In my humble opinion it furnishes irresistible arguments in favour of a measure which should settle the Irish land question in such a manner that it would speak to the people of Ireland in the words of holy writ: 'And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them.

They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat.' Mr.Dobbs says:-- 'How can a tenant improve his land when he is convinced that, after all his care and toil, his improvements will be overrated, and he will be obliged to shift for himself?
Let us place ourselves in his situation and see if we should think it reasonable to improve for another, if those improvements would be the very cause of our being removed from the enjoyment of them.

I believe we should not.

Industry and improvements go very heavily on when we think we are not to have the property in either.

What can be expected, then, from covenants to improve and plant, when the person to do it knows he is to have _no property in them_?
There will be no concern or care taken to preserve them, and they will run to ruin as fast as made or planted.