Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-04-17
THE IRISH LAND BILL.
MR.. GLADSTONE EXPLAINS HIS
SCHEME TO THE HOUSE.
Absence of Excitement-LandI
and Tenants-Proposed
Payments.
ESPECIAL BY TELEGRAPH TO THE nEcoRD-uMos.

ESPECIAL BY TELEGRAPH TO THE aEcoRp-uNros.
LONDON, April 18th Gladstone pro-
pounded his Irish land bill to the House
OF Commons this evening. There was
hardly any excitement attending the event
compared with the enthusiasm which at.
tended the memorable proceedings of yes
terday week, when the home rule measure
was proposed. At noon to-day but ninety
seats on the floor of the House had been
hated, and these were nearly all taken
by the Irish members. At o'clock
the House was crowded to its utmost ca.
pacity. Gladstone rose in his place at 5:25
p. M, and was greeted with cheers. When
he began to speak his voice was low and
husky. He said the aim Of the present
endeayors Of the Government was directed
towards securing contentment among the
people of Ireland. and permanent restora-
lion of social order. The speakers pro-
posals would greatly benefit the tenants OF
ireland, but the landlords were the prin-
cipal object of the measure, although he
thought that many of these landlords were
most hostile to the Governments policy at
the outset. The speaker wished to make
AN EMPHATIC DENIAL
That II was his intention to ask the Scotch
and English to run any pecuniary risk on
account of the landlords of Ireland. The
history of Ireland was one long indictment
against its landowners. Agrarian crime
had originated and increased under the
absenteeism of landlords and the raising
ante h1sr I
away from Ireland, increased. Oppression
welded to misery, had hideous
progeny. Crime had been endowed with
vitality to perpetuate itself, and hand down
Its miserable inheritance from generation
to generation. England was not clear of
responsibility, for the deeds of the Irish
landlords were English deeds. With the
power in our hands, we have looked on
and done nothing" After the union ab-
itself was obtained against the sense and
wish of every class by wholesale bribery
and unblushing intimidation.
THE LAND ACT
Was intended to go into effect on the same
day on which the home rule bill would be-
come operative. 1t could not 20 on with
out the operation of the other, which would
provide Legislature in Ireland to appoint
statutory authority to deal with the landed
estates and act between the vender and
purchaser. Purchases would be made
through the issue of f1S0,000.000 of three
per cent. stock, issued at par. These new
Irish consols might, with the consent of
the Treasury be commuted for stock of
lower denomination. If the stock could
be issued forthwith, scrip of equal
value would be Issued for the
same purpose. The Act was
to give the landlords the option to sell out
under its terms. It's actions were confined
to agricultural holdings, and did not in
clUde mansions which have demesne and
woods. State authorities, acting between
the peasant and landowner, would pur-
chase the land from the latter. and put the
peasant in possession as absolute proprie-
tor, subject to an annual rent charge until
the total payments equalled the purchase
money. The State would not force small
occupierssto become proprietors. In dis
trlcts where the population was congested,
the State would have power to decide
whether the appropriation of too crowde d
land should be compulsory Nobody ex-
cept the immediate landlords would have
the option to sell their incumbr4 noes, and
then he must sell by forfeiture and not at
an option for himself Applications to sell
would have to be made by all tenants on
the estate, and all these applications and
sales would be registered. Applicants
would be required to give security for costs
in certain cases.
THE LAND COMMISSION
Would be empowered to refuse applica-
tons. The basis of prices would depend
upon the rental for fixed prices The Judi
cial rental of 1915 would be the standard in
ali cases wherein the rent of the land to be
sold was then fixed. In all other cases the
Land Commission would have the power
to arrive at price by comparing
other judicial rentals with Griffitts'
valuation. The Land Commission would
also be allowed to examine the state of the
books concerning the estates for ten years
back. Twenty years rental would be the
nominal purchase. In exceptional cases
twenty-five years rental would make the
purchase. Applications for sale would not
be received after March l, 1890. Ten mill
ions of pounds of stock would be issued
during 1887, 920, 100000 in 1883, $50. .000,-
600 in 1889 and f20,0000o0 in each of the
two succeeding years. When the proposals
were first placed before the speakers col
leagues, he proposed to raise f150.oOo,oo0
Immediately
ORIGINAL PROPOSITION RECoNsIDERED.
Chamb erlain and Trevelyan objected to
this as a wholesale issue which would
deprecate values. The speaker, therefore,
thanked both gentlemen for having given
him occasion to reconsider the original
proposition. He enow thought it was an error
to ask forthwith for anything like the out
side estimate. and believed that by appoint
ing receiver for the general rents, armed
with sufficient authority to collect them,
but without coming into contact
with the new proprietary, the repay
ment OF the purchase money would
be amply secured The charge upon
the Irish exchequer would be f2OO0,0OC
per annum, to meet which it would be able
10 ,eyy for rents amounting to 50 100000
per annum, and this sum would be the first
charge on the rents and taxes raised by the
Irish Government Adding to this the i'm.
perial contribution, and the sum paid tc
England by Ireland would not be applied
TO any purpose until 9600000 was
paid into the English exchequer. The
present contribution of the Irish taxpayers
to England was e6, ,9So, 900, of which Eng
land paid back in the Irish civil service
and in the service of collection, "a SAC. 600
The residue, which seemed to represent ar
imperial contribution for the army, navy
national debt and imperial civil charges
was f2,0S5, 600. What did England dc
with il {? As an instance, she sent an army o
10000 men to Ireland, and kept them ther,
at an annual cost of f3, 600 000-f915. .O0t
more than the balance mentioned. Tha
was a specimen of the economy of th,
system the speaker wanted to root up
Mr.. Gladstone commended the scheme t,
the strict, jealous. careful, unbiased exami
nation of Engiishmen. He was convinced
that it would be recognized as fitting par
of the great suspicious effort to sustain III
plans of the British Legislature for th,
welfare of what had long been, and th
speaker hoped would ever be, under cir
cumstances far happier than heretofore, al
integral part of her Maiestys dominion
Mr. Gladstone spoke for an hour an.
thirty-five minutes, and concluded ami,
great applause.
Mr. Gladstone's proposals do not impl,
new issue of s1S0,000,000 in three pc
cents, but of only f50,000.000 from fh
fISO,0O0 000in new three's already author
lied.