Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1886-04-29
IRELAND FOR THE IRISH.
The Main Features of Mr.. Gladstone's
Land bill.


Following is summary of Mr.. Glad
stones speech in the House of Commons,
explanatory of his land bill:
The land act was intended to 60 into effect ON
the same day on which the home-rulo bill would
become operative. 1t could not go on without
the operation OF the other, which would provide
q legislature in Ireland to appoint statutory
authority to deal with the landed estate,
and act between vender and purchaser. The
purchases would be made through the issue
OF e19), 100000 Of three per cent stock issued
at par. These new Irish consols might, with
the consent of the Treasury, be committed
for stock OF lower denomination. II tho
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 oon-
fined to agricultural holdings, and did not in
clude mansions having demesne and woods.
The state authorities, acting between the peas
ant and landowner, would purchase the land
from the latter and put the peasant in posses
sion as absolute proprietor, subject TO an annual
rent charge, until tho total payments equaled
the purchase money The state would not force
the small occupiers 10 become proprietors. In
districts where the population was congested
the state would have the power to decide
whether appropriation OF the too crowded land
should be compulsory. Nobody except the inn
mediate landlords would have the option to sell
to the incumbrancer and then he must sell by
foreclosure and not at an option for himself.
Applications to sell would have to be made by
all the tenants on an estate, and all these appli
cations 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 applications.
The basis Of prices would depend upon the
rental for a fixed period. The Judicial rental OF
1845 would be the standard in all 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
the other judicial rentals with Griftiths valua-
ton. The land commission would also be al
lowed TO examine the state OF books concerning
estates for ten years back.
Twenty years rental would be nominal pur-
chase in exceptional cases twenty-one years
rental would mako n purchase. Applications
for sale would not be received after March !,
1890. Ten millions of pounds OF the stock would
be issued during 1887, f20,0OO,OOO in 1888, and
$40 900 900 in 1882
When the proposals wore first placed before
the speakers colleagues, he proposed to raise
130,0O0,OO0 immediately. Mr.. Chamberlain
and Mr.. Trevelyan both objected to this as
Wholesale issue which would depreciate values.
The speaker therefore thanked both gentlemen
for having given him occasion to reconsider
that original proposition. He now thought it
was an error to ask forthwith for anything
like the outside estimate, and believed that by
appointing receiver for tho general rents,
armed with sufficient authority TO collect them,
but without coming into contact with the new
proprietary, the repayment of the purchase
money would be amply secured. The charge
upon the Irish exchequer would be f2,000 900
per annum, to meet which IL would be able to
levy for rents amounting to f2,5OOoO0 per
annum, and this sum would be the first charge
on the rents and taxes raised by the Irish
Government Adding TO this the imperial con-
triDution, the sum paid to England by Ireland
would be R6,2i2 900 per annum, secured ON n
revenue amounting e. e10SJ0,0O0 no portion of
which would be applied to any purpose until
e6,OO0,0O was paid into the English exchequor.
The present contribution OF the Irish taxpay-
ers to England was SO, $50, ,000 OF which England
paid back in tho Irish civil service and i'm tho
service OF collections f4,si0,OOO The residue,
which seemed to represent an imperial oontri-
button for army, navy, national debt and inn
perial civil charges was f2Os5,OO0. What did
England do with Il? Asan instance, sho sent an
army OF 5000 men to Ireland aud kept them
there at an annual cost Of S3,0OOO0O, f9l5,0O0
more than the balance mentioned. That was
specimen Of the economy of the system the
speaker wanted to root up