Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-04-08
THE UNITED KINGDOM.
TIE PREMIER IN SUPPORT OF
THE LAND BILL
Further OEtgivIngs as to Its Pro.
visions The "IrIsh WOrid' In
Ereland-HeTr Most Committed
Sir Charles Dixie and "Freiheit."

Ireland-HeTr Most Committed
Sir Charles Dixie and "Freiheit.o
LONDON, April THE Daily Ne,os this
morning, alluding to the premature pubh-
cation Of the land bill, says: "We believe
the bill will consist of seven parts. The
statement that the Bright clauses Of
the act of 1870 will be dealt with
in a subsidiary bill is unfounded.
The bill will include scheme not merely
for setting the Bright clauses at work, but
for more effectually. accomplishing the pur-
pose to which they are directed. land
commission is also established by the bill,
which will be complete scheme for deal
ing with the laws.''
The Times in it's leading article this morn
ing says: "The land bill, since it was first
discussed by the Cabinet, has passed
through twenty two variations of form.
1t will include schemes for the re-
clamation of waste lands, aud for
emigration. The amount to which the
proposed permanent land commission will
be empowered to draw upon the consoli-
dated fund for various purposes will either
be left open or maximum figure, pos
sibly Of 9lO,0O0,G00, will be fixed"
In the House of Commons to-day, Sir
Henry James, Attorney General, replying to
a question of Lord Spencer Churchill, of
which he gave notice yesterday, as to wheth-
er persons contributing articles to Ff6thea
are liable to prosecution, and wheth-
er two members of the govern
ment did so contribute, etc., declared,
upon the authority of Sir Chas. Dixie
and Mr.. Thomas Brassey, that the charge
is utterly unfounded. But he said that in
view of the gravity of the charge he must
call upon Lord Spencer Churchill to place
it in the hands Of the law officers, and to
inform the House and country of the nature
of the information upon which such ground
less charge was based.
Sir Charles Dixie, Under Foreign Secre-
tary, replying to Right Hon. j. G. Hubbard,
Conservative, said that England was unable
to consent to discuss the principle of
bi-metallsm, and had, therefore, de-
clined to participate in the Monetary
Conference. The indian Government will
send delegation, who, however, will not
participate in the debate.~ Lord Harting-
ton, Secretary for Iudia, will consider any
proposal which may be brought forward.
The question of the other colonies being re-
presented in the conference is under con-
sideration.
Mr.. Forster, Chief Secretary for Ireland,
replying to Lord Spencer Churcnill's ques-
blOUs VI WHICH, nS gave uOJiC0 on GUe 4bu
lust. about the circulation of the New York
Irish World in Ireland, said it was difficult
to stop the circulation of papers published
abroad, III, however, the Irish World con-
tanned such articles as was stated he would
feel called upon to ask the advice of the
law officers.
Relative to FreihGH, Lord Spencer Church
III said his information was derived from a
Mailman named Barry, and the treasurer
of Frttheit, both of whom were prepared to
reiterate at the bar of the House that
Sir Charles Dixie has contributed
in support of Prejheit. AS regards Mr.. Bras
sey, he said the allegation related to an old
affair, namely, his contribution towards an
election fund for Herr Most.
Sir Charles Dixie declared amid vocifer-
GUS cheers that he never heard Of the Ffei-
hit until the article about the late Gar ap-
peared, and that Lord Spencer Churchill's
statement was untrue.
Mr.. Gladstone rose at $40 p. N. to intro
duce the land bill. He was much cheered.
The House was exceedingly crowded. Mr..
Gladstone said the bill would deal both
with the relations between landlord and
tenant, and subjects which may be grouped
as requiring advancement from the Ex-
cheQuer
Mr.. Gladstone, on moving the land bill,
said this was the most difficult question he
ever had to deal with in the course of his po.
litical life. He felt satisfaction at exchanging
the dreary work Of repression for legislation
OF an improving and reforming character.
The grounds which induced the government
to deal with the land question were not that
the Irish landlords are bad, not that appeals
to the passions of the Irish people have
been made by perons whose wild proposals
are little removed from schemes OF
public plunder, but because the Irish land
laws contain peculiar provisions which pre-
vent the prosperity Of the Irish tenant.
According TO the report OF the Bessborough
Commission, the Irish people declare that
they do not desire the appropriation
of the property Of others, but they do desire
to cultivate in security the land of the
country, and enjoy the fruits of their labor,
paying a fair rent for the land. These
being the views of the Irish people, we
have broad basis on which we may pro-
ceed to found legislation.
1t is not just to say that legislation Is
necessary because of the faults of the Irish
landlords. They have stood their trials.
and, as rule, have been acquitted, though
the proceedings of limited number of them
have been arbitrary, harsh and cruel. This
is partly, but not solely, the reason
for the necessity for the legislation we are
about to Introduce. Mr. Gladstone then
referred to the partial failure of the land act
of 1870, which he attributed mainly, though
not wholly, to the amendments witch the
government had disapproved. He then re-
viewed the reports of the Richmond and Besc-
borough Commissions, which he declared,
Notwithstanding conflicting authorities and
recommendations, had been of the greatest
service to the government. The Richmond
Commission, with one dissentent, and the
BessbOrough Commission unanimously
agreed to recommend the establishment
Af tn
differences between the landlord
and tenant regarding rent. The two great
questions to be dealt with are: First, the
relations between landlords and tenants In
Ireland. Second, advances from the public
exchequer. He declared that never as a
minister, had he submitted any measure
with a greater sense of the enor-
propositions involved, and he asked
all that can be legitimatelY done by the
government for the promotion of this legis-
lation. Shall we hesitate to procure the |
passing of an effective measure to deal with
the land question of Irelandg He then
examined and justified in detail the princi-
plies of the measure, beginning with the right !
of assignment or free sale, which he
declared already existed by the common
law and custom. Before the act of 1870 |
the right which the tenant had to assign
was so small as to be worthless. Under |
that act the tenants right in the shape OF |
compensation for disturbance became some |
thing sensible and considerable 1t |
had been recognized by every |
member of the Bessborough Com |
mission. The minority of the Richmond |
Commission acknowledged it, and the ma
jority had not word to say against 1t. He /
continues: The present bill does not intro. |
d1ce an unregulated tenant right. Provision /
is made for preventing it from passing in
to extravaganza, and for protecting the /
just rights of the landlords by bringing
into fair competition the tenants right to
assign and the landlords right to get what
his land is reasonably worth. The salient
point and cardinal feature of the bin is the
institution of a court to take cognizance
OF rent, and which will not
be debsrred from taking cognizance of
tenure and assignment. There are strong
grounds for making the resort to this court
optional instead OF compulsory. There
may be tenants who do not desire the inter
ference of this court. Every existing
tenant might call in the court to fix a Judi
cial rent for fifteen years, during which
there could be no change, no eviction ex-
cept for breach of certain speci-
fed covenants. The Ulster custom +
will remain, as now, at the tenants
option, but the tenant will have
the protection of the general provisions of
the bill for controlling the augmentation of
rents. The power to contract out of act Is
given where the rent amounts to 9200
yearly. The court will have final
authority over all land questions.
1t Is to consist of three persons,
~ ho -