The Express.
London, England, 1848-02-16 00:00:00

848.

the only ligielstion, not only for Ireland, bat for the whole
of the United Kingdom, and although some slight call it
interference with the rights of property, still there wore
times when the public interest called upon the state to in-
terfere. He confidently believed that if tenant-right were
once established, in two years the spirit of improvement
would spread from one end of Ireland to the other. Ile
believed that the present brill had been brought forward with
the beat intentions, but unless greatly improved, he feared it
would fail of its desired Oject.
Mr. HERBERT said that the hon. member for Rochdale
had spoken of tenant-right as a matter not fp nerally under-
stood. Be quite concurred with the hon. member, seeing
that so few of its advocates understood it themselves (Hear )
At a meeting held lately in Ireland on the subject hardly
any two of the gentlemen present agreed in their
definition of tenant-right. The hon. member for
Rochdale repudiated any claim for occupancy, while
he (Mr. Herbert) held in his hand a resolution
passed at a late meeting in Tipperary, in which tenant-
right was defined to be " occupancy, including improve-
ments." The same definition had been adopted in the
Irish council, where one gentleman looked upon it as a
transfer of the land from the owner to the occupier.
(Hear, hear.) It had been said that all legislation should
be simple, and certainly nothing could be more simple than
this. If you adopted the principle of transferring one
man's property to another, you would simplify legislation
exceedingly. (.' Hear," and laughter.) He believed that
the Chancellor of the Exchequer would find finance a very
simple study if all he had to do in making up his budget
was to appropriate as much as he might require of the pro-
perty of her Majesty's subjects for the public expenses.
(Hear, hear.) But he (Mr. Herbert) believed that that
house would never sanction such a transfer. (Hear, hear.)
He must strongly protest against the scheme of
the hon. member for Rochdale, which could only have the
effect of raising extraordinary expectations, and thus mar-
, ring the efforts of these who were anxious to promote the
just rights of the tenants of Ireland.
Mr. FAGAN said that the great question was how the
cultivation of the land was to be promoted, and it was only
to be done by the greatest encouragement and protection.
He did not think that the hon. member who had just sat
down had treated the hon. member for Rotschild—(great
laughter)—he meant Rochdale, fairly, in assuming that oc-
cupancy was part of his tenant-right. With respect to the
present bill, he (Mr. Fagan) di4 not think it half so good as
that of the noble lord the member for Falkirk, which on its
introduction had been so much sneered at in Ireland.
Lord CASTLEREAGH said that he could not consent to
any measure which woald constitute mere occupancy as pre-
party, or which interfered with the acknowledged rights of

.
propenT.
Mr. 1.. O'CONNOR was of opinion that no part of the
bill went to the root of the evil, while its machinery was too
complicated to effect the object proposed by it.
Mr. W. S. O'BRIEN did nut think the bill satisfactory,
particularly in not having a more retrospective effect respect-
ing conipenattion for improvements, which should not be
limited to 21 years. He objected also to the retrospective
clause being limited to small farmers ; he saw no reason why
it should not be general.
Mr. M. J. O'CONNELL did not think it convenient to
go into the details of the bill at the present stage. He,
however, concurred in the opinion of the hon. member for
Limerick, that the distinction drawn respecting the class of
small occupiers, towards whom the bill was to be retro-
spective, was not a tenable distinetion.—Leave was then
given to bring ia the bill.
AGRICULTURAL TENANT RIGHT IN ENGLAND.
Mr. PUSEY then moved for leave to bring in a bill for
the improvement of agricultural tenant right in England
and Wales. The hon. member explained that the bill would
be very similar to that of last sesaion.—Leave granted; Mr.
Pulley, dr. E. Denison, and Sir C. Lemon, to bung lathe bill.
IMPROVEMENT OF LANDED PROPERTY IN
IRELAND.
Mr. W. S. O'BRIEN moved for leave to bring in a bill to
provide further facilities for the permanent improvement of
landed property in Ireland.—Leave granted.
MR. ANSTEY'S MOTION.
Mr. C. ANSTEY said that, before the orders of the day
were read, he would fix his motion relating to foreign affairs
for Wednesday week, on which day the only order was the
Roman Catholic Charitable Trusts Bill, which, however on-
, willing, he would postpone in favour of his motion.
The house adjourned at a quarter-past Mae.

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