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Read Monday, 24th February, 1890, In the paper on "Forestry in Ireland," read by me before the Statistical and Social Inquiry Society of Ireland, in July, 1889, I described at some length the forestry regulations of the principal European countries, and the measures taken to encourage and affect re-foresting. I would now shortly point out how the planting of trees may be protected and encouraged by government control. I would then show the advantages of forestry in Ireland from both an industrial and climatic point of view, and also as a means for the reclamation of waste lands, considering shortly some objections that may be made against proposals to re-forest the country.

Read Tuesday, 13th April, 1886., A scheme was put forward some short time ago, which promised to effect a radical and sweeping change in the ownership of the land, without imposing any great hardship or additional burden on any class in the State. Mr. Giffen, the author of the scheme propounded, under the nom de plume "Economist" in the Statist early in the present year, claimed for his proposal that it would enable the imperial government to buy out every landlord in Ireland, giving him consols at par, equal in nominal amount to twenty years' purchase of the present judicial rents; to give the land free to the present occupiers, subject only to a rent-charge of one-half or two-thirds of the present judicial rents, payable to the new local authorities in Ireland, and to relieve the imperial exchequer of all payments now made out of it in connection with the local government of Ireland. Without in any way touching on the more purely political aspect of the question, my object is to consider the facts and figures on which Mr. Giffen's proposal is based, and submit his proposal to a more minute examination than has yet been given to it. To do this satisfactorily it will be necessary to analyze carefully the present burden of local and imperial taxation in Ireland, and define the existing and forecast the future financial relations between the exchequers of Great Britain and Ireland. Before dealing with the proposed future financial relations between the two countries, it will be necessary to state carefully the present position of affairs, so that we may thoroughly understand the circumstances with which we have to deal, and the existing interests which we must take into account.

Read February 6th 1852, My attention has been lately directed to the subject of public companies, by the many plans recently brought before the public for the formation of such associations for the purpose of buying land, and sometimes for carrying on various trades and manufactures; for instance, we have had, from time to time, the National Land Society, Freehold Land Investment Societies, a Farmer's Estate Society, and a West of Ireland Land Investment Society, which latter contemplates not only the purchase of land, but the cultivation and farming of it; and not only agriculture, but also the manufacture of sugar from beet, of chicory, and flax?all to be grown and manufactured by the company. This company bases its claim for public support on a very showy pamphlet by Mr. Digby Seymour, to which I shall call more particular attention before I conclude.

A paper read before the statistical section of the British Association, at Edinburgh, August 6th, 1850., In this paper I propose to direct your attention to some statistical information which I have collected respecting the sales of estates in Ireland by the Incumbered Estates Court. The questions which I proposed to myself in arranging the information which I collected are the following:?First?"Does it appear that any necessity existed for establishing the cheap, simple, and expeditious forms of procedure of the Incumbered Estates Court, in lieu of the proceedings previously required in the Courts of Chancery and Exchequer? Secondly?Is there any evidence of the parties most interested having confidence in the proceedings of the new court? Thirdly?At what rates of purchase have the estates been really sold? Fourthly?To what cause is the difference of prices realized for the different classes of estates to be ascribed?

Read Friday, 29th November, 1912., When presenting to you this evening a retrospect of the progress of Land Purchase in Ireland since 1885, it is not necessary to refer to the various causes which led up to the then existing dead-lock in the sale and transfer of Irish land, save to remind you that while the bitter agrarian and political agitation which followed upon the Fair Rent legislation of 1881 had closed the door of the Irish land market to all bidders except the occupying tenants, no adequate means had been afforded to them to become owners of their holdings upon equitable terms.