, 1881-11-23
THE AUTHORSHIP OF THE IRISH LAND
BILL.

A rather singular discussion Inns broken
out fn Grcnt Britain nlll ireland as tO tito
authorship of tho LntNl bill. Mr.. Chnnber-
lain, n isatltcnl Cabinet officer president Of
tho uoartl 0f Trade}. declaring, as If IIo were
tho moutllplccc of tho Ministry, itfnt tho bill
Is tho offspring Of the f.al,d League, agreeing
with 1'arl,ell on this point, and Mr.. Glad.
stone, tho real and only mouthp1ece Of tho
Government, while ,leeltning to discuss tho
question directly, declaring that tho Govorll-
ntont had lnatlo no such nvowal. ..
III ILLS specch Mt knowsley, Mr. Gladstone
said: "It Has my duty Oil tho part of tho
Government to Introduce tho Land net. and
III doing so said expressly, III the mast for
mai manner, tint whnt Parliament had to .lo
was to look. not at tho agltation prevailing III
Ireland 0r tic demands put forward by Par
nell md others under cuver Of that agitntlen,
Tut at the actual relations of landlord and
tenant III tho sister fslc," etc.
Tho aboyo Is Il significant distinction, and
though not affirming tho real authorship
correctly, stntcs the origin and elementary
phases of tho bill, md Mr.. Gladstone, l,adh
been 10 disposed, might llayo gone still
further nlstl declared with trtltl TINT without
the Liberals. or even without himself, there
would have been lio Irish Lalltl bill passed.
Ntr. Gladstono'a record has been clCnr. In
lsI9 llo wns Premier, having defeated Dis.
raeli. In 1870 !lo introduced Il land bill, and
lit n powerful detense Of 1t sai,l: "lIayfng
witnessed tho disorder md difficulty witlcl.
lllyo arlsun from this long procrastlnatton,
VIC shall resolve III mind nnd Heart, by a
1nanful effort, to close and senl up forever,
it 1t may be, this great question, which 50
intimately concerns tho Wulfaro md llappl-
Hess Ut tic people of Irelald." 1t WIS not
to be. 1t WIS opposed by this Irish Liberal
me,llt,ers themselves and loaled dawn with
hostile Tory amendments, wlslch matte 1t
practically imperative SD far rs tcnants
werec0nccrlel. Eylctions Increased, and tho
tenants were still in tho grasp Of thu ra-
pacio,ts landortls. Every ycar stnco TINT
tiM,u land bills hive been introduced aud
lcfeatod by the Tories, until Mr.. Gladstone
camo Into power agatn. n year OF rloru ago,
The Lard LeagAe Ind already commenced
its agitation. Mr.. Iarnell lad travelled oyar
tho lsIantl and tho United States seeking
moral sympathy at,d pccunlary assistance fur
lis scl,r1le Of a,neliorultot. But Ills schvuo
WIS not 80 llbural In Its concessions to the tc-
VIII As ltIc b!'t Wl14oa .fik' N'A"ht"s1o SHuso'
Quontly introduced. 1lo mover expGctuA to
nnfn 30 much as Gladstone gave him. Tha
".',, ,,',s .,,.,,. ,,,,,,nJ for .n ,,or.I ,I,,
1llssl pcopib 'lesof hoHe'' ~. ~ ''oo'a' wv,
The landlords meyer dreamed SO much would
| bu yielded.
hi. Gladstone In 1850, rs In 1870. witnessed
1.-THE tltsordaraI difficulty" ard rdnpprcciAlcd
md realtzad the grievances rs they woro set
forth by tllo l4arld League. Had 1t not beell
-, ra'ltoal ~ hi ,y",',.i not have ,aru 1rtro.
s,u.",,, h,t !, 10 "u"a,,, trna lin, i,oI T. ~
hao,, tar Wr nio,,st,,,n m iii, wo,,I, Inv,
Aeo'' AS' e'%+' Nt.'AssNtNs 49,, s '"~.' N.sF' .