The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1880-12-07

parliament the object of which was to prevent
the eviction of tenants who were unable to
pay their rents on account of bad harvests.
The house Of lords would have probably con-
sented to its passage provided it became mop
~erative in two years, but the house Of Gem
mons insisted that 1t should remain in force
for seven. This disagreement defeated the
measure.
During this discussion Of affairs in England
the condition Of things became rapidly worse
in Ireland. Eviction followed eviction until
the number increased to over five thousand;
the people became frenzied and murders sue
seeded murders to an alarming frequency.
Notwithstanding a large constabulary force
was employed to prevent warlike demonstra-
lions by the Irish people, the leaguers nightly
placticed drilling with arms which they had
secreted% throughout the country. They have
contended that the purposes of their organi-
| zation could be effected by peaceful means,
and have s%tudiously endeavored to avoid a
resort to hostile measures, yet not unlike the
old Cromwellians they keep their powder
dry. But the wings in the English ministry
are Inclined to force the issue against the agi-
tators. They want a justification for coer-
eion and have instituted legal proceedings
against several of the land leaguers in the
hopes that a riot would ensue which would
warrant a considerable increase in the mill
tary farce in Ireland aud the suspension of
the writ of habeas corpus. But little can be
expected from the English ministry to help
Ireland. John Bright, who is a member
once remarked that 'the English parliament
has done many just things for Ireland, but has
never done anything because it was just"
This is true. Ireland has never gained any
thing from her masters only by agitation.
When John Bull saw it was cheaper TO grant
concessions to Ireland than to a%ntagonize the
liberal sentiment of the world, he has done
it. Will he concede to the demands of Ire
land now? A review of the history of the
present troubles and a statement of what
Ireland asks will satisfy us that he will not.
To understand this matter it is necessary
for us to state that the English landlord
makes all the improvements on a farm before
letting it, and keeps the fences and buildings
in repair, while the Irish landlord does moth
ing but furnish the land, and the tenant
make all the Improvements. 1t is also a
very common thirg for the Irish landlords to
raise their rents Oh account of the improve
ments which have been made by the tenants.
This in effect amount to a confiscation Of the
tenants property if he does not choose or is
unable to pay the advanced rent. Here is a
wide difference in the methods pursued by
the English and the Irish landlords in dealing
with their respective tenants which the Irish
are not slow to perceive and of which they
justly complain. This is one Of their causes
of grievance. Another cause is this A ma
jority of the Irish landlords reside In Eng
land, and their estates are entrusted to the
care of agents, who, as a rule, discharge thei1
obligations to their masters regardless of the
inconvenience Or sufferings that the delin.
quent tenant may be forced to endure. This
was shown during the recent famine, when
thousands were compelled to leave the homes
in which they were born on account of the
non-payment of their rent. In some instan.
ces their humble cabins, containing theil
h'ttoCiiplu gus dhu ~ bidU lAiGLu VIGIL
homes, however low!y, dear to them, were
RACED or burned to the ground. This inhu,
mar manner of evicting tenants, and othel
grievances to which they were subjected
aroused the mass of the Irish people to 6
sense of its injustice, and a league was formed
having for Its objects mutual protection and
redress of wrongs. How the ends of the
league are to be achieved may be Learned
from the statement of one of its prominen
leaders. He says: "The purpose of thu
agitation is generally misunderstood. 1t i
not generally known that the programme o
the land league is the sale of the farm, no
the seizure of the land by the people, but it
sale to them. 1t purposes that the govern
ment should first buy the land from the land
lords, giving them a fair equivalent, and tina
the people should, on some reasonable terms
snch, for instance, as those adopted in Prus
STA, purchase it back on a twenty-five or thil
ty-fve years. payment, So as to pass the pay
ment into two generations"
This solution of the Irish troubles i. on
that can be performed by peaceful measure.
DIV III oouH Dul alu II. we dTt IL
clined to think not. From the tenor of on
l dispatches We judge he has made up h
= mind to listen 10 longer. He is preparing
: corral the leaders and thus scatter the follow
e ers. Parnell and six other influential men
G bers Of the league are cited to appear at Dul
0 lin for trial before the queens bench q
Y charges Of conspiring to disturb the peal
y and incite the people against the payment
o the rents and taxes imposed OH them by tt
landlords. Tn trials will soon come O
s and join proposes to back up the judgmel
of his court and packed juries with a displs
of q faw compaDlas of bis nhnsap =, arJ