The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-11-20
. Gladstone Takes a Determined
Stand Opposing It.
Le Irish Tenant Will Not Be Ben
Gifted, as It Would Seem.
he Appropriation for the Purchase
OF Land by the Tenants
q Kind Of Sham. by Which Land
Grabbers Could Do the Buying,
and Get 1t Cheap-Empress
Frederick at Windsor.

LONDON, Nov. l9.-In the House OF
lannon's this evening Mr.. Madden,
6licitor-General for Ireland, in the alb
oence Of Mr.. Balfour Chief Secretary for
ireland, who is i'll, brought in the bill to
1urthcr facilitate the purchase by tenants
OF land in Ireland by adding f5,O00OO0
4 10 the amount applicable under the Ash
bourne act. Mr.. Madden, in explaining
the proposed measure, described the Ash.
bourne act as great success. There had
been, he said, l4,33S signed agreements
for the purchase Of land, Of which s,632
had been completed. There were only
Two courses open to the government. One
4 was to abandon the scheme OF land pur-
chase and the other was to extend the act.
The fact that the act had been con-
spicuous success justified the Government
in seeking 20 enlarge its operations.
When Mr.. Madden had finished Mr..
Gladstone arose. He was received with
prolonged cheering from the opposition.
Mr. Gladstone moved the following
amendment to the Government proposal;
THAT in lieu Of voting e5, 900, 900 il Is ex-
pedient, In view OF the lalnentable suffer-
ings arising from recent evictions in Ire
land, TO extend the land law OF 1887 80 as
10 empower the courts TO reduce or cancel
arrears OF rent that are found 10 be excess.
I've" He complained that the Govern.
ment had broken its pledge 10 the House,
nitcr obtaining the whole command OF the
>time at the disposal OF the members under
Engagement that no controversial measures
should be introduced. Here was bill of
the first importance challenging discus
sion. IL was submitted with the threat
that II would be put forward daily until
II was settled. His protest was equally
against the mode Of presenting the bill and
the method in which its discussion was TO
be pressed. His amendment did not
strike ut the Ashbourne act, nor would il
successfully stop its operation. lie did not
desire 10 stop the operation Of the act,
whatever lie might consider its dangers
and he did not oppose the hill because il
proposed 10 keep the net alive, but he oh.
jecled 10 IL because OF the amount de-
mandcd. Inc Government ought 10 have
asked Parliament for limited grant,
which would suffice 10 enable them 10
continue the operations OF the oct until
the spiing, when Parliament could recon-
slider the whole matter. The opposition
would chcoiiully agree to such an adj
vance but the Government, instead OF
taking that course, produced a bill in.
volving Parliament in a fresh approval of
It's land purchase policy. tCncs OF Hear,
hear"
Mr. Gladstone continued, stating that Il
was the manifest design Of the Govern.
mont 20 withdraw the subject OF Irish land
from the view OF Parliament for several
years. Cheers That was not the course
which could bo allowed. The opposition
was not inscnsible 10 the value Of land
purchase. lie did not desire TO see the
landlords. or any other class removed in a
body. lie wanted 10 see them not less,
but good deal more Irish than they were,
1nd 10 see them Presidents instead OF alb
sentccs from Ireland. The principle Of the
previous land acts was totally different
nom the Ashbournc act under which
Eb,0O0,OoO were obtained, apparently n
prcccdent for another f5,OO0,OOO, thus
drnwing the House. by slow degrees, into
asystcm from which there was no escape
from putting the land into the hands Of
The State, making the State the immediate
landlord without proper guarantees How
different was the proposal from the
liberal side when Mr.. Trcvclyan laid
down the principle that the Government
should not ask the national taxpayers TO
advance purchase money, unless the tax.
payers In Ireland evinccd confidence In
> ~ tenants by Offering local guarantees
lie (Gladstone) had always objected 10
the AGhbourne act, ~ giving the inita-
tive OF purchase 10 the landlords, whom
no considered second, NJ the peasants
ought 20 have the initiative II an i'm.
pcrial guarantee was ever given for the
purchase Of land In Ireland, the security
must convey moral certainty 20 the Gov.
ofnmont. Cheers What reason had
the Government for refusing, with such
tenaciiy, 10 deal with the arrears? We're
they the means Of insuring the scryitude
OF The tcnanf ramcllite cheer. II
was certain that this bill would give the
landlords Leverage TO bring up rents,
while u would enable only a handful oi
tenants 10 acquire holdings Certainly II
would assist the Government IN their
land purchase scheme, but under what
inadequate and prccarious secufity2
Doubtless the Irish tenants could bc
~ scrrpulous Ia the payment Of fair rents,
but II another collapse OF agricultural
prices occurred, the farmers might bo un-
able 10 pay their installmcnts under the
bill. The Government was not justified
la relying upon the tenants will 10 pay
after the recent declaration Of Lord Sails
bury, that the majority o! 100000 In Ire.
land were bent upon putting down the
minority Of 100000 In order 90 get and
rifle their pockets. (Chccrs.) II Irish
men had no respect for the pockets Of
their oountrymcn, were they likely 90
respect the English cxchequcr2 Were
those who have been thus described
by the head Of the Government
the people 10 be trusted as debtors
Of the Slater daughter and chccrs) This
land purchase had no im,ncdiatc claims
90 the character OF the grrcan question.
The tenants themselves had urgently de.
mandcd n settlement OF arrears. a similar
necessity has been acknowledged IN the
case Of the cfoiiUm Of Scotland. Much
grcaicr had been the need OF ireland
where ihp arrears were running without
limit, and led 10 paralysis Of the farmers
engagements aud an uncoasing How Of
cycclions Elections upon arrears pro
vented the tenant from obtaining the
bencl, Of judicial rent [''lloaf, hear. +"
Tho arrears wep thus weal on against
the tenants, defeating aud annulling the
land Law which has been passed for their