New-York tribune., 1886-08-11

,conyr;oht: 1886, North Asnsricdn CabIs Hrwca
DUBLIN, Aug. 1O.-T. 7. Gill. NJ. T., has haa the
fo,,yinp interview with the Archbishop OF DuDlM:
Mr. Giu-Your Grace has objection to nv asking
Won few questions as to the view you take Vi 'no
nrssent state of affairs in Ireland
rbs Arcahishop-Ccrainly not SO Tar as your
re.ons seem fair and proper shall answer them with
c,.ssurs The outlook, think is in one way AZ gloomy
"a gloomy can be- AS for Home Rule, IL must co'ne'
Ar Cladstones bill, with the conflict that has arisen
ant O, IT, has e il impossible for the Ehghsh hpe
,,v .o eo back and take that it Is the Liberal ana
not the Tory party that has the future OF Ergsh oS
IN it, hands II would of course. by no means surprise
ma /, Home Rule came from the Tories, hut come IL
will and that very When speak OF gloomy
outlook am thinking rather of another ques''on-'o
land auestion-and the trouble that fear mas Ill s'"o
Tor ne What fools our lrish landlords have proved
themselves to he.
A. cm-yonr Grace then thinks that the democratic
On, in Irelani will be strong cnouG to break
tbc oil notions about and the obligation oil paying
it MI .
The Archhishop-You misunderstood mo. Tho rent
question in Ireland has but little to do with quesnohS oil
democracy or aristocracy. or with any other meiey
no,jtics question Lot me te.you of an incident tha'
hears on this Not long ago English gentleman VINO
had coms 10 ireland study the land question ala me
the favor of calling upon me. His great uihca'y was
about rent and the payment or non-paymeh' oi It, ~
may saen little amusing TO you but the view ne tooN
Nls
opes,o between Catholics and Protcstants ana III tus
s,ose religious question. for, as he nut 1t to me- ths
bulk Of the tenants being Catholics ana s'ahch
Catholics, and the bulk OF the Landlords oe'nP
Proesants and stanch Protestans, he took that the
dfculty about the payment OF rent In Ireland was ah
unwingncss the part OF onr Irish farmers 10 e' 50
much Catholic money go into Protestant pockets
Mr.. Gll-Bit this Englishman mt ST nave kho"n 'oiS
little OF the real state OF tho country I
The Archbishop -Man'ostly no knew pracuchy
nothing about it. lie told me that his strongest SYM
pathes were with that he WAS anxious to help on the
I,ish cause that already he had lone some rooh "ork
for us in England but that lie now found had become
u.e,e for him. or for any one like him. TO put Ma views
op Irish affairs before his fellow whether In
public or in private unless the man who put theih
forward was able to speak from personal knowledge vi
Ireland; and he had come over TO sec thipss tof
himself.
Mr.. Gl-Attcr ALL THIS is not an uureasou"oo vac" io
EnSshmeu to take
The Archbisnop-No, on the contrary IT'S a most
reasonable view: that is to say, 1t would DC most
reasonable view II they took it all round but they don't
What happens is that any Enelishman who taxes the
Irish popular side any IRISH question is at once pulled
mn with the remark What do you know about Ireland
How long nave you lived there T. and so forth; but
when Mr. Chamberlain gives out his specuatohs or NJ
Coscen Mr.. Cane such question Is ralSeu OF even
thought o.. If. indeed, the settlement OF the Hish
difficulty was realty left to the Judgment OF those who
snd ,ecopciatlor between the two nations would be
bright one indeed But 20 return 10 the point Your
very natural observation turned me aside TOT INC
moment from what WAS about to say TO yon. NV Eng
Nsh visitor came Ireland full OF the idea tha the
Irish land question In tie sense that Ihave e1
plaued religious question. You seem to look upon IL
"a more or less political Well as told oar sym
rarhetc friend from the other side OF tie Channel 1t Is
neither one the other. 1t Is lain commercial
1uesi o. uohias and nothing lees II Is strusE
between the landlords cass who insist upon obtain
Ing exravagaDy exorbitan tents for the land and the
tenants class who are unwilling and, nueed uhaoie
20 pay more than the land is really worth
Mr. Gill-Your Grace then thinks that II due allowance
were made legislation for the difference between the
commercial circumstances of the two countries there
would De more difficulty about toe question III ire
land than there Is in England
The Ar hbishop-No more difficulty in Ireland than in
England Are you not aware that the difficulty as II
now exists England far moro serious than ANY that
exists In ireland 7 Or perhaps may put u more
accurately thus-that the difficulty in England would be
greater and would fact be insperable and appainG
If English Landlords unwilling as so many OF the
Irish landlords have shown themselves TO be to deal
eouably with their tenants and to make tho'e rcuuc
tjons In their demands OF rent which tie present con-
dons OF the sgI cuural interest render imperative
When I say imperative mean, of course. imperative
in tie that they absolutely necessary II aer
culture is not to end III bankruptcy. In England as
Won know there are and hundreds OF farms FOR
which tenant can be found, farms whch lanuICfus
would willingly hand over 20 any solvent tenant Tor
even a nominal rent, and in many instances for no
Yent at all merely to get rid Of the Obligation OF paving
local rates.
Mr.. Gnl-Yoar ENGLISH visitor eecms to have over
looked this :
The Archbishop-sranse to say, when PUT to him
IN this light he made very candid observ alton that
IL was his He then told me that he Is hiTscf
an English landlord aud tnat he has farms on his hands
which lie nds il impossible to get tenants to take from
him on any terms at all
Mr.. Gill-would it then that the law of supply
ana demand has done the English tenant farmers all
that the Land Acts OF 1871 and 1850 have done for the
ten ant farm mers OF Ireland
The Archbishop-Done a much for them Tdat is
putting It very mildly indeed In England for the mos
part the law of supply and demand has brought down
tie rent of land something like its actual value in
Ireland the land legislation, OF our good friend Mr.
Gladstone, has pro, Intellectual TO do this Two or
tree DAYS ago | happened TO fall in with return OF
reductions made by the Irish Land Courts since the
passage Land Act of Ssl and they were something
" this In the year s5l'S2 the percentage OF re-
ducton was TO- per cent; In 1888 was Is In 1884
was 1877. You of course aware that withoh Ian
acs or land courts the rents in England have been
reduced during the same period On mach more extcn
sive scale. 1t is the blind obstnscy of our Irish land
lo:ds class that is keeping our unhappy country Ia
chronic state of confusion
MI. Gil-H your Grace's view be sound, rs confess
1t TO be- ho@ arc we to account for the TACT
that these English landlords who own estates also In
Ireland made here Ireland in favor Of their
Irish tenants. quite irrespective of tho decisions OF
the irish land courts such reductions their experience
English landlords must have taught them 10 be only
just
The Archbshop-I am glad you have put 1t to me In
that way should visa indeed that some enterprising
journalist would undertake the task Of collecting
Information the Ion touched upon by your question
II this done flood OF light would be thrown upon
the present condition Of the Irish land question The
ar sacra fumes will no doubt account for good deal
Of what Is Inconsistent the action Of these land
TO when You refer. They know of course that
fhey canncc succeed in extortIng impossible rents in