The Portland daily press., 1888-11-20
A MEASURE FOR THE LANDLORDS ONLY.
Mr.. Gladstone on the Governments
Land Purchase Scheme.
An Attempt to Hide a Phase OF the
irish Question.
settlement Of Arrears Of Rent the
True Solution.

purchase by tenants of land In Ireland by
adding 100000 to the amount applicable
under the Ashbourne act. Mr.. Madden de-
scribed the Ashbourne act as q great success.
There had been Il, ,33S signed agreements for
the purchase Of land, of which s.6S2 had been
completed. There were only two courses
open to the government To abandon the
scheme OF land purchase, or extend the act.
The fact that the act had been conspicuous
success justified the government in seeking
to enlarge its operations.
When Mr.. Madden had finished, Mr. Glad
stone arose. He was received with prolong-
ed cheering from the opposition. Mr. Glad
stone moved the following amendment to
the government proposal:
That, in lieu of voting e5 COO, ,OoO it is expedi
ent In view OF the lamentable sufferings arising
from the recent evctions in Ireland, to extend
the land law of 1887, so as to empower the courts
10 reduce or cancel arrears OF rents found to be
excessives"
Mr.. Gladstone complained that the govern
ment had broken its pledge to the House.
After obtaining the whole command of the
time at the disposal of the members, under
an engagement that no controversial meas
ures should be introduced, here was bill of
the first Importance challenging discussion.
lt was submitted with the threat that 1t
would be put forward daily until settled.
Ills protest was equally against the mode Of
presenting the bill and the method in which
Its discussion was to be pressed. His amend
ment did not strike at the Ashbourne act,
nor would it necessarily stop its operation.
be did not desire to stop the operation of
the act, whatever he might consider its dan
ger. He did not oppose the bill because it
proposed pr 70 keep the act alive, but he object
ed to 1t because of the amount demanded.
Ihe government ought to have asked Parlia-
ment Tor limited grant which would suffice
10 enable them to continue the operation of
the act until spring when Parliament could
reconsider the whole matter. The opposi-
vance, but the government, instead of tax
ing that course, produced a bill involving
farliament In fresh approval of its land
purchase policy. [Cries Of Heart Hearll
Mr.. Gladstone continued, stating that 1t
was the manifest design of the Government
to withdraw the subject Of Irish land from
the view OF Parliament for several years.
lCheersI That was not a course which
could be allowed. The opposition was not
lnsensible to the value Of land purchase. He
did not desire TO see landlords or any other
class removed In body. He wanted TO see
them not less, but great deal more Irish
than they were, and TO see them residents
instead OF absentees. The principle of the
previous land acts was totally different from
the Asnbourne act, under which 25, ,000, 900
another five millions, thus drawing the House
oy slow degrees into a system from which
there was no escape from putting land into
the hands OF the state, making the state the
immediate landlord without proper guaran-
tee. How different was the proposal from
the Liberal side. When Mr.. Trevelyan laid
down the principle that the Government
should not ask national taxpayers TO adj
vance purchase money unless the taxpayers
10 Ireland eyinced confidence in the tenants
U tWer mi
stone) always objected to the Ashbourne act
as giving the Initiative Of purchase to the
landlords while he considered the peasants
ought to have the initiative. If an imperial
guarantee was ever given for the purchase of
iana IN Ireland, the security must convey a
moral certainty to the Government Cheers. !
what reason had the government for re-
fuslng with such tenaeity to deal with ar
rears? Were they means of insuring the
seryltude OF the tenant? IParnellite cheers. /
II was certain that this bill would give the
landlord leverage to bring up rents, while
IL would enable only handful Of tenants to
acquire holdings. Certainly IL would assist
the government in their land-purchase
scheme, but under what inadequate and pre-
Doubtless the Irish tenants could be praised
as scrupulous in the payment Of fair rents,
but II another collapse of agricultural prices
reeurred, the farmers might be unable to paw
their instalments under the bill. The gov
tenants will to pay after the recent declara-
ton OF Lord Salisbury that a majority of
100000 in Ireland were bent upon putting
down minority of 100000 to get at and
rife their pockets. lCheers.l II the Irish
men nnsna mad no respect for the pockets Of their
English exchequer? Were those who have
been thus prescribed by the head of the gov
ernment people to be trusted as debtors of
the State. Laughter and cheers.
Inn rAN.n A-I
claim to the character of the arrears in ques-
ton. The tenants themselves had urgently
demanded the settlement of arrears and n
similar necessity had been acknowledged in
the case OF the cr0fters Of Scotland. Much
greater was the need of Ireland when
arrears were running without limit and led
to The paralysis Of the farmers engagements
and the unceasing flow Of evicti0ns. Eyic-
lions upon arrears prevented the tenant from
obtaining the benefit Of judicial rents. Hear
neaI.I Arrears were thus weapon against
the tenants, defeating and annulling the land
law which had been passed for their benefit
Hearl Hear They made the landlords mas
ters OF the land act and masters of the con-
ditions for the sale Of land and the fortunes
OF the tenants. IL the government had the
tenants welfare earnestly at heart il, in
stead OF supporting the landlords, they
meant to relieve the distressed tenants, they
would deal with arrears instead Of pressing
q dangerous measure which provided ma
chinery for preventing the reduction Of rent
and which afforded facility for augmenting
rents and multiplying evictions with all
their horrible incidents. He asked the
House to intervene and prevent recurrence
OF mischief too certain to ensue, perhaps in
greatly augmented scale under the govern
ments policy. Let them do justice to Ire
land in the matter of arrears. [Cheers.l
Mr.. Goschen. chancellor Of the excheQuer
denied that the government were pledged
not to Introduce controversial measures dur
Ing the winter session. Mr.. Gladstone's
just sufficient to keep the act in operation
until next session, 1t would have been
granted, was incorrect Steps were taken to
ascertain whether such a proposal would be
acceptable and the response did not en-
courage the attempt. Hear, hear.l The
immediate extension of the Ashbourne act
was necessity and was desired by the
tenants. He hoped the House and country
would perceive that they were dealing with
land purchase which was not incompatible
wa.n 1eang WIN ~ arrears Inc
time. Hear! Hear The suggestion that
they were practically assisting the landlords
in conspiracy to allow arrears to continue
and to encourage evictions was so absurd it
was scarcely worth answering.
Mr.. O'Brien maintained that the bill
would make the rich tenants richer, but
leave the poor cotters in the West In as bad
a position as ever. 1t was merely plan to
SnoVel EngllSh gold into the pockets OF
Irish landlords. Mr.. Campbell Bonneman,
Liberal, severely censured the manner in
which the government were thrusting the
bill upon the House. Before proposing ex-
tension, there ought to have been select
committee to inquire into the working of
the Ashbourne act.
In Troubled Ireland.
DUBLIN, Nov. 19-Invincibles Mullett and
MacCaffrey left today under a strong escort
for London where they will give evidence
before the Parnell Commission. When the
train reached Down Patrick station, Nc
Caffrey shouted; "God save Ireland. We
want the people to know we are coereed aud
go unwillingly."
Fully 10000 persons assembled at Riar-
cross, County Tippera,y, yesterday, and at
tempted to hold a meeting. The gathering
had been proclaimed by the government, and
before proceedings were far advanced a
strong force of police arrived, charged upon
and dispersed the crowd. During the affray
many persons were injured.
The victorIas.
LONDON, Nov. 19.-The.royal yacht, bear
ing the Empress Dowager Victoria Of Ger
many and her daughters, and the Prince of
Wales, reached Port Victoria this morning.
Queen Victoria and the Princesses Louise
and Beatrice left Windsor this mornino and