The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-09-12
Growing Importance Of the Land Question in
All Parts of England's DOminions-The
Policy of the Home Rulers in Wales.
The Balkan Situation Still Presents
Many Elements of Disquietude.
An Impression that Germany and Austria Are
Seeking Compromise Ground, and that Bis
marck Is Again the Arbiter of Europe.
THE LAND QUESTION.
"A Coming Test OF the English Coalition -
The War Against Tithes in Wales.

A Coming Test of the English Coalition
The War Against Tithes in Wales,
Special to the Indianapolis Journal
LONDON, Sept. lit is now admitted by
members Of all political parties that Mr.. Par
nels land bill will put severe strain on the
compact of the coalitonists, and may possibly
end in the return of q number of dissidents to
the Liberal fold The land question at the pres
ent moment is one of the most important and
popular questions that could be brought to the
front by politician who wished to secure the
support ard good will of the masses. Never
was the question Of land reform more widely
aeitated than it is at present in England, Scot
land, Wales, Ireland and India. Never was
such pressure brought to bear upon the mem
bers of Parliament by their constituents to in
duce them to urge the government to adopt
some means of relief before the prorogation.
This winter is expected to further in
crease the depression in agricultural prod
ucts and to be a hard one for the
farmers and agricultural laborers; hence the
that Mr.. Parnells bill will pass the House of
Lords with but few minor amendments 1t is
known that number of Liberal Unionists and
several Tories favor the bil but it is question
whether or not they will obey their party whip
and vote against it. Mr.. Gladstone will be in
the House of Commons on Tuesday. when the
bill comes up for second reading, and
will make q strong speech in support of
the measure The Scotch homerulers
continue to gain in numbers. and the movement
has been taken up with surprising fervor. About
fifty members of Parliament who are most act
lively agitating the question declare they will not
be satisfied with anything less than separate
legislature on the lines of the Irish Parliament
proposed in Mr.. Gladstones bill. They want to
Withdraw the whole of the Scotch affairs from the
puryiew of the imperial Parliament and only have
some sort of representation at Westminster on
imperial questions. Meetings are to be held
north of the Tweed in order to test public feel
ing upon the subject.
The Welsh home-rule members have taken the
same line, but have organized themselves as a
separate party. They propose to use pressure
in order to bring about disestablishment, land
reform, and the endowment Of schools for inter
mediate education. The alarming disturbance
in the vale of Clwyd, created by the attempt of
Rev. Evan Evans to collect his tithes, continues
is considered one of great magnitude.
The spirit of resentment against charges on
land is spreading all over Great Britain. In
other respects men are anxious and willing as
ever to meet their liabilities, but the man who
rents is beginning to feel sort of proscriptive
right to reduction of rent the moment things
GO wrong. The resistance to tlthes is only the
outcome of this feeling. In Wales this 1.-THE is
obnoxious charge. 1t goes to the
direct support Of persons who are entirely ont of
sympathy with the populace who pay the
tithes Many Of these reverend gentlemen
are extremely and deservedly unpopu-
lar. The less said about many Welsh
clergymen the better. Of course, there are
many very excellent clergymen in the princi-
pality, but there are also very large number
of men who are no credit to the church, and
who, both by their lives and their behavior ex-
cite the aversion and indignation OF the Welsh |
people The direct and compulsory payment of
a tax in support of these persons is exceed |
ingly irritating to Welshmen. It is use
less to say that the tithe is legal
charge on the land, and must he
regarded as portion of the rent The people
for whom they have respect, and to a church |
the doctrines and machinery of which they
strongly object to. The Welshnan is beginning |
to feel an objection to the payment of rent to an
English landlord but his objection to the pay
ment OF tithes which amount to one-tenth of his |
substance is immeasurably stronger. The ex-
ample of the Irish National League has led
Welshmen to play the same game, and the
has spread like lightning all over
Wales, and antTithe associations have been
formed in nearly oil the cities, towns and vii
lagos in Wales; round Robins have been sent to
many rectors announcing the intention of the
farmers to pay no more tithes; resolutions have
been adopted demanding that their members of
Parliament bring the question to the front and
compel the government to give the subject i'm
mediate consideration. Meanwhile, farmers are
having their stock forcibly taken and sold to pay
the impost, and notices of distraint have been
served on many others, but still the whole fra
ternity adhere to their determination to refuse
payment.