The Northwestern standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1885-1886, 1886-03-06

sbSt6 tltisCe IN 4 y
\. nlarkabIe measure, Ghs Land bil 2
1881. Thosesof as who can look bacl
lthirty-fye or forty years ago to tn
/ condition Of the peasantry OF Irelal1'
have realization of the them existing
need OF changer land tenures which
none batan eye witness can unaersta iid
/ The majority OF the holders in Irelan an
| were at the mere will Of the landlord
| BY 8 system of lclass legislation IN tai
| yor OF landlords the process of civic
| 5ion had been made inexpensive ane
! summary. "A tenant made Improve
laents His rent was raised by grasp
| ing landlords Eviction followed upoI
their refusal to pay, and his improve
ments were conf iscafad Such We're the
rnischiafs which the land bill OF l87(
had been intended to remedy. Ter
years experience had Shown that tina!
measure was insufficient. Its first part
had established a scale OF eOmpensa-
ton for improvements to be paid TO the
| tenant before he could be evicted. The
second and third parts went further
Landlords were authorized to agree
with tenants for q sale OF the estate.
and upon application to the land court
the estate of the landlord became vest
ed in the tenant from incumbrance.
The board of public works was author
lied to advance to tenants, Tor tie p.lr-
chase of their holdings, an amount not
exceeding tWo-thIrds OF the price. The
provisions, however, failed by reason OF
the cost attendant upon an appli-
cation to the court, and the construe-
tion placed upon them by the judges.
BY the land bill of 1881 it was attempted
to secure to tenants a fair rent, a hxlIy
of tenure, and the right OF free sale or
assignment. Such were the measure,
which the agitation, conducted upon
the lines laid down by the Land league,
secured. Lalor's plan OF a moral IN
surrection has stood the test OF trial,
ana the name by which it has come to
be familiar has passed into the language
of tvs worlds. Boycotting has proven
a surer weapon than baJonets. The
English-speaking world is today watch
ing iatently the course of events in
Great Britain. The recent elections
have been so shrewdly managed by Mr..
parnell and his coad tutors that the de-
sire Of either party for power can only
be gratiied by q combination with him.
How long will it be before he and his
Irish people viii be paid the considers
ton of any contract he may make as
the condition of his support can not be
prophesied with certainty. But we
may surely reckon that within the next
three years we shall have solution Of
the Irish question. which, while it may
leave ireland something still to strive
for, will be worth all it has cost. There
is but one way for Englishmen TO defeat
the logic Of events, and that way is
revolutionary. 1t is to eypel the Irish
party from parliament; to deprive the
electors whom they represent of all
voice iii the councils of the empire; to
say TO Parnellite members, although
you speak as the accredited representa- Y
tiy;uasss of the votes Of ff -w1fon, undiew the|
we are bound to hear, we
will not listen to you T need hardly
say that this action is to be feared from
neither OF the great English parties,l
unless one of them be willing. to- sacri-I
dce its identy by combination with the
other. Yet the situation is full Of diff
Three years ago Mr.. Glad
stone challenged the Irish members toll
draw line at demarcation between To-
cal and imperial affairs. Ibelieye that |
to have been honestly made, |
and that Mr.. Gladstone fully realized the
aumber and complexities Of the comsI
promises involved in any scheme OIL
nome government for Ireland. / bell
ieye, too, that no man is so fitted toll
those complexities as he;i
hat to his wise patriotism and broad
Ireland owes much of |
What she has already gained, and that
20 him she will owe much of whatever
Measure of concession may be secured |
% her in the future. Through him. if |
lis life be spared, and through Mr. Par
1ell, not less than through him, Wilt
hat end be attained which has beensi
10 earnestly, so faithfully, and SO un-i
,elfshly labored for by the Irish insl
America.