The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-03-28
BALFoUR,s LAND BILL.
Lord Churchill Urges That q New
Measure be Substituted.

LONDON, March 21.-The debate on Mr.
Balfour's bill to expedite business in the
Irish land courts by appointing assessors
to assist the Judges was resumed in the
House of Commons tonight Lord Churchill
urged the government TO substitute for MIR.
! Balfour's bill a larger measure, bringing
| the machinery of land litigation in Ireland
under one body, to be actuated by one pol
/ icy and managed by one staff, which should
| deal beth with the purchase and valuation
/ OF lands and the subject of rents. The
| present machinery was complicated and
| expensive and was characterized by insanity
| and unreason. [CTies of Hear, hear. ]
| There We're three separate tribunals in Ire
/ land for the administration OF the land
| laws, and in some respects they were an
! tagonistic 10 each other. There was the
| old Landed Estates Court, the Land Com
mission Of 1881 and the Purchase Commits
| sion of 1885.
THE JOINT RESULT.
The joint result Of the labor of the COM
mssioners had been reduction Of rents in
Ireland by 100000 yearly, while the
total cost OF the Commissioners had been
not less than g5O0,000. The commissioners
had unwittingly neutralized each other, for
the more work the Purchase Commission did
the less work the Land Commission had 10
do. Why not review the whole system
deal quickly with the settlement of the
| claims Of tie tenants the land troubles
would increase greatly.
T. w. Russell said Lord Churchill's
speech would produce a bad effect in
Ireland. The block in the land courts
was immense, and the tenants kept
inn ortuning the members to bring the
question before the House.
Mr.. Balfour's new bill would compel the
tenants to 20 before a sort of committee Of
selection The tenants would consider the
prosals as a desperate effort Of the govern
ment to hinder the work OF the commission
ers, who had been fixing rents at fair
| figure, and unless the measure was with
drawn Parliament would hear about it
loudly and strongly. [Parnellite cheers
BALFoUR's CLAIMS
Mr.. Balfour cOntended that the bill would
enable the land courts to deal more rapidly
with pending arrears, and would give
greater elasticity to the work of the courts
The proposals were designed to meet the
views Of the opposition. If they did not
meet with approval he would Withdraw
them. But he thought the best course
| would be to allow the bill to be read the
first time. Mr.. Gladstone approved the in
| PRODUCTION of the bill without pledgng his
ultimate approval to the measure. The bill
was then read the first time, and the House
| adjourned until April 5.
LIBERALS IN CONFERENCE.
At a meeting of the Liberal members of
Parliament to-day, Mr.. Gladstone pre-
siding, it was decided to support the lead
| ing principles of the local government bill,
and to try to obtain an amendment making
the county councils entirely elective.
Mr.. Parnen will not visit Ireland during
| the Easter recess, but will go to South
England for his health.
Messrs. Dillon and Healy, addressing
| league meetings in Dublin this evening.
said that Mr. Balfour's land court bill would
raise the fiercest opposition unless modified
! in cOnsonance with the wishes of the
| tenants.
The Stock Exchange received the budget
| favorably. The consensus of opinion is the
| proposals to levy a tax of a shilling per
cent. on non-registered securities and &
pence stamp on contract notes will not dis
| turb business The shilling levy falls chiefly
on the railroads and the contract stamp tax
will tend to diminish the number of bucket
shops.
The Treasury will issue an announcement
that holders of new 3 per cents dissenting
| from the terms of the Consols conversion
scheme will be paid off on April 5.
EDWARD DwYER GRAY DEAD.
DUBLIN. March 27-Edward Dwyer
Gray, distinguished member of the Irish
Parliamentary party, dled In TINS city to-
| night of heart disease. Mr.. Gray was Lord
Mayor of Dublin in 1880 and was chairman
of the Dublin Mansion House Committee,
which in that year collected elS0,000
| for the relief of distress in
Ireland At the time of his death he repre-
sented ST. Stephens Green division of
! Dublin in Parliament. He represented Tip
perary for several years, and afterward sat
| for Carlow county. He was proprietor of
the Freemon's Journal and the Belfast
Morning NelCs. Mr.. Gray was born in
| Dublin in lS45.