“that the Irish Legislature passed the first Act towards conciliating the Catholics."[49] And a very curious concession it was.  It was entitled—­“An Act to enable His Majesty’s subjects, of whatever persuasion, to testify their allegiance to him."[50] Previously, the Catholics dared not to approach the foot of the throne even to swear, that they were ready to die in defence of it.  But, two years before this an Act was passed of no apparent political significance, which was of much more practical value to the Catholics.  It was “An Act to encourage the reclaiming of unprofitable bogs."[51] This Act made it lawful “for every Papist, or person professing the Popish religion,” to lease fifty acres, plantation measure, of such bog, and one half acre of arable land thereunto adjoining, “as a site for a house, or for the purpose of delving for gravel or limestone for manure.”  Certain immunities were granted, and certain restrictions imposed.  The immunities were, that, for the first seven years after the bog was reclaimed, the tenant should be free from all tithes, cesses, or applotment; the restrictions were:  (1) that no bog should be deemed unprofitable, unless it were at least four feet from the surface to the bottom of it, when reclaimed—­the Act having been especially passed for the reclaiming of unprofitable bogs; (2) that no person should be entitled to the benefit of the Act, unless he reclaimed ten plantation acres; (3) that half whatever quantity was leased, should be reclaimed in twenty-one years; (4) that such bog should be at least one mile from any city or market-town.  Alas, how utterly prostrate the Catholics must have been, when this was regarded as a concession to them!  Yet it was, and one of such importance, that “in times of less liberality it had been repeatedly thrown out of Parliament, as tending to encourage Popery, to the detriment of the Protestant religion;” and to counter-balance it, the pension allotted to apostate priests in Anne’s reign was, in the very same Session of Parliament, raised from L30 to L40 per annum, by the Viceroy, Lord Townsend.[52] The wretched serfs were of course glad to get any hold upon the soil, even though it was unprofitable bog, and largely availed themselves of the provisions of the Act.  Ten or twelve years later, we find Arthur Young speaking with much approval of the many efforts that were being made, in various parts of Ireland, to reclaim the bogs—­efforts resulting, no doubt, in a great measure, from this Bill.  In the process of reclaiming the bogs, the potato was an essential auxiliary.

But of all the means of increasing the growth of that renowned esculent in Ireland, the Catholic Relief Act of 1793 must, at least in more recent times, be accorded the first place.  That Act, it is said, was the result of the fears excited in England by the French Revolution.  Whether this was so or not, the concessions it made were large for the time; and its effect upon potato culture in Ireland is unquestionable.