The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1881-11-10
THE LAND (,oUxT.
COn1ee1Aatl0n Among tho If1S4 LA16~
lords ever Ies Verdices.


lords ever Ies Veraicss.
DuBILS, Nov. 4
The Irish Land Court has given during tho
past week ut1eqaivocal indications of the
spirit IN which it Intends 10 admmh4ss the
Land act. Justice O'Hagans AsASition q
fair rent b such . 5snt ~ vii seabls ~
tenant to Nys md thrive This was hid
down y th1 opening =. - court >
fortnisAt aso, and has sncs bess applied by
the A1ofoeSnt Cofnmissioners at 0e0Aet with
stGtthnH 1es1Dastu the rents on the CssWfss0
estate, and ON the eorn-money tenant estate o.
Dundonald, both q whish may b called rese-
rented. In both The rens was reduced N avs
erage Of one-third an round. The Commis~
sioners expressly said that neitler estate had
been managed with the ibcfaftr expected Or
usual With Irish landlords hence ~ 1edue~
ton is greater than the probable Gvsrages
But these cases AFFORD IN example Of whSs viii
happen to sack-rented estates generally. u
both cases the Commissioners personally sx~
amined miDutely the properties. There y ~
reason to suppose that their decision will be 70
vsrsed II appealed from. nor b - appeal cx~
pected. The decision Of the ssnse Conn
o still more formidable to the LANDLORDS.
It substantially declares that improvements
shall be presumed to hays been made by the
tenant unless the landlord can prove the con-
trary. This reverses completely tho presnmp-
ton supposed to have been created b. the act,
and shifts the burden Of proof to the lersaDord,
disregardinG even express contracts befrscn
landlord and tenant, under which tho improve.
mems became the landlords. the result il
that, IN fixing judicial rent, sssch improve
ments, which in many cases cover large pOT-
ton Of the value Of tho property, Win be con-
which the landlord is entitled 70 receive rent.
The decision has produced something Like con-
etSrnation among certain classes Of landlords,
and VIII certainly be appealed from, thoHSh
every act and word yet proceeding from the
Land Court indicates that u ID disposed to hold
The effect b an enormous increase in the
business Of the court, which, before these deei-
sions. had shown signs Cf becoming unmAnsEe-
able. Applications pour in BY the thousand.
League organs are beginning TO claim this -
the result Of their new policy. Be-
resorting to the court, they AOw encourage hti-
cation with the view Of creating complete
block, The truth IL, the farmers are setting for
themselves, having understood from Justice
OHagan's opening address that the court was
to be Tenants Court. From recent appear
ances the court will be called on TO readjust tho
whole rental Of Ireland.
When, through slip Of the tongue, Mr.,
Smith, Registrar Of the Land Court.
proclaimed, on Oct. l9, that 'sthe Cont Of
the Land League Was open, he unwlftlO6lv
told the truth. Mr.. Justice O'Hsgan and
his colleagues did not hesitate, at the OPEN
ing day, to declare, almost n 80 many
words, that they intended to interpret tho
Land act and to execute it solely in tb~ inter-
ests OF the tenant applicants, and the nnb~
Commissioners are religiously living mp to tssst
profession. The landlords expected severe
treatment, but they did not count on berg ab-
solutely garroted Mr.. Parncn made . great
point against the Government by de-
claring that tenants who had been
esicted during the fierce agitation
In the spring would lose the benefits Of the act.
But Mr.. Justice OFIagan has ruled that Al
tenants elected within ak months before Aug.
u (the day the Land bill became law are
entitled to its advantages and, furthermore,
that when reduction Of rent IL ordered il
shall apply to all sales which have occurred
since Aug. a.
This rweeping Interpretation OF ths fogsy
fftieth and sixtieth sections Of the act alarmed
the landlords, and / believe rome of them re-
solved on consulting eminent lawyers in Ireland
and England, With the v,ev cf testing it,
soundness. But they were told what they
ought TO have known-that the act makes the
Land Commission cont Of final jufisd,csi or,
and that there is appeal against its decisons,
not even to the House os ords.