Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-09-21
LANDLORDISM'S SLAVES.
PARNELL PRESSES THE SECOND
READING OF HIS BILL.

LONDON, sept. ZO,-Mr. Parnoll, In
moving the second reading OF mis- land
bill in the House of Commons to-
day, said that the recent elections con-
veyed mandate to the House of Com
mons that it should show itself willing
and able to provide for the wants of Ire
land equally, as if it were an Irish Par
lament Cheers. 1t was useless to
talk about the lateness of the session.
The House was only six weeks old. A
majority OF the new members were young
and fresh and not overworked, and they
did not require holiday. A state of ur-
gency existed with reference
to the relations between land
lords and tenants in Ireland. Mr..
Parnell here explained the provisions of
his bill. The first clause, he said, was
the most important, because it dealt with
the most urgent subject. II enacted that
any statutory tenant whose rent was
fixed prior TO the last day of the year 1884
might apply for abatement in accordance
with the provisions of the bill. The bill
was to be temporary measure, with the
exception OF the second clause. 1t was
intended to provide for what be hoped
would be only temporary emergency.
THE DEPRsEsION's CONTINUANCE.
1t was intended TO meet the depression
in prices. but he could not tell now wheth-
er the depression was likely TO continue.
The depression commenced In 1885 and
mad continued unabated ever since.
''There are no signs of recovery" SAID
Mr.. Parnell. "Indeed the signs for the
future are growing worse, but l only ask
the House to take action with regard to
&c faIl liz, ha- -,
will be In the next session OF Parliament.
Until the House is able TO take action on
the report OF the Royal Commission we
will abstain entirely from prejudging the
government proposals. But we do know
that since the bulk Of judicial rents have
been fixed there mas been great depression
in prices.
''The potato blight has spread to an
alarming extent. Therefore it DehOoves
the House to apply temporary remedy
now and not wait for the Royal Commits
sion to report or for the government to
take action thereon, which will be impos-
sible before November, 1887, supposlng the
House adjourned until the middle OF Feb
ruary. A similar delay occurred in the
consideration of the land act of 1881 and
the arrears act OF 1882. Therefore unless
the House accedes to my proposal tenants
and landlords will remain in stata quo
Ior year. lCheers'
OVERCOMING OBSTACLES.
"Our opponents will probably urge that
it will be exceedingly difficult for land
court to ascertain whether the tenants
are really unable to pay their rents, but
there was a similar difficulty to over
come In connection with the arrears OF
October, 1881. The court satisfied itself
within five months of the inability OF 200.-
900 tenants to pay their rents. lCheers.
Similar quickness and expedition will
follow my bill. and the work will proba-
bly, be finished In three months. | pro-
pose further that the tenant shall deposit
half the amount of his rent. leaving the
court to determine how much of the re-
maing half the tenant shall paw, and how
much the landlord shall lose. Under
the arrears act, the tenant deposited
only One-third OF his rent, the landlord
losing one-third, and the State advancing
the remaining one-tnird. The only
practical difference l make Is that the
State shall not be loser:
sUsPENDING EVICTIONs.
sin regard to the suspension of evic-
tIons, my bill again closely follows the
lines OF the arrears act, which act worked
Justly and satisfactorily for all parties.
The costs OF evlctions frequently exceed
the amount of rent due. Therefore il is
necessary TO suspend evictiOns TO save
the tenants additional costs. [Cheers.l !
AS regards the leaseholders' clause, il
will probably be objected to on the ground
that 1t ought not to have place in tenn
p0rarY bill. But leaseholders have been
waiting long enOugh-tOo long, in fact
and | would not be party to the horrible
Injustice of their perpetual exclusion
from the benefits of the act Of 1882"
rCheers.
THE FALL IN PRICES.
Mr.. Parnell quoted at length from sta
tistics TO prove that the fall in the prices
of produce was not exaggerated. The
estimated fall since 1885 averaged % per
cent. and as the average rent reductions
amounted to 19 per cent. tenants were 3
per cent. to the lead. Without taking
into account the increased cost Of labor,
owing to the Immigration of able-bOdied
men, the land act OF 1881 did not benetit
tenant farmers. The Land Commission.
ers themselves virtually admit that the
rents fixed prior to 1885 were too high
because the rents fixed for the first six
months OF 1886 were greatly reduced as
compared with rents fixed earlier, aver
aging 18 per cent. less. lCheers. He
admitted that the eviotions at the end Of
1885 and the beginning OF 1885 were fewer
than those that occurred Immediately
after the passing OF the land act.
CAUsEo OF THE DECREASE.
The decrease in the number OF evlctions
he attributed to the fact that at the end OF
1885 Earl Carnarvon, who was then Vice.
roy, appealed to the landlords to refrain
from evicting tenants at the beginning OF
1886, and the fact that Mr.. Morley, Chief
Secretary for Ireland, had always dis
couraged evIctiOns, but both these factors
had ceased 10 exist, and the number OF
evictions had again become alarming.
sThe present Viceroy," said Mr.. Parnell,
sis a noble Lord Of whom little is known
except what Is bad. Cheers.] The pres
ent Chief Secretary, Sir Michael Hicks
Beach, says he is going to leave the ten
ants to their tate, az in no case must the
loss be borne by the landlords."
The speaker disputed the accuracy OF
Sir Michael Hicks Beach's eviction
figures, and said the quarter ending the
present month would show q higher
average OF eyictions than any quarter
since 1851. If the government, he said,
armed with this bill, should stay evic.
tions in Kerry, 1t would do more to re.
store peace than all the Gen. Buffers
put together. lCheers.l He claimed that
the bill was essentially moderate, and
calculated TO pull matters smoothly
through the winter.
PLEADING FOR SECOND READING.
Mr.. Parnell concluded by earnestly en-
treating the House to allow second read
ing OF the bill, which, he said, would ben