The Sun.
London, England, 1860-06-26 00:00:00

PETITIONS.

Several petitions were presented against the Highways
Bill and the Sunday Trading Bill, and praying the house
to vindicate their privileges in reference to the recent alleged
aggression of the House of Lords, &c.
TENURE AND IMPROVEMENT OF LAND
(IRELAND) BILL.
Tho house went into committee on this bill, resuming at
clause 21, which was agreed to.
On clause 22,
Mr. BUTT drew attention to some ambiguity in the bill
with reference to encumbrances.

Mr. DEASY, in reply to Mr. BUTT and Mr. LONG-
FIELD, said, it was not intended by the bill to give any
charges precedence over incurabrauces, as it was consi-
dered such a course would alarm incumbrances and operate
injuriously.

Mr. GEORGE moved the following amendment:—" At
the end insert ' the owner of land charged with such an-
nuity shall (unless there be an express agreement between
him and the party advancing the monies on the security to
the contrary), be at liberty, at any time before the expira-
tion of 25 years after the commencement thereof, to redeem
such annuity on payment of the arrears (if any) thereof,
and of such sum as shall be equal to the aggregate amount
of the half-yearly payments not then accrued due, after
deducting or allowing discount after the rate of 5 per cent.
in respect of such several future payments; and the judges of
the Landed Estates Court (Ireland) or one of them shall cause
tables to be framed showing the rate at which the annuity
is to be redeemed in the several years during which the said
annuity is made redeemable, and the owner of land so re-
deeming said annuity may charge the land on which said
annuity was charged with the said sum so paid by him for
redemption of said annuity, with lawful interest thereon,
but so nevertheless that the charge upon such lands shall
be lessened in every successive year, to be computed from
the date of the order charging said annuity, by the amount
of one twenty-fifth part of the whole value of the said an-
nuity, and the interest in respect thereof.'"
Mr. DEASY suggested that the amendment should be
moved as an additional clause.

Mr. GEORGE assented to the Suggestion, and withdrew
the amendment for the present.
Clauses 23 and 24 were agreed to.
On clause 25,
Mr. GEORGE moved an amendment, the object of
which was to afford limited owners increased facilities in
the leasing and improving of their land, subject to certain
restrictions.

Mr. DEASY opposed the amendment, as being too
complicated to be practicable, and conferring a power on
the limited owner which might be exercised to the prejudice
of the future owner.

Mr. LONGFIELD considered that the amendment,
though it contained some good points, would not work
satisfactorily ; and did not impose sufficient restriction on
the limited owner.

Lord FERMOY opposed the amendment and availed
himself of the opportunity of expressing his disapprobation
of the course adopted by the committee on the last day the
bill was discussed, namely, transferring the power of de-
ciding on the title to landby the chairman of quarter sessions
to the more dilatory and expensive tribunal of a law court.
He concluded a chief cause of the want of fertility of the
land and the discontent of the peasantry was the practice of
landlords in Ireland refusing to grant leases to their tenants.
Lord NAAS considered the proposition of the hon. mem-
ber (Mr. George) calculated to work beneficially. By the
bill as it stood at present a preliminary investigation was
required before the chairman of the quartet session, to
enable a limited owner to grant a lease, the effect of which
would be to increase litigation without any corresponding
advantage.
Colonel FRENCH contended that the preliminary in-
vestigation in question was necessary.
Mr. MAGUIRE approved of the preliminary investiga-
tion. It was better to give a tenant the strongest guarantee
of the security of the lease, and such preliminary sanction
provided for by the bill. (Hear, hear.) He agreed with
the noble lord (Lord Fermev) in r.B'''.tti'#y *ke ovuaoc t"lsc.
by the committee on the last day of discussion, in trans-
ferring jurisdiction with reference to title, from
the chairman of quarter session to the superior
courts, and was happy to find that a similar course was
not proposed by Government in respect to leasing.
A local tribunal, besides being less costly, was
better calculcated to arrive at a correct conclusion
in cases where any fraud was contemplated.
Mr. CARDWELL admitted that the amendment was
suggested in good spirit, but he considered a preliminary
investigation necessary, and therefore he supported the
clause as it stood.

Mr. WMAHON supported the amendment.
Mr. BUTT thought that they ought net to leave the
matter between the landlord and tenant, but that they
should interpose a tribunal that would confer legal sanction
on any arrangements they might make between themselves.
Mr. SCULLY considered that the preliminary sanction
was desirable not only for the security of the tenant, but
for the sake of those persons who would be bound by the
lease.
After some further discussion, the committee divided.
When the members returned, Mr. BRAND stated that
the tellers could not agree as to the numbers, which created
great laughter, and the committee again divided.
8,

For the' motion
Against
Majority against the amendment —3
The amendment was accordingly negatived.
Some discussion ensued relative to rendering the terms of
the bill more precise in regard to the granting of leases for
building purposes.
Mr. M'MAHON proposed in paragraph four to leave
out "20" and insert "40" in order to extend the period
of leases to be granted.
Lord FERMOY said with regard to his property in the
county of Cork, he fancied that leases of 31 years were
suffioient for all practical purposes. He would suggest that
the court should have the power to grant leases of such
terms as they considered suitable to different parts of the

country.
Mr. CARDWELL explained that this measure proposed
to give the court power to grant leases for 41 years, but it
empowered ecclesiastical and corporate bodies to grant
leases merely for 21 years without any preliminary sanction
being required.
Mr. M'MAHON agreed to withdraw his amendment
and adopt the term of 31 years.
The committee then divided on the amendment as altered,
and the numbers were—
For the original clause .......... 117
Against ........ 45
Majority
—72
The clause was accordingly agreed to, as well as clause 26.
It being 10 minutes to 4 o'clock, the house suspended its
sitting.

The house resumed at 6 o'clock, and was
ILEFT SITTIRO.I