New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-07-21

commission made up solely for political con-
venience. The Land Commission is thoroughly
able and efficient, yet is constituted so as to
disarm suspicion in Ireland and nrendice in the
House of Lords.
AT the head of the Commission stands Ser
geant O'lIagan, one of the best known MEM
bers of the Irish bar. and SON law of the
Lord Chancellor. As he has been sincere
Nationalist and patriotic verse writer he can
scarcely fail to win the confidence of the peas
antry, while his experience and ability as a
lawyer will encourage the and-Owning class to
expect that the judicial functions with which
he is to be invested will be intelligentlv and
impartially performed. The second member
OF the Commission, Mr. Litton, has been q
magistrate in two countless and is now a MEM
Der of Parliament for County Tyrone, voting
with progressive Liberals like Mr. Charles Rus
sell rather than the factious Parnellites. Assoc
Grated with the lawyer and the magistrate is
Mr. Vernon n man OF business capacity. who has
demonstrated his fitness for the Office bv man
aging his own property and the estates of two
peers near Dublin exceptionally well. and by
beng one Of the most intelligent witnesses who
nave appeared before the Parliamentary Inves-
tlgatng Committees. If he represents in u
special sense the landlord class the tenants
have no cause for complaint, as their interests
are amply protected not only by the provisions
of the Land bill, but by the presence of two
Commissioners whose sympathics have been
enlisted III their behalf. The business member
as he is termed, has been hearty advocate of
sweeping reforms in the land system whenever
he has Occn called upon to give the Govern
ment the benefit of his experience. At the
same time he understands the peculiar embar-
raSS -
class ale laborng. They viii have "A voice in
Commission which is to intervene between
their tenants and themselves. Altogether the
selections have been exceedingly indicious
The acute harrister. the experienced MAGISTRATE
and the land agent of generous impulses and
enlightened judgment may fairly be expected
to enforce the principle of an equitable assess
ment of rents, which is the main principle of
the Land bill.
The chances Of this great remedial act in the
Upper House viii be improved by the tact and
moderation displayed 10y the Government at
every stage of the controversy and especially
IN the choice of Commissioners mich has
been done to disarm those prcudiccs against
which SO sagaciOus II body of landholdcrs as
the british peers have in the long run proved
themselves to be, ought to he constantly ON
their guard II scarcely seems possible That the
Lords Will venture to throw out a measure
which Is almost the sole outcome of IA most har-
asSing and laborous session. They will discuss
1t extensively, for the Lords are apt to blame
themselves upon their special knowledge of
every question connected with land -holding
Discussion viii not harm it, but cantious
amendments will. The Land act of 1870 has
been regarded as one of Mr. GladStonc's fail
ures But the Lords are largely responsible for
that nntoward result. They brought their
special knowledge as resident landlords into
play, and succeeded in putting the mechanism
OF the original measure out of gear Mr. Glad
stone ought not to he called upon to have the
responsibility for their prcudiccs and prcuos-
sessions thrust upon him again