The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-11-23
MR.. PARNELL SPEAKS.
How the Land Purchase Bill Might
be Made Effective

LONDON, Nov 22.-Debate on the land
purchase bill was resumed in the Commons
tonight by Mr.. Parnell He declared en-
phatically that he approved the bill, but he-
lieved 1t so designed that, under present cir
cumstances, it would be impossible to put it
into effective operation. He always held
that the creation of a peasant proprietary
was the only means of solving the land ques-
tion. His own bill simply asked that church
tenants be allowed to acquire land by paying
the church commission annually for forty
nine years, rent equal TO per cent on the
capitalized value of the holding. That
would have created no risk to the Imperial
excheQuer. The Conservatives opposed that
proposal, but the time would come when
they would find it needful to go further. The
lrlsh party were always ready and eager to
assist In the settlement of the land question.
IL was calumny to say that any one of the
members had tried to make political capital
out OF the question or opposed the bill be-
cause it would make the government of Ire
land easier. [Cheers On the contrary.
their opposition to the bill was due to the
knowledge 1t would cause loss to the ex-
chequer without effecting its Ostensible OBJ
lect; The government had not taken up the
land question with view to helping the
tenants, but at the solicitation of the landlords
who, seeing they could not any longer MAIN
tain their position. wanted to dispose of the
property at inflated prices. Hearl Hearli
The bill old not contain provisions enabling
the State when supplying money, to decide
what tenancies it would be desirable to pur-
chase In the public interest. The govern
ment left the landlord to decide. Congested
and rsckrented estates would not be touched
under the bill. The only way to make the
landlords of congested estates agree to accept
the value of their property was to empower
the commission to purchase them at such
prices as would really represent the land
lords's interests.
Arrears ought be considered along with
rent reduction otherwise land purchase ar
rangements were futile. He would not like
TO predict that tenants might repudiate bar
gains made under the measure, on the ground
that advantage had been taken Of.their neces-
stiles, but the bill would not assist that large
permanent settlement that was desirable.
ANY bargain with the farmers ought to have
a basis that would put Reputation
out OF the question. Hear, hear]
Ii the government meant to attempt a large
scheme OF land purchase, 1t was essential to
establish in Ireland representative author
ity to act as a buffer between the tenants
and the State. The tenants would have their
o6 and may be 101 members Of Parliament.
lParnellite cheers. Governments would be
as much dependent as now upon the Irish
vote. lhls was not merely an agrarian cues
tion. 1t was knit up with national aspira-
tlons. LII the government meant we'll to the
tenants by the bill, he implored then to in
Sert suitable provisions dealing with arrears.
the tenants greatest difficulty. That done,
he could cordially approve the measure and
the legislature would reap its reward In the
conclliation of the people. [Cheersl
90 Ihe OIL passed its second reading 299 to