The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-03-26
BALF0UR'S LAND ACT.
DIVERGENT VIEWS OF THE PRESS
OF GREAT BRITAIN.

The London Times Points Out that
the Stock VIII be Better than Con-
suls-The Pail Mall Gazette Declares
the Measures Professions Dishonest.
Parnell Left the House During the
Speech.
LONDON, March 25.-The Ulster tories
approve the land purchase bill, regarding
the securities as sound. Sir Charles Lewis,
member of parliament for Antrim, is
greatly pleased with the measure.
ONE OF ITS EFFECTS.
The Times, commenting on the land pur-
chase bill, says: ''It will not do to commit
ourselves, without having seen and studied
the bill, to decisive Judgment. Doubtless
there are some provisions which are open to
comment but upon the whole the bill seems
to promise the creation in the process of
time Of peasant proprietary on very
large scale, without practically involving
tho British excheQuer or tax payers i'll
any additional risk whatever. The
Times explains that as the interest on the
government stock is to continue at least
thirty years, the stock is better than con-
soils, because the interest on the latter will
be reduced To 215 per cent. in twelve years.
MIR. Balfour omitted TO mention this. The
Times praises Mr.. Gladstone for his court
eous reception of the bill.
DECLARED ABoMINABLE.
The Pail Mall Gazette says that the bill
is abominable in that it dishonesty pro-
tesses to clear the British taxpayer of re-
sponsibility, while his credit is the sole
lever by which Mr.. Balfour expects to gain
his ends. 1t is also unjust in that it con-
fers upon handful of citizens at the ex-
Of th1
to which they have no claim beyond other
cultlvators Of the soil.
ITS COMPLICATIONS PRAISED.
The 50. James Gazette defends the com
plicated nature of the proposals contained
in the bill. The chief merit Of the measure.
1t says, lays in the elaborate system of
checks and counterohecks, by means Of
which purchasing tenants are prevented
from becoming burden upon the imLerial
exchequer. The Gazette further says that
the scheme requires a minute examination,
but If an obvious defect existed it would
have teen pounced upon at once by an acute
critic like Mr. Gladstone.
Mr.. PaInell left the house when Mr.. Bal
four was about half through his speech
Lord Randolph Churchill was absent.
SUPPORTED BY THE STANDARD.
The Standard says that not only is the
land purchase measure thorough, but it is
singularly ingenious. Although twenty
years is fixed as the maximum time of pur-
chase, seventeen years il likely TO
be the average 1t attaches much
Importance to the proposal dealing
with arrears, and in conclusion, while ad-
mitting points that may be advanta geously
modified, 1t says that in general scope aud
bearing the measure may be trusted to stand
the brunt even of malevolent criticism. Re-
garding the Irish church surplus, tho
Standard understands that about so, 600, 600
remains The bill consists Of ninety clauses
Of much complexity, but all of tho
functionists will support the bill.
BETTER THAN GLADsToNR's.
The Chronicle shows by comparison that
the bill is superior TO Mr.. Gladstones
scheme, but it doubts whether Englishmen
Will be any more ready to advance the
money required.
The second reading of the bill is fixed for
April II. The liberals and Parnelitas will
oppose the bill at every stage, mainly on
the ground of absence of the representative
principle in the administration.
NOT SOLUTION.
DUBLIN, March 25.-The Ecpress praises
the ingenuity displayed in the bill, but it
says the proposals relative to the congested
districts do not supply the solution OF that
feature OF the land question. What will be
done, it asks, with people who refuse to buy
land or to emigrate
The FreemGn'S Journal says Mr.. Bal
four's speech in the Commons last night
shows that he has not grasped the solution
of the land problem. Although be has been
coached by Mr.. Goschen, ne failed to follow
the intricacies Of Mr.. Goschen's ideas. The
entire object Of the bill the Journal de-
clares to be value of land
HEALY's FEELING.
Mr.. Healy, who presided at a league
meeting to-day, said in speech that nobody
who had read Mr. Balfour's bill would fail
to see that it was essentially scheme re-
quiring local, administration extending even
to allowance for popular prejudices. He
bad mover had an opinion that benefit
ought to be refused because it emauated
from the tories, but the laud pur-
chase bill was intended to benefit
the landlords, and for this reason he felt
absolved from that rule, especially in view
of the extreme likelihood of cession Of the
power OF Mr.. Gladstone and the adoption of
drastic measure dealing with the land
problem. Going into the details OF the
measure, Mr.. Healy said he objected to the
amalgamation of the land courts and the
guarantees proposed by the bill He finally
described it as a lawyers, fnanciers' and
Jugglers' bill.