The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-03-22
PARNELL'S BILL BEATEN.
THE HOUSE REFUSES TO ORDER
ITS SECOND READING.

bly, Opposed to Solving the Rent
Question by General Bankruptcy of
the Tenants-Mr. Williams Offers an
Amendment Which Suits the Gov
eminent.
LONDON. March 21-In the House of
Commons to-day Mr.. Parnell moved second
reading of his arrears of rent bill He said
that he and his followers still had invincble
objection to solving the rent question by
general bankruptcy of the tenants. The
House refused to order the bill to a second
reading by vote of 32S TO 243.
In moving second reading Mr.. Parnell
said that if no legislation had taken place
he should have preferred to deal with Irish
arrears in the same way that arrears had
been treated in Scotland under the crofters
act. But it was desirable not to depart
from the foundation laid bv the land act Of
1887, namely, that the courts in which pro-
ceedlngs are taken because of non-payment
of rent shall be empowered, within The limit
of $50 valuation to postpone execution of
the decree, and shall also have authority to
spread the debt over such period as they
may think proper, the amount TO be paid in
installmentS
STEP FURTHER.
He asked the House TO go a step further
and empower the court TO reduce the
amount of the debt and costs in the cases Of
rents as it thought proper, and to extend
the limit of value to tlU0, in order to relieve
the great body of the leasers. He proposed
70 extend the act of 1887 tC civil cases for
the recovery of rent. Although he
limited the bill to debts for
rent he was willing 10 extend its provisions
so as to embrace al cases covered by sec
ton 80 of the act of 1857. lie proposed to
extend the time for redemption TO three
months after the passage of the present
measure, provided tie SIX months allowed
by the act of 1857 had expired Power
would also be given 10 reduce the rent and
costs where a decree had been recovered
prior to the passage of the act.
AT THE END OF THE RESPITE.
The Irish people were now at the end of
the respite which the act of 1887 afforded
by providing that notices of eviction shall
precede actual ejectneut for n term of six
months The effect of that provision was
such ia fact that whereas in the three
months ended with September, there were
4.l9j evictio $; in the three months ended
with December there were oaly $50. But
in the latter three months 1852 notices of
evictions had been served. What would
happen when these and probably 5000
other notices were carried into effect!
SEA OF DISASTER.
Ireland would be plunged into sea of
disaster and trouble, the end of which no
one could toresee. The question was a
pressing one, needing an immediate solu-
tion. [Cheers.l
Hitherto, continued Mr.. Parnell, the gov.
ernments great mistake in dealing with the
land question was that they were invariably
too late. [Cheers.l
Mr.. Williams amendment asked that rent
and other debts be dealt with IN the same
footing. Rent. said Mr.. Parnell had been
already placed upon a different footing
from other debts Since the Devon Com
mission Parliam mt had been trying to fet-
ter the action of the landlords but it had
not felt that it was necessary to fetter the
action of other creditors. In no case, how
ever had tenants lost their interest in their
holdings, or the shelter of their roof through
shop keepers.
sHOPKEEPERS THEIR FRIENDS.
When distress occurred among the class
against which Mr.. Williams asked the
House to take penal proceedings, the shop
Keepers were the only persons who assisted
the beople by giving them credit. [Cheers.
If he House plunged the country
into bankruptcy. it would de-
stroy the credit of these poor
people. Was the House, the speaker asked,
going to fly in the face of every recon-
mendation given tn an by every representa-
tive of a populous constituency! If so, upon
their heads be the responsibility. l"Hear,
Hear
NO OBJECTION TO AMENDMENTS.
Mr.. Parnell promised to consider any
B"endments offered that were consistent
with e principle OF the bill. and declared
ha% no
10 two years. If the bill was rejected it
would be the best proof of the impossbility
of legislating for Ireland from West
minister. 1t was said that the
1risA question was land question. If it
was so III. did not the House take it in
hand earnestly and deal with it, The truth
was that they were unable to settle it be
cause they ew nothing about it. They
went TO Birmingham for guidance
instead of to Cork and Tyrone. If the bill
did not endanger the union why were they
afraid of it. He said he could promise that
a settlement OF the land question on most
just and generous principles would dimin-
ish the demand Tor the restoration of an
Irish Parliament. This statement was
greeted with cheers
WILLIAMS MOTION.
Joseph Powell Williams, member for
South Birmingham Liberal Unionistl,
moved his amendment to Mr. Parnell's
motion for second reading Of the arrears of
rent bill. The amendment declares
that no bill will be satisfactory
until it deals also with other
than debts for rent. He argued that
If one creditor was to be compelled to come
into court all creditors should be compelled
to do the same thing He said that it
would be useless to protect tenant from a
landlord If the tenant were to be subjected
TO oppression from other creditors
IL the landlord was disabled from recover
ing rent because rent was excessive, was
it a fact that storekeepers and money lend
eTs had taken no extortionate prohti The
only way to completely rescue the tenants
from debt and put them on solid footing
was to erase all debts
THE MOTION SECONDED
Viscomt Burlington Liberal Unionist)
seconded Mr.. Williams motion.
T. w. Russell, member for south Tyrone
liberal UnlonisD, said that, actuated by
strong sense of duty, he intended to vote
against the government and again { his own
party. lie declared that the rejection of
the blu would result in the repeal of the
union.
Mr.. Chamberlain declared that the OBJ
ject Of the bill was To illustrate the de-
STABILITY of home rule rather than to secdre
material advantage to the people The g
was no reason to suppose that any large
proportion OF the 5000 notices mentiontd
by MrGParnell would result in eViCtiOnS