, 1881-07-17
THE IRISH LAND BILL.

THE IRISH LAND BILL.
The Shape In Which 1t II Going
| Through Parlfanlent-A Pretty Fair
Bill tf the Land Court Treats tho Ten-
| ants Juxtly.
L"ndon Spectator. .Jusya
We trust that the debate of Thursday will
| have removed the fear which Seems to have
| taken possession OF the tenant-farlners OF
| Ireland that the Government are so bent on
| c0ncillating the Tory Opposition that they
are ready to minimize or even wlitt!e away
the substantial benefit which their Irish
| Land bill had promised to confer on tile
Irish agricnlturists. No one who really
knows Mr.. Gladstone would have had any
| fear that he would either niutilate the practi-
| cal efficiency Of such measure as this
only in order to make it slip
more easily through the meshes Of
Tory prejudice, or that he would
fail to see where mutiiation Of Its efficiency
was really Threatened. But Thursdays de-
bate has, we venture to hope, put an end to
these fears by accepting Mr.. Charles Kus-
sells amendment, as modified by Alr. Cart
wright, aud describing as a fair rent such
rent as, In the opinion Of the Court, after
hearing the parties and having regard to
the interest of the landlord and tenant re-
spectiyely,' and after considering all the
circumstances Of the case, holding. and dis
trict, a solvent. tenant would undertake to
pay one year with another,-Mr. Gladstone
has removed the fear which prevailed very
generally III Ireland that the OMISSION OF the
detailed directions which the Government
propose to drop out Of Clause will De
prejutllcial to the interests OF the
| taking fully into consideration what
really IS. Tie words, Having regard 10 ths
interests Of the landlord and tenant respect
ively." really recognize cmphatcally the
factof such u partnership Of interest between
reduce 10 something like distinct shape. md
to strengthen with the character of u legal
obligation. But even this amendment, which
si.up!y puts III evidence what it is the object
OF the whole bill to enforce, was not the most
important Of the incidents Of Thursdays de-
bate. Mr. Gladstone's concession On the sub
! ject Of leases was the greatest proof that ha
could have given Of the absolute bona tides
Of his attitude towards the Irish farmer. lle
| declines, very rightly, to interfere with
the rent provided for in a lease, where
the lease is otherwise to hold good.
He considers this to be matter Of
strict contract, with which it would
be de1noraIizing to interfere. But consents
can be presented to it to show that between
1870 ami the passing Of this bill lease has
been extUrteu ineQuftably,-that is, on terms
virtually inconsistent with the provisions Of
the Land act Of 1870 The Court is to have
power altogether to Quash any lease which
it regards us unfairly squeezed out OF the
tenant BY threats Inconsistent with the fair
equitable meaning Of the act Of 1870, and SO
to replace the tenant in the same position in
which he would have been if he were still
tenant from year to year, and without any
lease ut I'LL. Of course, such cases will ba
exceptional: But the most moderate OF the
Irish members sincerely believe that they
exist, and think it unfair that tenants out
of whom long lease had been In
eauitably screwed between 1870 and 1871, by
moral coercion, should now be put at u
great disadvantage, os compared with ten
ants-at-will who had accepted no lease Nor
is it only Thursdays debate which ought to
in earnest. Tuesdays and Wednesdays de
bates, OH Mr.. W II. Smiths amendments on
the clause. for raising the scale OF compensa-
ton for disturbances. proved that the Gov
eminent, having made UP their own minds
concerning what is most reasonable, ara not
of the Tory party. We believe that those
Irish members WHO, like Mr. Shaw, have de-
cIared that nothing has vet ilappened to de-
priyc the bill of its benefcent purpose for
Ireland, are strictly within the mark. The
bill will emerge from Committee not lesd
efficient for tho purpose of protecting thd
Irish tennnt than it was at first, and, more
over, better, simpler, and stronger,
We do not wonder ut the extreme lmpors
tance attached by the Irish farmers to the ale-
Termination Of Il "fair rent,r for on that sev.
enth clause will depend no doubt, the whole
future operation OF the other portions Of the
biIi,-the figure of the rents at which copy
eEs nnder the tenth and eleventh ciaasss ;E p