New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-04-25
IRISH LAND PURCHASE.
,,p GLADSTONE CRIrICIsES THE BALFouR
BILL.
+. VIGOROUS SPEECH FROM THE GRAND oID
MAN-MR. GosCHEN REPLIES ~" i"H
GOVERNMENT.


GOVERNMENT
Iondon April 2i-Mr. Gladstone resu"eu 'ho
debate On the Land-Purchase Dill III 'hc houSc
Of Commons this evening. lie sald ne was OPP
posed 10 the bill under the oV'r"n'iii''s ooN'-
yiction that IL was complicated "i'"ou. u""o'-
.a,,;na 90 so,ve the difficulty lie had been en-
a~.,r,ooa 20 hone for a solution by Lord Sails
- doolornc that the measure would not i'm
900 . burdon upon the British taxpayer lie was
d,sannointed however when Mr. bailour lhiorheu
the House that the measure pledgeo the country
,o the extent of G33. 100000. WITHOUT mentioning
,hc possibility of further amounts peiig ASKED
Psgarding Mr.. Parnell's plan. it was new i'll prn-
ciple It's general purpose was clear. but ne was
moi certain that he comprchcnded the details.
Conservative laughter) Ii was honOrable-evcn
chivalrous-in Mr. Parnell, opposing the Govern
ment as he did 10 deem it proper to propose an
alternative. He strongly sympathized with one
object OF Mr.. Parnclrs plan. whereby the landlords
would not be cNpatriatcd but would he retained.
II would be a sOrrowful conclusion of the life of
the landlord class If, when local government was
established in Ireland. they did not take par~in
adjusting affairs
Mr.. Balfour's bill presented number of dubi-
Gus points which made ii difficult TO discern fully
The character Of the measure. Some of the pro-
posas were SO obviously Objectionable as 10
justify their rejection 4 bill Of this kind ought
10 be confined to landlords already in possession
IL should not encourage landlords 10 become
BUYERS of land in order to take advantage OF the
enormous boons offered. Hear, hear The
provisions respecting two years also re-
quircd justification which it would be difficult
10 find Cheers Another objection, cutting
near the root of the bill. was the method pro
l.,
II was so bad that It would enable the landlord
10 obtain compensation upon large mass of In
come that he had never received. Hear. hear
There was 90 lie no charge for nascment for
the rent expenses Of eviction nor for bad debts.
with other charges necessarily falling upon the
lanslords. The effect of this that they
might be giving. instead of seventeen years pur-
chase. twenty or twenty-five years. The speaker
also took the strongest objection to placing an
embargo upon the local funds Of counties.
near. hear That proposal violated a principle
which the House ought 10 hold sacred Then
there was nothing in the bill TO prevent the
cupier, who became owner from sub-lctting.
Mr. Madden. the Irish Attorney General. eN-
planned that tenant could not sublet without
permission IRON the Land Commission.
Mr. Gladstone. continuing. asked Oh what piia-
oiple tie Land Court would act in giving per-
mission. There must be clear understanding
Oh this point There was no principle indicated
In the bill Tie only really available and vau
able guarantees provided in the measure were
grants from the Imperial ENchequer on account
Of probate duties and other public charges. The
Government had already given England and Scot
land similar grants. placing them wholly at the
disposal of tl< local authorities Was 1t possible
the Governments would tell the counties of Ire
Ia hat the a he
used for the benefit Of persons contracting under
the bill? CChecrs) 1t a violation Of equal
ity in governing the three kingdoms than which
lie never knew more garing instance. Cheers
Coming 10 what he called consitutional OBJ
jectons any one of which formed an absolute
reason against the second reading OF the measure,
he urged that 1t was obvious that Ireland opposed
the measure, i'll view Of the fact that hNe-slNths
OF the Irish members deliberately and deter
minedly opposed it. Cheers As the Govern
meot was going 10 make Ireland its debtor.
il was important TO consider what was the atti-
tude OF the persons about 20 DE subjected to debt
II they declined 10 recognize the obligation, IT
vas new wrong inflicted. If lrelands repre-
sentatives declined 10 recognize the binding char
acter Of the obligation, protesting that the coun-
Try did not get value for It's money, was 1t pIu-
dent 10 force the measure upon the people? Was
a similar measure upon Scotland in defiance Of the
protest of sixty out of the seventy Scotch mem
befs' lChecIsj lie objected, also, 10 tie use of
British credit. He did not entertain an extreme
view about the use of British credit, but he
thogght that the Government was prccluded from
large applications Of that credit for
thc purchase Of land. eIiie Ihe last general
Conservatives were then pledged against the
This Parliament certainly could not. in
fc. i,s n,lt t0.t "A
bill lnsiitutins d loan fund having an inierml-
nablc operation i(hcers.
Another objection more Formidable still.
This relsted to state landlordism. Beside the
lor-e pccuuiaTy risk. the bill involved evils ten
fold greater. threatening 10 produce conditions
which would shock humanity. impcrl orCer and
make worse the relations between the two cOun-
tres. State laudlordism implied the use Of
soldiers AGAINST The tenant; the use of every
weapon Of the State To enforce an unpopular
Lastly. il was sad disappointment to find
under the name Of a voluntary arrangement be-
tween landlord and tenant a device for bringing
an irresistible pressure upon The tenant with "A
view of eNtortlng for the Landlords benefit nearly
lie whole Of the immense boon that Pariancnt
might confer. Thcse objections covered only a
part Of the bill lie Was not sure that he had
as yet obtained a fail comprehension Of the meas
ue lie had seen many complicated me1suTes.
sc' he had probably never seen one
SON II c0nt1incd every form Of ambiguity. |
This might have been successfully encountered
ana ne antiquities got rid OF. but the objections,
stated. were fatal
IN conclusion Mr. Gladstone said IL feel IL
70 Ne my absolute duty 20 protest against prn-
opes Of So fagmni a character. and 50 tending |
u embark the country in immense pecuniaH a
risks. while making land purchase not aim |
IN TIE settlement Of the general Irish problem |
ON means 70 further plunge us into tie deepest |
political cmharrSsmcnis CheeTs.l
Nr. ''oschen said that Mr.. Gladstoncs conten- |
,"i that the tenants would be deprived Of the |
hcn,hiS Intended for them destroyed Mr.. !
horeNs argument that non-pnrchasinl tenants |
would ariiaie 10 get their rents lowered 10 the |
san, scale IS the purchasers rents He agreed |
With both Mr.. Gladstone and Mr. Parncll in de-
srns 70 retain The landlords in Ireland. bni the |
wi nd not necessarily lead 10 appropriation.
MANY landlords who sold their property |
,nder The Ashbournc Act still resided
Ireland The Pamellites complained
hat The caises relating 20 contested districts
veTe Inadequate. That could he remcdicd i'm
rmmittee. But the fact the Opposition
di1 not desire L. have il re,ncdicd iic c.n