GOVERNMENT WORKS ON THE SHANNON.

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Thus, we perceive that a most extensive district depends for its drainage on these rivers. To this must be added the fact that they flow (especially the Shannon for 150 miles of its course) through a flat, low-lying country.

In October 1831, Government called on Colonel John F. Burgoyne, Chairman of the Board of Works, to report on 'the benefits which might be expected to result from a judicious expenditure of capital upon the river Shannon, both with reference to the improvement of its navigation, and also to the reclaiming of vast tracts of land now either inundated periodically by the floods of that river and its tributary streams, or rendered permanently incapable of cultivation from the accumulation of waters which are unable to find a vent.'1

The instructions to him went on to say, 'You will, after full consideration of the documents already in existence, and after personal inspection, report your opinion of the practicability and advantage of establishing such a control over the occasional floodings of the Shannon as may tend to a beneficial drainage and reclaiming of the bogs and low lands through which it passes.'

In accordance with these instructions, Colonel Burgoyne wrote detailed instructions, dated November 10, 1831, to Thomas Rhodes, Esq., C.E., in which he stated, among other things, It is evident that the great key to any system of drainage must be at the falls of Killaloe.' Mr. Rhodes made a detailed and accurate survey of that part of the Shannon in 1832.

In his report, Mr. Rhodes proposed to construct a weir at Killaloe, this weir to be made of such height as to retain in the driest seasons six feet of water upon the sill of Killaloe Lock.' The height proposed for this weir was five feet eight inches,

1 Abstracted from the Report to the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, on the means of Preventing the Autumn Inundations of the river Shannon, and of Improving the Outlet of the river Suck, by James Lynam, Esq., C.E. Return to an order of the House of Lords, June 28, 1867. 2 This report, with maps and sections, was printed by order of the House of Commons in August 1832, paper 731.

allowing four inches deep of water to be passing over in the driest summers.1

Subsequently the Act 5 and 6 Will. IV., c. 67, was passed, and five commissioners were appointed under its provisions.

That Act provided, among other matters, that the commissioners 'shall make out a plan and estimate, with proper plans, maps, drawings, and sections, and elevations thereto attached, and describing the said navigation, and the works proper in their judgment to be executed for the clearing and improving of the same, and for confining the waters thereof, and preventing the inundations of the contiguous lands.'

The commissioners accordingly made another survey of the Shannon, and, in their report, they determined, after mature consideration, to adopt the general principle suggested by Mr. Rhodes.' On their drawing, No. 39, is shown the proper level they proposed for the navigation of Lough Derg-viz. six feet over the sill of Killaloe Lock, the same as proposed by Mr. Rhodes.

'Notwithstanding all this, the weir has been built, part six feet nine inches high, part seven feet high, which prevents the water from ever sinking below seven feet on the sill, and in ordinary wet weather throws six inches of water out over thousands of acres of land, which land would be six inches over water if this weir were only the proper height.'

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Again, the widening and deepening of the channel at Killaloe has not been completed either to the breadth or depth delineated on the Parliamentary maps; a breadth of 100 feet on the Tipperary side remains there still not cut away, and a depth of six feet remains in the bottom towards the same side not yet excavated,'

Next, with a view of maintaining the height of water deemed necessary for steam navigation on the Shannon, between Carrick-on-Shannon and Killaloe, 110 miles, in dry summer

1 See Rhodes' second report, p. 64; third report, p. 13, and drawings, No. 42.

INUNDATIONS ALONG THE SHANNON.

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weather, six great stone weir walls were erected, and in none of these was there any sluice or flood-gate to let off surplus water. 'Floods above these weirs subside very slowly. From March 1 to April 5, 1866, the remains of the previous winter flood subsided but three inches in the district above the great weir wall at Meelick, while all the lowest lands were covered by four or six inches of water, and very large areas were thoroughly saturated, as the Shannon water kept all the lateral streams and drains full to the level of the surface of the land. In June 1860, in September 1866, and almost every year, small floods occur which cover the low portions of the lands, and saturate the remainder, rendering them unfit for pasture, and making it very difficult to get a hay crop dried.'

The results are summarised as follows by Mr. Lynam :—

First.-Saturation, caused by small floods, and the remains of large floods slowly subsiding. These occur every year in spring, summer, and autumn. They may be wholly prevented by constructing regulating weirs, composed of a series of flood valves at the falls of the river, instead of the immoveable stone weir walls there at present.

Second. Great autumnal floods, which inundate 16,299 acres of arable pasture and meadow land, and destroy great part of the crop, and injure the remainder.

