Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1888-11-21
ON THE LAND QUESTION
HOW 1T Is BEING DISCUSSED IN
THE ENGLISH PARLIAMENT.
Points Regarding the Irish Land Ques-
tion-How Shall the Tenant Farmer of
Ireland Find Relief "A Serious Subject.

/ xEelduu hoHet IN ECI1OuS SuUJcCt
LONDON, November 19-In Commons
this evening" Madden, Solicitor General o
Ireland, in the absence of Balfour, who is
i'll, brought in bill to further facilitate the
purchase by tenants of land in Ireland by
adding f5 ,000, 900 to the amount applica
BILE under the Ashbourne act. Desired Ash
bourne act great success. There have been
14,83S signed agreements for the purchase
offand, OF which 6, ,e32 we're completed. Only
two courses open to the government. One
was to abandou the scheme OF land pur.
chase, and The other was to extend the act.
The fact that the act has been a conspicu-
Gus success justified the government in
:sking to enlarge its operations.
" aen Madden had finished, Gladstone
moved the following amendment to
"THE GOVERNMENT PROPOSAL.
THAT, in lieu OF voting 100000 it is
expedient, in view OF the lamentable suffer
ipgs arising from the recent evictions, to
extend the land law of 1887, SO as to em-
power the courts to reduce or cancel ar.
rears OF rents found to be excessive"
He complained that the government had
broken its pledge to the House, after OBJ
tanning the whole command OF the time at
the disposal OF members under the
engagement that no controversial
measures should be introduced. Here
was a bill OF the frs: Importance,
challenging discussion. 1t was submitted
with a threat that it I've put forward
daily until settled. His protest was equally
against the mode of presenting the bill, and
the method in which the discussion was to
be pressed. His amendment did not strike
at the Ashbyurne act nor would it neces-
sarily stop it's operation. He objected to
1T because of the amount demanded. 1t
was the manifest design of the government
to withdraw the subject OF Irish land from
the view of Parliament for several years.
TCheers.1 That was not the course which
could be allowed. The opposition was not
insensibIe to the
VALUE OF THE LAND PURCHASE.
He did not desire to see landlords or any
other class removed in body. He wanted
to see them not less, bat a great deal more
Irish than they were, and to see them resi-
dents instead of absentees from Ireland.
The principle OF the previous land acts
was totally different from the Asht ourne
act, under which five million pounds were
obtained, apparently, as precedent for Il
further five millions, thus drawing the
house by slow degrees into Z system from
which there was no escape from putting
land into the hands of the state, making
the state the immediate landlord without
the proper guarantees.
He (Gladstone) had always objected to
the Ashbourne act as giving the initiative
of purchase to landlords, whom he consid-
cred second, as peasants ought to have the
initiative. 1t was certain this bill would
give landlords leverage to bring up rents
which wonld enable only 81 handful OF ten
ants to acquire holdings. Certainly it
would assist the government in their land
pu chase scheme, but under what made
uuf.te and precariOus security for
REPAYMENT FOR ADVANCES.
TIE government was rot justified in re-
living upon a tenont's will to pay after the
resent declaration OF Lord Salisbury that
:: q s.iority Of three million in Ireland were
bent upon putting down t.,e minority Of
two million in order to get at and rifle
their pockets. II the government had the
tenants welfare earnestly at heart; If in
stead of supporting Iahtllords, they meant
to relieve distressed tenants. they would
deal with arrears instead OF pressing
a dangerous measure Hbich provided ma
chinery for preventing the reduction OF rent
and which afforded facilities for augment
ing rents and multiplying evictions with all
their horrible Incidents.
Goschen, chancellor OF the exchequer, de.
MED that the government was pledged
not to introduce controversial meas
ures during the winter session. Gladstone =
statement that, if the government had
asked just sufficient to keep the act Ill
operation until next session, it would have
been granted, was incorrect. The imme-
diate extension of the Ashbourne act was
a necessity. 1t was desired by tenants.
The government was prepared to deal with
arrears in due course of time.