New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-01-12
r1Nn pEEnplf RY TK1SE.

LAND REFORM BY UKfSE
The Irish people cannot complain OF any lack
of attention from the Englsh-spcaklng world
Two sessions Of Parliament have been almost
exclusively devoted to the consideration OF their
agricultural grievances and every phase OF
their agrarian agitation has been watched with
eager interest from this side OF the sea- let
the total number of land holdings in the island
is only 100000 and when the wives and chill
dren of the occupicrs and the families OF the
laborcrs are added, the aggregate population
affected by the land system falls short OF
5, 900. 600. On the other hand, there Is ID
Russia an agricultural population OF l9,OOO,VOO
which has been directly affected within the last
nine months by DEGREES that are Tar more com
prehensive than tho provisions OF Mr. Glad-
stones Land Act; yet the mlsiOrtuneS OF thls
great horde of peasants pass almost nnnouc"u'
and the reforms wrought in their interest re-
ceive the most niggardly meation in cable dis
patches. Yesterday, for example, 1t was an
pounced in a paragraph Of four lines that the
Gar lad signed a ukaSe in accordance with
which a reduction of $9,G00,00O would be
made in payments by peasants on account OF
the lands received by them at the time OF Their
emancipation. This is the third of series OF
measures decrecd by the present Car tor the
relief of 100000 enfranchised serfs and
their families. The first directed landlords
who have not settled with their former serfs
TO furnish them with land before the end OF the
year; and the second anticipated the direct re-
ductions of the final ukaSe by lowering the In
terest on the purchase funds guaranteed to the
landowners The peasants will thus be enabled
to get more land, and. what is equivalent to
sweeping reduction of rents, will be relieved
from the financial burdens imposed by the law
of emancipation twenty years ago.
One of the results of the stupendous aSrarlan
revolution dccreed by autocracy at that time
has been the pauperizatOn of great masses
of enfanchised serfs. 1t was supposed that
enough land had been allotted to enable all who
were emancipatcd to support themselves and to
pay those regular dues to the State 10y which the
purchase or redemption money advanced 10 the
landowners would be eventually refunded. In
a majority of cases the allotment was sufficient,
but the complaint has been general that the
multiplication of peasant prOprletors has been
greater pecuniary advantage to the landed
proprictOrs than to the enfranchlscd serfs, who
have not unfrequcntly found themselves paying
TO the Government more than they could earn
from tillage. The result might have been
different if those who had gained their liberty
had been temperate and industrious but as
matters have been going, tht number OF aDsO-
lutte paupers has steadily Increased. and the
Government, being unable to make collections,
has been forced to face discomfort in every
quarter-a discomfort which would have been
more dangerous if the agricultural classes were
not scattered over such broad areas. The truth
has been that the agrarian system, like the com
munal institutions, has worked badly. The
peasants lacked thrift and industry as well as
political instincts. If they had been merely
disappointed in the economic results of the
agrarian changes, the result would not have
been surprising-for every inchoatc nation has
to pass through such chilling periods of olsen
chantment; but in many sections of Russia
decentralization has been caused by utter i'm
pOverishmcnt
The new Gar entered upon his reign by fat
tering the pride and appealing TO the loyalty OF
the peasantry. He allowed the soldiers to raise
boards like Cldtime Russians; he restored
some Of the peculiar costumes of the pcaSantry
by ordering new uniform for the police; and
he accorded social precedence to populations Of
this class on State occasions. He subsequently
interested himself in the grievances of the
agricultural classes so frequently rehearsed by
the Zemstvos He could not rob the land
owners, and he could scarcely be expected to
lend the peasants any more money. What he
could DO was TO complete the transfer Of land
from owners to OccupierS, and to scale down
the interest charges and annual instruments to
the lowest level In ukase signed last May
he made January 1, 1888, the dividing date
between the present period of voluntary agree
ments and future in which p.0prietors will be
forced to complete the transfer of land allotted
TO the peasants in 1861. BY "A second decree
all accumulated arrears Of payment were re-
mittcd, and the percentages on the peasants
Indebtedness 10 the Government were materially
reduced; and this has now been followed by
a third measure in which additional burdens are
lifted from the shoulders Of the same class.
These uka,es are not TO be hastily styled land
reform acts, although their object is to amcliO
rate the condition of four times rs many peas
ants a. will he affected by Mr.. Gladstoncs
remedial measure. 1t is reassuring, how
ever, to find the dcspotc Government initiating
the policy of the English Ministry III its efforts
TO avoid political dangers by removing agrarian
and economic evils.
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THE DEMOCRATIC ISSUE FOR 1851.
languid debate is in progress in the col
INNS of Democratic ucWspaDCrS over the 0ucs-