—He occupies a part of the dwelling with the poor creatures, and runs about. I have stated that the usual practice is, that the portion of their ground which they are able to manure this year for their potatoe crop, the current year they grow corn upon; then they bring it round to potatoes again.

The pig is not shut up to be fattened as in England?— No.

Does not a pig get a considerable quantity of his food by walking about?—Yes.

What quantity of land does this poor man till for corn? The proportion of his garden, I have already stated, which he is able to manure this year, he puts a corn crop in.

Then one acre of land would produce him sufficient potatoes for his family, would it not?-I think that the potato-crop would not, unless it was a very good year, afford him sufficient for his family; and that those who have a corn-crop, must have resource to that.

How many barrels of potatoes would an acre produce?I think about eighty barrels to an acre is about a fair crop; they are not able to get manure to produce what other men might get from it. Those barrels are twenty stone to the barrel.

Are there not great numbers of people who live without having this quantity of land?-A great number indeed. There are many that have no land at all?-A great number.

How do those people live ?-They endeavour to procure from farmers a portion of ground manured each year, for the cultivation of the potato-crop, for which they pay very high

rents.

Is that called Conacre?—It is.

What do they pay for it?-When the land is very well cultivated, and highly-manured, I have known it in my neighbourhood to go so high as ten guineas an acre; in proportion to the excellence of the manure, the rent is charged.

How do the people pay for that land?-They pay by their labour, if they can get employment; if not, they must make out the money; and we often have great wretchedness with their little crops, selling by auction for the amount of such rents so contracted.

Are there many people who live continually on charity?— There are a good many.

At what age do they buy their pig ?—It varies very much; some will buy of a very tender age, and keep it to what is called store; then it is sold in the public market to a man who keeps it on some months longer, till it is in condition for the bacon-house.

Are they able to sell several pigs in a year?-Many of them do buy and sell several; keeping them for a short time.

Is there much land underlet in your neighbourhood ?—Yes, a large quantity.

Is it not the habit of the wives and families of persons who underlet lands in this way, to act with great kindness to the common people ?—Yes; I know numbers of them who have had certain leases to themselves, take great care of the poor creatures to whom they have let their land.

Would you say that of the Protestant gentlemen as well as of Catholics?-Unquestionably, I know no difference; we know of no distinction. I find them as charitable and humane

as Catholics; I know no difference.

Practically they are very useful to the lower orders of the people, living on the lands and in their neighbourhood?Practically I know not what would become of much of the property of absentees, but for the middlemen; they are kind, generally speaking, and good-natured and humane to their under-tenants; if they were not, the country would be much worse off than it is; there are many cases of exception, some very sanguinary men, and very oppressive.

Do you apply that locally to the part of the country from which you come, or generally?—I have applied all my answers locally.

Is there much absentee property in your neighbourhood?—

There is a good deal; but latterly it has been the practice of one great proprietor to visit Ireland almost every year, and his tenantry are contented and happy, and reap great advantage from his lordship's visits; I refer to my Lord Lansdowne.

In the case of the absentee estates in your own neighbourhood, are there generally resident agents upon them?—I reside on an absentee's estate; Lord Stanhope is the proprietor of the estate on which I reside; the agent is not resident, but there cannot be a kinder agent, or better landlord.

Are the agents generally paid by salaries or per centages?— The tenant is bound by lease to pay sixpence in the pound receiver's fees; and I have heard that the noble proprietor pays a like sum: I do not know whether that is the case, but as tenant to Lord Stanhope, I pay sixpence in the pound receiver's fees, as well as the rent.

Is that a usual mode of paying a receiver?-I beg to say, that whenever an absentee does visit his estates in Ireland, the condition of the poor tenantry is wonderfully bettered by it; it is a most desirable thing.

You mentioned yesterday that there were Orange parties at Mountrath ?—I did.

Has not the landlord of the town of Mountrath, and the neighbouring country, made an exertion to check the processions?-I am most happy to have an opportunity of stating, that he has not only made exertions but he has completely succeeded, and has restored to that part of the country, that was a disgrace to the county, perfect good-will and harmony, and has altogether removed that dreadful hydra that cursed us annually; the landlord is Sir Charles Coote, and the whole country is affectionately devoted to him for having done so.

In what way did he succeed in stopping the practice?—I believe him to be the principal proprietor of the town of Mountrath, and being on the spot, his influence had the natural effect of putting an end to those shocking scenes we annually had there.

