The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-05-17
NEGOTIATIONS YoRxIaH NEWS.
ITO April s5th.l
IRELAND,

General Increase OF Rents.-On all sides
says the Dublin Nation of the 25th uit,
we hear of landlords raising or threatening
to raise the rents on their estates, and o.
tenants being, in consequence, thrown into
a state of confusion and alarm. The Ear
of Roden, for instance, has issued a circu
lar to his tenants in Loutb, in which he
informs them that their rents are to be
increased, and the tenants have come to.
rether in public meeting, in the town Of
the general public, q proceeding which they
say will result In creating "bad feeling
| heightened litigation, and numerous heavy
claims under the Land Act" The tenants
appear to IA to state their case with equal
force and moderation. They recall the
fact that when in 1854 the price of agricul-
| tural produce suddenly and considerably
increased, and when, in consequence, they
were called upon to pay a proportionate
| increase of rent, they did not demur, but,
on the contrary, cheerfully complied with
the demand. They 20 on to urge that no
further increase in the price of produce has
| since occurred to justify farther increase
of rent, while to justify decrease of rent
there are three distinct facts-tbat the cost
of labor and agricultural implements has
increased very considerably. that local
taxation charges have become heavier, and
that for the last three years "the crops
have been very deficient in yield" They
then make the assertion that their present
rents are higher by fifty to a hundred per
cent than the Poor Law valuation, which
was considered the fair letting value"
Finally, they are able to point in sustain
ment of their position to the practice of a
neighboring landlord, Lord Clermont, who
has never raised the rents on his property
since 1850, and always contributes timber
and slates for every house his tenants may
wish to build" We repeat that the tenants
how IL aky S.-
for the Earl of Roden's leaving their rents
as they are, and that they have done so in
language Of studied moderation. But they
do Ole thing more which clearly entities
them to public sympathy and support.
They propose "to have the value of their
respective holdings left to an independent
valuator, to ba mutually chosen by the
agent of the estate and tenant nominated
by the majority of the tenants on the
property, or to two valaators, one TO be
selected by the agent, and the other by the
tenants"
GREAT BRITAIN.
New Jury System.-Mr. Lopes's Juries
Bill, which was read q second time on
Wednesday, is founded on Sir John Col
eridge's Bill of last year, and the recon-
meudations of the Select Committee on the
subject. 1t proposes to extend the area
from which jurors are taken by raising the
age of absolute exemption from sixty to
seventy, leaving to any person the right
sixty five. Moreover, dodgers are to be
made eligible to serve on both common
and special juries, and the managers oil
certain companies on the latter. The IA.
ting qualification is to be preserved, the
qualification for special Jurors being some
what raised the overseers who compile
the lists are to be better paid, and all sum
monses are to be sent by post, 80 that cor
rupt practices on the part Of the summon
ing officer may be prevented. But til,
more important part of the measure il
that which deals with the composition O
the jury /; in criminal cases il is proposed
that twelve should still be required, in
formal notice, of having the case tried by
twelve. Aud in the event of the death o.
illness of one or moro jurymen, the Bill
| gives the judge the power to order a tria
to go on. provided that jury of twelv'
shall not be reduced below nine, nor on,
received on both sides of the House the
new Attorney General, Sir r. Baggallay
promising to consider whether Govern
ment could take it over, and in any case
that he would do all he could to further il
and make it efficient the Home Secretary
adding that Government would do it's bes
to pass either this Bill OF a modified ONT
|
Nepdegate's Anti- Catholic BW.-Mr
Newdegate gave notice on Thursday weel
of the postponement of his Bill to the ls
of May. The Commission which he pro
poses to create-and if the new majority
turns out to be strong in the No Popery
element, he will very likely succeed il
creating it's to be body such as happily
has not vet been seen in England for many
a day. 1t is to possess an inquisitoria
and quasi-judicial character, being armed
| with powers to enter and inspect any Con
ventual or Monastic institution, to compe
the production of every kind of evidence
and to command the aid of all the officer
of the law ; and also to report on the ma
tuIe and tenure of all the property o
means of subsistence of such institutions
aud whether such means of subsistence ar,
or are not consistent with the provision O
the Acts against Superstitious Uses, thu
the Mortmain, or Charity Acts. AS to it,
composition, Mr.. Newdegate proposes tina
there shall be seven Commissioners one
appointed by the Lord Chancellor, one by
the Speaker, one by the Lord Chief Justice
of England, two by the Catholic Pool
Schools Committee, and two by the Com
missioners of Lunacy. We scarcely sup.