The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-04-21
GLADsTONE,s PEACE.OFFER1NG.

GLADSTONE'S PEACE.OFFERING.
The Irish Land Bill Introduced in the House
of Commons.
LONDON, April I.
In the House of Commons, Mr.. Glad.
stone rose at $40 P. NJ. to introduce the
| Land Bill. He was much cheered. The
House was exceedingly crowded. Mr..
Gladstone said that the bill would deal
both with relations between landlord and
tenant, and subjects which may be
grouped as requiring an advancement
from the exchequer. He said that this
was the most difficult question he ever
had to deal with in the course of his polit.
ical life. He satisfaction at exchang.
the dreary work of repression for legisla-
ton of an improving and reforming char.
acter. The grounds which induced the
government to deal with the land ques-
tion were not that the Irish landlords are
bad, not that appeals TO the passions of the
Irish people have been made by persons
whose wild proposals are little removed
from schemes of public plunder, but be.
cause the Irish Land laws contain pecu.
lair provisions which prevent she pros
perity of the Irish tenants. According
to the report of the Bessborouh commits.
sion the Irish people declare they do not
desire the appropriation" of landlords
or the coniscation Of the property of
others, but they do desire to cultivate in
security the land of the country and to
enjoy the fruits of their labor, paying a
fair rent for land. These being the views
Of the Irish people, we have broad basis
on which we may proceed to found legis-
lation.
1t is not just to say that legislation is
necessary because of the faults of Irish
landlords. They have stood their trial and
as rule have been acquitted. Although
the proceedings of a 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 amendments which the gov
ernment had disapproved. he then re.
viewed the reports Of the Richmond and
Bessborough commissions, which he de-
clared, Notwithstanding conflicting au-
thorities and recommendations, had been
of the greatest service to the government.
The Richmond commission with one dis
sentient, and the Bessborough commits
sion unanimously, agreed to recommend.
ing the establishment of court to deal
with differences between landlords and
tenants regarding rent.
The two great questions to be dealt
with are first, the relations between land
lords and tenants in Ireland; second, ad-
vances from the public exchequer. He
declared that never, as minister, had ne
submitted any measure with a greater
sense of the enormous moment of the
topics and propositions involved, and he
asked: "Shall we hesitate to do all that
can be legitimately done by the Govern
ment for the promotion of legislation, to
promote the passing Of an effective meas
ure to deal with the Land question of
Ireland? ?"
He then examined and justified in de-
tail the principles of the measure begin
ming with right of assignment or free sale,
which he declared already existed by
common law and custom. Before the
Act of 1870 the right which the tenant
had to assign was so small as to be worth
less. Under that Act tenant-right in the
shape of compensation for disturbance,
became something sensible and consider
able. It had been recognized by every
member of the Bessborough commission.
The minority of the Richmond commits.
sion acknowledged it, the majority had
not word to say against'it. -
He continued: The present bill does
not introduce an unregulated tenant
right. Provision is made for preventing
it from passing into extravaganza, and,
for protecting the just rights of landlords
bringing into fair competition the tenants
right to assign and the landlords right
to get what bis land is reasonably worth.
The salient point and cardinal feature
of the bill is the institution of q court to
take cognizance of rent, and which will
not be debarred from taking cognizance
of tenure and assignment. There are
strong gounds for making resort to the
court optional instead of compulsory.
There may be tenants who do not desire
the interference of this. court. Every ex-
isting tenant might call in the court to
fix a judicial rent for fifteen years, during
which there could be no change, no evic-
ton, except 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 the Act is
given where the rent amounts to s2OO
yearly.
The Court will have final authority
over all questions. It is to consist of
three persons, one of whom must be o
Judge or ex,judge Of the Supreme Court.
Its proper seat will be OF Dublin, but ex-
ira commissioners, and, if necessary, sub
commissioners may be appointed under
control of the central commission. The
civil courts established by the bill will
be courts CT the first instance.
1t is proposed to assist tenants to pur-
chase their holdings and to invest the
courts with power to purchase lands from
landlords desiring to sell, and to resell
them, retaining the title as a guarantee
for repayment and against subdivision.
Advances will be made to owners, tenants
and solvent companies formed for the
purpose of reclaiming land or for other
agricultural Improvements, Oh condition
that the advances do not exceed the
amounts which the borrower had laid out
on his own behalf.
Advances will also be made to assist
emigration. They will be under the
control of the land commission, subject
to the consent of the treasury, and will
he made either to colonial governments
or to companies. 1t is not proposed to
place any limit on these advances be-
.,o,d ~, Il. l,;np than qerure