The Sun.
London, England, 1868-03-13 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

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HOUSE OF LORDS-LAST EVENING.
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the Woolsack
at five o'clock.

PETITION.
Tho Duke of ARGYLL presented a petition from the
inhabitants of Cheltenham against the Promissory Oaths
Bill.

PRIVATE BUSINESS.
The Shropshire Union Railway and Canal Bill was read
a second time.

LAND TENURE (IRELAND) BILL.
The Marquis of CLANRICARDE (who was nearly in-
audible) in moving the second reading of this bill said that
he did not wish to enter into any long discussion
upon the bill, but after the remarks of the noble and
learned lord he must enter into a slight review of the
evils which necessitated a change in the land tenure of
Ireland. He would assert that they had one distinctive
vice in Ireland,
which was that the holdings were not
secured by written documents, and this vice he considered
ought to be abolished, and that every agreement ought to
be in writing. He complained of the law now in exist-
ence, not only as a vicious one, but as such that
the judges themselves could not do otherwise than
condemn it. Every Government since the passing of the
last Act had contemplated some, alteration. The late Go-
vernment did so, and likewise the present one. Evert
great law officer of the Crown contemplated some altera-
tion in the existing law. It had been urged that such a bill
as he was about moving would affect the position of landlord
and tenant, but he did not know what bill could be brought
affecting land tenure, which did not interfere with the
position of tenant and landlord. This bill, which he
was about to introduce, was no longer his own ; it
had been stolen bodily by the Government ; and he
had heard the noble lord the Secretary for Ireland
declare that ho intended to bring in a measure
similar to that which he now proposed. The noble mar-
quis then entered into a detail of the reservations
and obligations which the measure imposed upon
both landlord and tenant. lle
condemned the idea
that all these measures should be contained ,in
four:ibills when they might be embodied in one.
Ile had no sort of pride that the Government had taken
up his bill, he had been for years convinced that the
clauses and enactments of the bill contained an equitable
adjustment of the differences between landlord and
tenant. But he had heard with great regret that
ne Government were about to issue another
Commission to investigate into the differences
between landlord and tenant, and what earthly use it could
bo he could not conceive. It would spread dissatisfaction
amongst the people and would induce them to believe that
the Government of the Crown listened to all those absurd
suggestions which were continually made to them
with regard to the Irish tenantry. He re-
ferred to Mr. Mill's proposition, which he stated,
if carried out, would pauperise the Irish landlord. He as-
serted that if a roving commission was sent through the
country its only use would be to excite delusive hopes.
(Hear.) There was nothing in Ireland which required
any violent measure of reform. All they wanted was a tem-
porary measure to protect loyal and honest subjects in that
country. The state of Ireland as far as landlord and
tenant was concerned was quite satisfactory, Tiv, noble
lord then quoted from a speech of Grattan, which con-
demned the motion that any great evil existed in Ireland.

Lord St. LEONARDS said that he thought that the
noble marquis in deference to the Government would have
postponed his motion until he know what course would be
Pugged 17 the gOlTrial"t' §Q DaPiny tiiGtq 9i Maict-