In the 26 years since 1840 there occurred five great autumn floods, one in the middle of August (1861), one in September (1841), and three in October (1849, 1862, 1863). October floods are frequent, but August floods very rarely occur. The August flood of 1861 was caused by an unusually wet season.

Third. Great winter floods, which occur every year, cover 20,825 acres of arable, meadow, and pasture land, and saturate 3,120 acres, thus damaging every year 23,945 acres of land in a distance of 150 miles of river Shannon extending through nine counties. The winter floods subside so slowly that the lands remain saturated during the greater part of the spring, which prevents the growth of good species of grass, and otherwise greatly injures the land. About 40,000 acres more are damaged by winter floods on the river Suck.

The estimated cost of the proposed works to carry off the autumn floods-viz. widening the river channel at certain points, deepening it at Killaloe, embanking between Killaloe and

Castleconnell, dredging, and constructing regulating weirs composed of moveable flood valves at the falls of Killaloe, Meelick, Athlone, Tarmonbarry, Roosky, and Jamestown, instead of the stone weir walls there at present, is 143,920.

The cost of the necessary works is increased, we are told, by the effect of twenty-three of the rivers tributary to the Shannon having been improved under the Arterial Drainage Acts. The area of land drained by them is 1,690,000 acres, and all the water which formerly spread out over the many thousands of acres of land flooded by those rivers now comes down direct into the Shannon Valley. No improvement whatever has been made in the outlets of the Shannon to compensate for this great additional influx of flood water.'

Here, after a lapse of some five-and-thirty years since the letter of the Chief Secretary was addressed to the Chairman of the Board of Works on the subject, the plan then determined on is yet incomplete, the inundations, and saturation of the lands, for one hundred and fifty miles along the banks of the river, continue; nay, are worse than before the great stone weir walls were erected, and before the increased waters of twenty-three tributaries which had been improved were turned into the channel of the Shannon! A comparatively small amount was the estimate of what was required to set matters so far right; and, while millions of the public money have been expended on Holyhead, Portland, and other parts of England— all, no doubt, most important and most useful public worksnothing has been done in this which must be characterized as a great imperial and not a mere local undertaking.

The fault does not lie with the Board of Works; for they have not the money nor the legal powers, even though they had the authority (which they have not) to deal with the matter. The initiative must be taken by Parliament, or rather by Government, bringing the question, in a matured shape, before Parliament.

It is now twenty years since Mr. Caird emphatically called attention to the necessity of Government entering on such works,

PRESENT LAND-LETTING SYSTEM OF IRELAND.

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which are altogether beyond the means and legal powers of riparian proprietors. Then labour was more available than it is at present. But even now, at the eleventh hour, much might be done. Within a few weeks, the "Times' Commissioner has alluded to similar evils, arising from a like cause, on the banks of the Barrow. As he proceeds, he will meet many districts to which the same remarks apply. Let us hope that, the land question once settled, this, the next most important subject—the thorough arterial drainage of Ireland-will engage the attention of Government and the Legislature.

CHAPTER XXIII.

PRESENT LAND-LETTING SYSTEM OF IRELAND-NUMBER OF LANDED PROPRIETORS IN IRELAND, AND IN ENGLAND AND WALES, AND SCOTLAND RESPECTIVELY-AVERAGE SIZE OF ESTATES IN IRELAND, AND IN ENGLAND AND WALES-PROPORTIONS OF ARABLE LAND to total areA IN IRELAND, AND IN ENGLAND AND WALES, AND SCOTLAND RESPECTIVELY-NUMBER OF AGRICULTURAL OCCUPIERS IN IRELAND, AND IN ENGLAND AND WALES -AVERAGE SIZE OF HOLDINGS IN EACH COUNTRY-AVERAGE NUMBER OF OCCUPIERS TO EACH PROPRIETOR-NUMBER OF FARMERS IN EACH COUNTRY -AVERAGE NUMBER OF FARMERS TO EACH PROPRIETOR.

We have now to proceed to the consideration of the present land-letting system of Ireland. The number of landed proprietors in Ireland is given as 8,412 by the census of 1861. Το this must be added those who were not in the country on the day of the taking the census-viz. absentee proprietors (including the twelve London companies), members of Parliament, officers of the army and navy, and others, being Irish landowners, temporarily absent, or enumerated under other heads. There are no accurate data; but, from lists and estimates formed from time to time, the number to be added may be taken at something over 1,000, which would bring the total number of landed proprietors in Ireland up to 9,500. Their estates range from 100,000 acres down to very small portions of land. The number 2 In August 1869.

1 Plantation Scheme.'

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