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THE IRISH LANDOWNERS' CONVENTION.
IMPORTANT LETTER
FROM
THE MARQUIS OF WATERFORD, K.P.
At a meeting of the County Waterford Branch of the Irish Landowners' Convention, held on 21st December, 1892, the following important letter, addressed to the Landowners of the County, was read from the Marquis of Waterford :—
Curraghmore, December 19, 1892.
MY DEAR BLOOMFIELD,—Will you tell the gentlemen who attend the meeting how extremely corry I am that I cannot take the chair. I was very anxious to be present, in order to place before the meeting a statement of the excellent work carried on by the Landlords' Convention during the past three or four years, which I do not think is rightly understood or appreciated by the landlords of Ireland, who, in this county and several others, are not supporting the Convention with adequate subscriptions. It is not much that they are asked to subscribe; and I think, considering the enormous interests that are at stake, they should be prepared to give something towards keeping their organisation which has done everything in its power to protect their interests.
I believe that some landlords think it is possible for the Landlords' Convention to initiate legislation, and to repeal some of the measures of confiscation which have been passed during the last ten or twelve years; but those who know anything about Parliamentary work, know that this is absolutely impossible to do with success. All that the Convention can do is to watch bills that are introduced in Parliament, interview the Ministers in charge (if possible, both before and after the bills have been introduced), placing information injurious effects in the proposed legislation, and pointing out any before those who are responsible for the measure. Then to watch the bill as it passes through its different stages in both Houses of Parliament; to draft the amendments necessary in our interests, and to induce our friends to place them upon the amendment paper of
either House. This is the only means by which our interests can in any degree be protected. I have had the opportunity of seeing a large number of Landlords' Convention amendments from time to time accepted by Parliament, and now the law of the land—which would, if they had not been put down and accepted, have affected the landlords' interests to a most serious degree. I am satisfied that on several occasions to the deputations from the Landlords' Convention have been able to point out, with good results, the injury certain clauses would have produced, which had not been realised by the Ministers in charge of the legislation.
I know that the Landlords' Convention holds a high position in the opinion of certain leading politicians in England, who have considered carefully the representations that have been made by deputations from the Convention, backed, as they knew them to be, by the opinion of the landlords of Ireland. No individual could speak with anything like the same weight. All to speak as a united body again. The Landlords' Convention in Dublin has had a most efficient Executive Committee and a very able Secretary, who give a great deal of their time to going thoroughly into every measure that is introduced affecting Irish land, and without whose assistance it would be impossible for our friends in either House of Parliament to adequately look after our interests.
Almost every trade or calling in the United Kingdom has an association for its protection, supported by subscriptions and doing exactly the work which the Landlords' Convention has done during the past three or four years. Without such an association grievous injustice may be done by legislation, either from ignorance or other causes. Why should not the Irish landlords, who have such an enormous interest at stake, and whose of any other body, not come attacked at the present time than those of their more violently forward with the very small subscriptions they are asked to give to support the excellent organisation which they have established, which has looked after their affairs so well in the past, and which, I fear, will have even more work to do in the future? I do hope that the landlords in the different counties in Ireland will come forward that it is enormously important.
Please put my name down for the same subscription that I gave last year; and I sincerely hope the other landlords of Waterford will show by their subscriptions that they are really anxious that their interests should be cared for.
Believe me, very sincerely yours,
WATERFORD,