Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-11-20
THE TORIES ASTOUNDED.
Sensation in Parliament Over
 MT. Madden's Bill.
ELADsTONEs STRONG SPEECH.

Debate, Which Will be Lively-Liberals
 Delighted-An Admission of the Rights of Irish Tenants.
 LONDON, Nov. 2O.-In the house of com mons MT. D. H. Madden; solicitor general for Ireland. brought forward bill adding 45,- poo, 900 to the amount applicable under the Ashbourne act In introducing the measure he said the government thought that the great success of the Ashbourne act justified their seeking to enlarge its operations
 Mr. Gladstone moved an amendment that in lieu of voting 95 900 it would be ex- pedient in view of the sutferings arising rom the evictions which had recently taken place to extend the land law so as to empower the courts to reduce or cancel such arrears or rent as might be found excessive. He stated that the amendment did not strike at the Ashbourne act. He did not desire to stop US operations He objected to the bill because he believed the government ought to nave asked instead for limited grant to enable It to continue the operations of the Ashoourne act until spring, when parliament couln re- consider the whole matter. Instead ot doing this the government had introduced a bill ln- volving parliament in fresh approval Of the land purchase policy.
 Mir Gladstone, continuing, said 1t was the manifest desire of the government to Wlth- draw the land question from parliament TOT several years. That could not be allowed He did not desire that the landlords should be removed in the body He wanted to see them resident and not absentees. Under the Ashbourne act e5, ,O00, GOO had been obtained apparently as q precedent for getting the other e5, 900 900, thus slowly drawing the house into a system of making the state an immediate landlord without proper guaran- tees He ob iected to the act as giving the landlords the initiative of purchase instead of the peasants.
 Did the government, he asked, refuse to deal with arrears because arrears woulI ln- sure the servitude of the tenant! Thls bill would enable landlords ts increase rents, while it would enable only handful of ten ants to acquire holdings. Doubtless the Irish tenants could be eulogized as scrupulous in paving fair rents, but if another collapse in agricultural prices occurred the farmers might be unable to pay even lnstallments' The government, he declared, was not justi- fled in relying upon good will to pay after the declaration of Lord Salisbury that a majority of the people Of Ireland were bent upon rifiing the pockets of the minority. If Irishmen did not respect the pockets of their countrymen, would they respect the English exchequer?
 Mr. Goschen denied that the government was pledged not to introduce measures ln- volving protracted controversy during the winter session MT. Gladstones statement that if the government had asked for just enough to keep the Ashbourne act in opera tion till next session the motion would have been agreed to was not correct. Inquiry had been made into the matter, and the response met with did not encourage the government to make the attempt. Dealing with the ques- tion of land purchase was not incompatible with dealing also with arrears. The govern ment would deal with arrears in due course. The suggestion of the ex-premier that the government practically conspirlng to allow the arrears to continue and to encour- age evictions was scarcel y worth answering.
 All of the parliamentary parties have is sued urgent whips summonlng their ad- herents to be present during the debate on the bill increasing the sum to be applied under the operation of the Ashbourne act which the Irish solicitor general introduced upon the very shortest of notice The measure has astounded the Tories and highly delighted the Liberals, since it can be con strued only into an admission that the in terests of ajority of the tenants in Ireland are paramount to the interests of the land lords. This point has all along been con- tended for by the Liberals, but no Tory official has ever before recognized its validity.
 MT. Gladstone was in fine voice and form, and made strong speech ln support Of hls amendment to the bill
 The Christian World, a journal of i'm mense circulation and influence, and hitherto stoutly advocating Unionist principles, has been converted to Home Rule.