Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-04-17
FOREIGN NEWS.
LAND BILL.
Gladstone PrOpOuuds His Irish Land Bill
to the House of Commons.


House was crowded to its utmost CAPACITY.
Gladstone rose in his place at 5.25 O'clock
and was greeted with cheers, He said the
aim OF the present endeavors of the govern.
ment was directed towards securing content.
ment among the people of Ireland and a per
manent restoration of the social order. The
speakers proposals would greatly benefit the
tenants OF Ireland, but landlords were the
principal object of the measure, although he
thought these landlords were the most hostile
to the governments policy. At the outset
the speaker wished to make a most emphatic
denial thar it was his intention to ask the
Scotch and English to run any pecuniarv
risk on account of the landlords of Ireland
The history of Ireland was one long indict-
ment against its land owners The agrarian
crime had originated and increased under the
absenteeism Of landlords and the raising of
rents as their expenses while away from Ire
iand, increased. Oppression, married 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 the responsibility.
for the deeds of the Irish landlords were Eng
lish deeds. with the power in our hands
we have looked on and done nothing" After
tlonal sentiment ceased to have beneficial
influence on the relations between landlord
and tenant. The union itself was obtained
against the sense and wish OF every class by
wholesale bribery and unblushing intimida-
ton. The land act was intended to go inte
effect the same day on which the home rule
Dill became operative. Ii could not go on
without the operation of the other, which
would provide a Legislature in Ireland to ap-
point statuary authority to deal with the land
I'd estates ana act between the vender and
purchaser. The purchases would be made
through the issue of l80,0O0,0OO pounds of
three per cent. stock issued at par. These
new Irish cOns0ls might, with consent OF the
treasury, be commuted for stock of lower
denomination. If the stock could not be
issued forthwith scrip of equal value would
be Issued for the same purpose. Tie act was
to give the landlords the option to sell out
under its terms. Its enactments were con
fined to agricultural holidays and did not in
clude mansions having demesnes of woods.
The State authorities. acting between peas
ant and land owner, would purchase land
from the latter and put the peasant in pos
session as absolute proprietor, subject to an
annual rent charge until the total payments
equalled the purchase money The State
would not force the small Occupiers to be-
come proprietors. In districts where the
population was congested the State would
have power to decide whether the expropria-
tion of too crowded land should be compul-
sorry. Nobody except immediate landlords
would have the option to sell to incumber-
ance, and then he must sell by foreclosure
and not as an option for himself. Applica-
tions to sell would have to be made by all
tenants on the estate, and all these applica-
tions and sales be registered. Applicants
would be required to give security for costs
in certain cases. The land commissioner
would be empowered to refuse applications.
The basis OF prices would depend on the rem
tai for fixed period. The Judicial rental of
lS45 would be the standard in all cases
wherein the rent of land to be sold was
fixed. In all other cases the land
commissioner would have power to
arrive at a price by comparing other judicial
rentals with Gritfith's 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 a normal purchase. In exceptional
cases 20 years rent would make purchase
Applications for sale would not be received
after March 81, 1890. fl0,00O.O0O of stock
will be issued during 1887, f20,00O,000 in
1888, f20, 100000 in 1889 and ego, 100000 in
each of the two succeeding years. When the
proposals were first placed before the speak
er's colleagues lie proposed to raise fl30,-
100000 Immediately. Chamberlain and
Trevelyan both objected to this as a whole
sale issue which would depreciate values
The speaker therefore thanked both gentle
men for having given him occasion to recon
slider the original proposition. He now
thought that it was an error to ask forthwith
for anything like outside estimates, and be-
lieved that by appointing receiver for the
general rents, armed with sufficient author
| ity to collect them the repayment of the pur-
chase money would be amply secured. The
charge upon the Irish exchequer would be f20,-
600, 900 per annum, to meet which it would
be able to levy for rents amounting to two
and half millions year and this sum would
be first charge on the rents and taxes raised
by the Irish government Add to this the
imperial contribution the sum paid England
by Ireland would be f6,242 900 per annum
secured on revenue amounting to fl0, $780,
900, no portion of which will be applied to
any purpos4 until f6, ,OOO, 200 was paid into
the English exchequer, The present contr-
button of Irish tax payers to England was
E6, $50 600, of which England paid back in
Irish civil service and in the service of col
lection, "a $40, 200. The residue which
seemed to represent an imperial contribution
for the army, navy, national debt and i'm
perial civil charges was f2.085,00 What
did England do with it? As an instance, she
sent an army of 26 900 men to Ireland and
kept them there at an annual cost of f3,000,-
600, f9l5, 900 more than the balance men,
toned. That was a specimen OF the economy
of the system the speaker wanted to recup-
crate. MIR. Gladstone commended the scheme
to the strict, jealous, careful. unbiased ex-
animation of Englishmen. He was convinced
it would be recognized as a fitting part of
the great auspcious effort to sustain the
plans of the British legislature for the vel
fare of what had long been and what the
speaker hoped would ever be under the cir
cumstances far happier than heretofore an
integral part of Her Majesty's dominion.
Gladstone spoke for one hour and thirtv-
five minutes and sat down amid great ap-
plause.
Gladstone's proposals do not imply the
new issue of ESQ, 900, 900 in three cents but
of only ESQ, 100000 from the fls0,0o0,00o
in new :hree's already authorized.
Following Glads.oro, Chamberlain read a
letter which he sea- t, Gladstone rendering
his resignation as d hember of the cabinet
| In the letter Chamberlain stated that Glad
stones policy would throw a heavy burden
on Great Britain, entailing an enormous ad-
| dition to the national debt and probably the
immediate increase of taxation, not to secure
the union of the kingdom but to purchase
separation. Chamberlain then went on to
say that the land proposals, although they
had been modified since he left the cabinet
would still impose a great burden ON Grea