Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-01-09
THE GREAT ARCTIC WAVE.
Western Energy ParalyZGd by Intense Cold
ANOTHER NEW IRISH SCHEME.
American Securities Depressed Abroad.
THE FIGHT FOB CONTROL AT COLUMBUS
Destructive Fire at 0berlin College.
A NEW IRISH SCHEME.
II NEw 1HSISfH
How q Well.KnOwn Economist Pro
poses to Settle the Problem.

poses to Settle the Problem.
Special Cable Dispatch to THE EVENING STAR.
LONDON, Jan. Gan important letter, signed
Economist" appears in to-day's Sdtist. con-
taing suggestions which In the writer's opinion
would enable home rule to be granted TO Ire
land without exposing the property of land
lords to plumber, and without imposing any
serious burden on the imperial executive. The
author of this letter is not acknowledged here,
but am able to state ii is by Robert Grifien,
LII. D., well known in the important position
OF statistician to the board OF trade. The
scheme is a very striking one and extremely
plausible on paper. 1 have already heard one
of the radical leaders speak enthusiastically in
its support. The plan is for the imperial gov
ernment to buy out every landlord in ireland,
giving him consols at par equal in nominal
amount to twenty years purchase of the present
judicial rents; second, to give the land
free to the present occupisrs, sub
ject only to q rent charge of one
halt or two-thirds of the present judicial rent,
payable to the new local authorities in Ireland
and third, to relieve the imperial exchequer of
all payments now made out of it in CONNECTION
with the local government of Ireland. The
plan is, in tact, to throw the cost of local gov
eminent In Ireland upon Irish resources exclu-
sively and give the Irish people the rent OF the
country for the purpose OF conducting it. The
conflict between the landlords aud the people
would thus come to an end, and there would no
longer be fear that ii England gives Ireland
nome rule the property OF the landlords would
he conflscated. Taking the rent of Ireland as
settled judicially as about fS,OuN,OOU, the con-
soils at par TO De given in exchange at twenty
years purchase would be f16O.UOO,OOo, involv-
ing an annual charge OF f4,SUU.OOO upon the
imperial eXchequer. At present the govern
ment spends annually upon Ireland Tor the
local government close upon Ga, COG, 600, eX-
elusive altogether of the outlay for the army
oil occupation for the collection of revenue
and other imperial matters, which would still
remain imperial. The position as regards the
Irish tenants would be that where they now
pay tS,UOO.OO0 they would have TO pay only
from tour TO five and a hall million. The emer-
gency is one, the writer thinks, tor which the
present Irish difficulty is due to the fact that
events have been fatal to the judicial rents
fixed q few years ago. The subsequent tail OF
prices has upset the whole theory Of judicial
rents Under the new scheme il would toe pos
slbie and necessary to let the new local au-
thorities in Ireland have control OF the police,
which would have - be their own rent charge.
The collectors On the imperial government
would retain q small police force OF their own
to enforce the collection OF the imperial taxes
required Tor imperial purposes. The imperial
transit and other matters would remain inn
perial as long as there is no separation. The
Irish representation at W estminster Dug Int to be
reduced to something like the proportion of its
contribution TO the imperial revenues. That is,
to something less than per cent-about 30 out
Of go members.
| My reason for treating this brilliant idea Mt
such length Is, that it will become a cen ter OF
much highly important discussion.