So much for the moral and social aspect of Absenteeism. Now, let us
examine, a little, the ground taken up by Mr. J.R. M'Culloch, who
maintains that, according to the accepted principles of political
economy, the fact of Irish landed proprietors residing out of their
country inflicts no injury upon it. For Mr. Prior's views on Absenteeism
he manifests great contempt, but treats himself with a kind of
respectful commiseration, as being, in spite of his ignorance of
political economy, "a gentleman in other respect--of great candour and
good sense." He quotes his assertion that the aggregate of the absentee
rents, amounting then to L627,799 annually, was entirely sent to the
Absentee landlords in treasure, "which," continues Mr. Prior, "is so
great a burthen upon Ireland that I believe there is not in history an
instance of any one country paying so large a yearly tribute (!) to
another." The parenthetic note of astonishment is Mr. M'Culloch's, who
says, with regard to this passage, "it would really seem that in this,
as in some other things, the universality and intensity of belief has
been directly as the folly and falsehood of the thing believed."[315]
It was in his examination in 1825, before a Parliamentary Committee,
that Mr.
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