New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-15
rpr CABLE TO THE TRmrNE.I J

copyrsrh; 1899 By The Netr- York Tribune
London, Feb 14.-Among the people who, as the
session of Parliament approaches, docking to
town are Irish landlords. have met a number this
week OF whom more than one are Home Rulers
although landlords They bring back but one re-
port. which may be summed up in the statement
that Mr. Balfour is winning They do not want
him TO win but they agree that at present he is
getting the best Of this long struggle. The South
Of Ireland may perhaps be excepted. Everywhere
else the League they say is losing its grip on the
PEOPLE The Plan Of Campaign has broken down
and will hardly be tried again on any important
estate Tenants have seen their rents reduced by
the Land Courts from 90 to 80 per cent There
has been good harvest and mild winter Cat
tie have fed outdoors, and the stock of hay has
been untouched until within the last few days
Prices Of stock and other produce have gone up,
and farmers have not only made money, but kept
it, as the Irish bank returns show. The country
is prosperous. Mr.. Balfour keeps order. Meet
ings of the League are less frequent and less fully
attended. League dues are heavy, and have been
borne impatiently and paid under dure5s. Now
the better class Of tenant farmers are throwing
of the yoke, refusing to pay and withdrawing
from the League They prefer TO pay their land
lords, and rents are in fact well paid
The result of all this, say my Home Rule land
owning friends, is to discourage political enort
The Ashbourne Act, steadily increasing purchases
of land under that act by tenants, dlscouragee II
still more. What was predicted when eAtehNloH
of that Act was proposed last session by the GOV
crnment and resisted by the GladstonlanS' mas
come to pass and is coming TO pass AS tenants
become owners they become conservative. Inc
land question was with the majority OF euah'S
the paramount quest on. That settled they care
D,,1o pppltV
ton.
The only man who still has or lately had, power
70 stir up the people is Mr.. OBrien. Him MIR.
Balfour has under lock and key, and seems hIely
20 retain him there for many months to come
For nv part" said one landlord TO me-a Home
Ruler, too" l hope Mr. Balfour Will keep Mt.
O'Brien where he is feed him on turtle and cham
pagne: let him dress if he likes in purple and
fine linen: but not let him out till he has served
all his sentences to the last day.
Mr. Parnell,7 continued he, is i'll, and more
silent than ever No leadership is now TO be eX-
pected from him for any aggressive movement
Mr.. Dillon is going to Australia. MIR. Sexton IS
Lord Msvor of Dublin, saving money and losing
health. One of the Harringtons is in prison. the
other lyeeps Quiet Mr. Tim Healy, who few
wears ago was pennies, is making fortune at
the bar Mr.. Davjtt viii not work with anybody
brt himself To whom are Irish tenants to look
a. +bev wanted n embark on another campaign!
which they do not
T. is of course because this evidence comes
from men who are Home Rulers that It IS Sgnin-
cant Something hike il has been heard before
never. think in such sweeping terms. Very like
" they are too sweeping, but tell the tale as 1t
was told TO me.
Mr. Cbamberlain's Glasgow speeches attract at
Il, ,pfh hn nCqyvc on
question as for what he says on other questions
He is as earnest as ever for those reforms which
made I'D the unauthorized programme scornfully
rejected by Mr. Gladstone when Mr. Gladstone was
leader of the undivided Liberal party. Home
Rulers talk of Mr. Chamberlain if he had be
come. or were likely to become, a tail TO the Tory
kite He is not that kind of a man. He sull ap-
reals to Liberals We differ says Mr.. Cham
berlaip. whom / do not quote, but summarize,
about Home Rule. We agree about many other
things, Why should we not act together on such
questions as temperance education, land reform,
disestabljshment? But this appeal falls upon
ears deafened by passion.
As for the Tories they look to Lord Harrington
10 moderate Mr.. Chamberiain's zeal, should 1t
become effervescent They are ready for certain
measure of land reform. They do not regard
discstabLshment as at present within the range
Of practical politics They think free education
too unpopular with ratepayers to become an
article Of faith with either party, while temper
ance agitation must inevitably end in some such
compromise as Mr.. Richie proposed last year,
minus compensation 10 publicans. Lord Randolph
Churchill, over, has so famiarized them with
forward movements that there are few questions
on which they are not prepared TO be converted
by circumstances. Meanwhile they regard Mr..
4 -, iup ~ "
tent the attention Of Radicals from Home Rule.
What is known as the Dorothy divorce case has
produced no little excitement in the theatrical
world, and some interest in other worlds also.
Everybody knows Miss Marie Tempest as Doro-
tbv Bantam. If not as Mrs lizard. Mr.. Henry
Leslie, too is well known the manager OF the
Lyric Theatre where Miss Tempest sings or ulI
lately did sing The only unknown person III
the suit was the unhappy husband, now consoled
with a verdict Of $4,000 against Mr.. Leslie who
is amply able to pay it. Compromise without
trial which was expected, failed, | believe on
the question Of the amount. The jury, invited
by Mr. Justice Butt 70 give sufficient damages,
have given a sum almost without precedent, but
the Judge promptly ordered it TO be paid within
a fortnight There is no reflection Mr.. lard
except unusual credulity in leaving his young and
nrettv wife on the stage TO look after herself
No excuse is offered for Mr. Leslie, who is forty,
and has wife and children. No doubt is felt
that the sins Of Miss Marie Tempest VIII soon be
condoned by the public, or forgotten In the iasc-
nations of Dorothy Bantam G W. D