The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-05-29
LAID 1HYosN III IxILAHp.

When Mr. Parncll came 70 this country last
fall TO solicit aid for suffering Ireland he also
asked for contributions In aid Of the agitation
he and others were engaged in in favor Of Irish
land reform; and there were not few slurs
cast at HIM at the time for proposing, while
his conntrymen were starving, to divert some
of the money given him to so vague an object
as political agitation. II was represented, in
fact, that Dir. Psrnell, as the head Of the Irish
Land League, represented but small fraction
of his own people, and that his political efforts
were likely at the most 10 result IN more injury
to his country than good. That such reports
gained easy credence here was natural from
the general ignorance In reference to the real
condition o: land tenure in Ireland and the
aims Of the Land League, but little informa
ton on the subject will show that Mr.. Parnell
is not only engaged in noble work, but that
he is heartily seconded in it by all the leading
patriotic men Of his coua,ry
The cablegrams few weeks ago announced
that an important conference had been called
at Dublin of all the leading men in Ireland to
devise measures tor presentation to parliament,
Tor the relief of that afflicted island; and in
the Dublin Frecman's Jourhat of April Both,
now before US, we have a full stenographic re
port of the proceedings Of that meeting.
The first thing to be noted in regard to III
is its thoroughly representative character, Not
only were most Of the Irish members of parll.
ament present, but most of the prominet lead.
ers of the people besides were either present orr
pledged themselve, by letter to abide by It's de
cision The next thing Is the completeness
with which the influence Mr.. Parnel was
recognized The first resolution he proposed
was indeed opposed by some and efforts were
made to amend it, but it was finally adopted
without change by an overwhelming majority
II was prefaced by a statement that although,
as the law now stood tenants valued at fl0 al
year might, If disturbed by the act of the land
lord, claim seven years rent by way of set of,
vet if such tenants were cvicted for non pay.
ment of rent, they lost all. Now this class of
tenants numbered 5000, and as a measure of
temporary reliei, until more comprehensive
reforms can be perfected, Mr.. p. proposed that
a bill shall be pushed IN parliament at once
|suspending ejectments for two years IN such
cases for the non-payment of rent. BY another
resolution the bill was also to provide for over
holding in all holdings valued at eco and un-
der, and in any holding whatever the right Of
eviction is to be suspended and the recovery
of a higher rent forbidden than the tenement
valuation under the poor law.
A more important resolution than these
however, was the third, committing the assem-
bly, 20 the specific policy Of Mr. Parnell and
the Land League as distinguished from the
plan OF Mr., Butt, as advocated by the Home
Rulers The Butt plan may be stated in a
word to be that Of "fiXity of tenure, Of far
rents, and no advances of rents, with free sale ~
Opposed to this Is the plan OF the Land League,
in substance, that the government shall buy
out the land owners and convey the land to-
the tenants, who are to pay back the cost to-
the government IN regular nstallments to run
through 20 years at 3l2 per cent interest. The
resolution was warmly opposed by The o.
Donoghue and others who object to the Land
League project, but 1t was adopted with a rails
ing of only hands in opposition.
The final resolution adopted was that pro
posed by Father O'Coyne, exhorting the ten,
ants to concerted action, and that pending leg
islatlon upon the previous resolutions, and a
final and satisfactory reform of the Irish land
system, the tenant farmers of Ireland are call,
ed upon to refuse to occupy any farm from
which another is evlcted for non.payment of
unjust rent This would prove, it was argued,
the best ad interim check upon landlord wrong,
up to the passage of the bill which Mr., Par
nell was about to bring before Parliament.
The meeting, it is thus seen, as we stated in
the outset, though proiessedly composed of
representatives of all shades Of opinion inI
Ireland, fully endorsed Mr.. Parnell in every
important sense, and makes him in AS full al
sense rs O'Connell was in his day, the leader
of the Irish Nation.
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