The Sun.
London, England, 1869-10-20 00:00:00

FRANCE.

PARIS, OCt. 20.

The Official Journal of this morning says :
"The Government has noticed with deep regret the
violent attack of the journal Le Pays against a
Prince of the Imperial family."
A Council of Ministers was held at Compiegne
yesterday. The Emperor presided, and M. Schnei-
der, the President of the Corps Legislatif, was
present. After the sitting several members of the
Cabinet left for Paris, but they will return to
Compiegne to attend another Council, which will
be held to-day. _ _ .

BOURSE, Oct. 19.—Three o'clock—The: market
closed as follows :

41. per Cent.

.end of month
3 per Cent
End of month 7l 40
Credit Mobilier
Transatlantic 206 25
Credit Foncier 1675
Paris Gas 1577 50
RAILWA'

Bank Shares 2BOO
Itr,Ban ti iveß 53 15
" Austrian Fives
Ottoman Loan
Do. Debt 43
Spanish Threes
Home Debt -
Deferred ......

Orleans

Cash

045

Wostern
Northern .4. 10934
Strasburg . 6OO
.byons and Mediterranean -'BBl
Southern..... 615
Sardinian
Austrian
Lombard 5271
North of Spain
Saragossa
Hooznau 5O

SIR JOHN GRAY, 111. P., 0217 THE LAND
Q UESTIO.Y.

A meeting of the National Reform Union was held 0
Manchester on Monday evening, under the presidency of
Sir George Wilson, to hear an address from Sir John Gray,
MX., on the Irish land question. Mr. Jacob Bright, M.P
and several other notabilities were present on the platform,
Miss Lydia Becker, who was loudly cheered on taking her
place, being among them. Sir John Gray after thanking
the assembly for the warmth of their reception, said that
nothing but their invitation could have induced him to
absent himself that day from Kilkenny, where his own con.
s tituency were to hold a large meeting on that very question.
The first time he had opened his lips on the great question
of the Irish Church was in that very hall, under the
presidency of Mr. George Wilson, and he hoped the omen
would be propitious. The land question in Ireland
was, even more than the Church was, an imperial
question, and was deeply rooted in the hearis
of the Irish people. Sir John then referred
to the grievances of past generations, and declared
that the tillers of the roil were used merely as rent sponges
by the landlords, and were not allowed to go to the town
to work at any trade. Tie explained at some length the
system of eviction carried on by men known as
the " crowbar brigade," whose task it was to
level the huts of evicted tenants. After dwelling
on the hardships endured by the people, he :pointed
to the greater prosperity of the province of -Ulster
as a proof of the value of tenant right. The possession of this
right secured the tenant from eviction, and gave the
landlord assurance that his rent was safe. No bill
based merely on compensation would be looked
upon in Ireland as a just settlement of this question. An
English farmer and his sons might find occupation in mann"
facture, but in Ireland eviction meant death or exile. lie
had gone from county to county to investigate the state of
popular feeling, and he believed any attempt to settle
the question, except in a thorough and conclur
sive manner, would only bring discredit eu
its promoters. He believed there was a plan, a simple
plan, which would interfere with no man's rights, which
would protect all alike; and he thought would secure to
the Irish tenantry what they wanted, and that was that
we should emphatically declare by a simple Declaratory
Act that every tenant in occupation of a farm should be
declared by law to have an occupancy right in that farm,
from which he never could be disturbed except by big
own private contract or for non-payment of his rent.
The Irish people were ready to pay the full amount of
every acre of land they occupied, and if this was done
England would have a great farm, and a great markel'
opened up for her supply and her demand. All the
tenants wanted was to be permitted to live and
take root in the land; and be the allied brethren
of Englishmen, and the staunchest supporters
of the English throne and empire. The hon. member
who was loudly cheered, was followed by Mr. Jacob Brigil,,t,
M.P., who said he believed the battle was already ball,
won, and began to discuss the English questions of entaj:
and primogeniture. It was the Irish famine which had
given us the corn laws ; it was in Ireland we were trYills
a free Church in a free State. Why should not Ireland d°
another good thing for us, and make it possible to 10°
free trade in land?