The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-08-08 00:00:00

IRISH LAND PURCHASE BILL.

Sir W. Hart-Dyke, in moving the second reading of
the Land Purchase (Ireland) Bill, which has come down
from the Lords, remarked that it took the state of Ire-
land as it found it, and that whatever might be its fate,
a few hours spent in discussing the best means of
stimulating the land market in Ireland would not be
wasted. After touching briefly on previous schemes,
he said the bill would be voluntary, and the terms
hitherto offered would be relaxed on points which ex-
perience showed to be necessary. The terms for which
loans were to be granted would be 49 years, at 4 per cent.,
and where there was a guarantee of one-fifth deposited
by the landlord the whole purchase money would be
advanced by the State. He justified this liberality by
the stagnation of the land market in Ireland, and, con-
sidering that this was a measure for the benefit of Ire-
land, he saw no reason why the assistance of the
Chlrch surplus should not be invoked. Among other
provisions, he dwelt on the indefeasible title which is
to be given to the purchaser; on the vesting order
which the Court is to give, not only of the holding, but
of the interest in it; and on the composition of the
tribunal, promising to state the names of the two new
Commissioners before going into committee.
Mr. S. Walker approved the bill and desired to see
it pass, but indicated several portions of it, including
the use of the Church surplus, which he desired to see
altered.

Colonel King-Harman regarded the bill as an abor-
tion and a sham, which must, however' be dangerous
and expensive, and objected strongly to the tribunal to
which the working of the bill was to be committed,
much preferring the Landed Estates Court.
Colonel Nolan remarked that it was easy to pick
holes in a bill of this kind, but hoped that it would pass
into law.
Mr. 0. Lewis approved of the bill as being a practical,
generous, and fair measure, but thought it would have
been more advantageous if its working had been in-
trusted to the Landed Estates Court.
Mr. Shaw-Lefevre, without opposing the bill as a
tentative measure, was afraid that in the present state
of affairs in Ireland it would not immediately be taken
advantage of, especially having regard to the un-
certainty as to what would be done with the land ques-
tion in the next Parliament. Its terms, he argued,
were so favourable that they must lead to an agitation
either to extend the principle of purchase to the whole
of Ireland, or to reduce the rent of those who were not
under the bill, and as to the deposit he did not believe
that would be permanent, and preferred Mr. Trevelyan's
local guarantee.
Mr. Plunket remarked that Mr. Shaw-Lefevre con.
demned not only this bill but the bill of his own Govern-
ment, and if the question were to be dealt with in this
spirit it was waste of time to take it up. He denied
that the measure was a landlord's relief bill, but even
if it were it was no more than the landlord's due; and,
arguing that it would be a great boon to the State, he
appealed to Irish patriots to assist in its paasage
through Parliament.
Mr, T. Dickson, speaking in support of the bill, asked
that glebe tenants should be dealt with by it on the
same footing as other tenants.
Captain Aylmer argue 4 that the Act of 1881 was
stifficient to effect the objects aimed at by the bill,
which, he contended, would greatly interfere with the
saleability of land in Ireland.
After somo remarks from Sir T. Bl'Clure and Mr.
Macartney,
Mr. Parnell expressed satisfaction that the opposi-
tion of tile landlords lad come to an end, and thought
the bill effered fadilities 49 them as well as to tenants.
Looking at the bill' merely as an experimental one, he
tfcl not see that, limited to five millions, it could do
&itch mischief to eitheeparty, and believed it might
afford experience which would assist in the final settle..
meat of the question. But he objected to the Church
funds being appropriated for the progress of the mea-
sure, and, in con,,lusion, maintained that the bill went
a long way towards giving a great deal that the Land
148E14 had asked for:

IV ad considered-that the whole system of
Irish land tenure, by which a double ownership was
created, was a mistake; but although the bill could not
be supported as being in accordance with principles of
political economy, he hoped it would soon become law.
Mr. Thorcasson opposed the bill; and Mr. Gregory,
Sir H. Bruce, and Mr. Findlater supported it.
The Attorney-General for Ireland, who believed that
the bill would be more efficiently worked by bite Land
Commission than by the Landed Estates Court, argued
that it would prove beneficial to landlords as well as to
tenants. _

Mr. S. Smith and Mr. Biggar also spoke, and the bill
was read a second time.

FEDERAL COUNCIL OF AUSTRALASIA.
The Federal Council of Australasia Bill passed
through committee.

SECRETARY mu. SCOTLAND BILL.
The Secretary for Scotland Bill was also passed
through committee, but the only point of importance
which arose related to the position of the new Minister
in reference to education. Three views were advocated.
Sir L. Playfair proposed that he should be merely ait
ex officio member of the Council on Education;and that
the supreme control of the education of Great Britain
should be in the hands of one and the same Minister.
Mr. P. Bruce proposed that he should have the
supreme control over Scotch education, and the bill pro-
posed that the Secretary for Scotland should occupy
the same position as the English Vice-President of the
Council under the Lord President. Ultimately a divi-
sion was taken on Mr. Bruce's amendment, and the
committee decided in favour of the clause in the bill by
73 to 26.

The Public Works Loan Bill was read a third time;
and the Sea Fisheries (Scotland) Amendment Bill passed
through committee, and was read a third time.
The House adjourned at 25 minutes past two o'clock