Has not he given public notice that he would refuse to renew leases, or grant lands to any person who took a part in those processions?—I heard that he made use of every exertion within his reach to put them down and get rid of them, and he has succeeded.

Was there any resistance made to his wishes?-Never, that I am aware of.

The expression of his desire that it should cease was enough? I understood that there was some little show of resistance, but it gave way at once; Sir Charles, I believe, was determined, and they found it more prudent to give way.

Have the lodges been broken up, or only the annual display of meetings discontinued?-I cannot speak positively to that; I have heard that the lodges are continued, but there is no annual display.

Are there Orange lodges at Mountrath?-I believe there are; I have heard so.

Is there much outrage at Mountmelick on account of processions ?-Yes; I have heard, and believe so.

At what time of the year do they take place?-On the twelfth of July annually.

Are those disturbances productive of bloodshed?—In some places they have been, particularly at Mountrath, lives have been lost from time to time, and always the lives of Roman Catholics; one party are armed, and the other party are not.

There is no Catholic organization of any sort there?—Not that I am aware of, and I have taken great pains to be informed upon it.

Has not Doctor Doyle's effort to check the progress of insurrection been perfectly successful, in the diocese over which he is the Catholic bishop?-I attribute much of our state of tranquillity, and altogether putting down that insurrectionary spirit, to his persevering exertions.

When it began to show itself in one part of his diocese, how did he act?-He met it at once.

Did he do more than publish the address of which the Committee have heard?-Yes; he made a visitation of his diocese, and publicly from the pulpits exhorted the people, which I think has had the happiest effect.

Has Doctor Doyle introduced any changes in respect of the charges of the priests, in his diocese or the stations ?-Very great.

Of what nature are those changes?-It was the practice heretofore, for the Roman Catholic clergyman, when he called to perform his duties at Easter and Christmas, to dine with the family whom he relieved from the trouble of going to the place of worship. Doctor Doyle has prohibited that, and under no circumstances will allow that his clergy shall stay to be maintained at the house where they attend for religious purposes, save for a breakfast or a snack; they are not allowed to dine; it was the practice for the Roman Catholic clergyman to attend to administer the sacrament, not to give the family the trouble to go to their places of worship, which are often at a great distance.

That is the meaning of the word station ?-It is.

They commonly assemble in respectable farmers' houses?— Yes.

Were those entertainments attended with expense to the parties at whose house they took place ?-Certainly, they were attended with expense.

Is a snack or breakfast, matter of expense ?-Nothing at all like what the other will be.

The entertainment was a considerable expense, was it not, to the parties?-I would say considerable, when compared with a breakfast or snack, very considerable.

Has he introduced any other changes with respect to his clergy?—Yes, he has; he has prohibited them altogether from appearing at places of public amusement or resort, or at hunting parties; and in all cases where any parish priest has died, and there was a plurality of livings, he has separated them, and sent additional clergy to such parishes so divided.

Do you conceive the number of the Catholic clergy, in those parts of Ireland with which you are acquainted, to be adequate, in point of fact, to the increase of duties which the increase of population has cast upon them?-I think they are barely adequate; I think a lesser number would not perform the duties.

Has Dr. Doyle taken any pains to introduce schools, and lending libraries among the Catholics ?—In every parish of the diocese with which I am acquainted he has been most solicitous to have schools introduced, and libraries for the use of the people.

Have the goodness to state to the Committee what those libraries are?-They generally consist of religious tracts. The Life of Christ is one; the Death of Abel another.

Is Reeves's History of the Bible one of the books ?—I have not met with that; but the works of Dr. England, and the works of Bishop Challoner I have just seen; there were books of that description.

For what purpose are those books placed in those libraries ? -For the reading and instruction of the children, and the education of the more advanced people, that have not, in their early period, been educated; they are read in chapel prior to the service on Sundays.

Are those books much read, and has the establishment of lending libraries given satisfaction?-They are very much read, and I think the establishment has given great satisfaction.

How are those lending libraries supported; from what funds? -The priest generally endeavours to raise a small fund in the first instance, and then the person who chooses to borrow any particular work, pays a small trifling sum for the loan for a certain period, and on the restoration of the book, when he takes another, he pays a small sum again; and when it comes to a pound, they add to the library again.