The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-05-23


The speech delivered the other day at Ok
ford by Mr.. JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN on the
Land Purchase bill occupies some three col
umns and a nalf in the London Times 1t was
addressed to the University Unionist League
but 1t contained some suggestions and pre-
dictions by no means we'll adapted to please
his auditors. What can have been his mo-
tive for supplying the Gladstonians with
ammunition it puzzles tho Times to conjec-
ture. but our own opinion Is that the men,
Der for the western division OF Birmingham,
with an eye to the coming general election,
is performing that feat in political gymnas-
tics known as sitting on the fence.
Speaking from a platform and not from
the floor Of the House OF Commons, Mr.
CHAMBERLAIN was not incommoded with
requests to reconcile his intention Of voting
for Mr.. BALRoUB's Land Purchase bill with
his former refusal to support the similar
measure brought forward by Mr.. GLAD
STONE. It will be remembered that in June,
1886. he attempted to justify his desertlon
OF his chief by declaring that he would not
have opposed the Homo Rule bill but for its
conjunction with proposal to advance
money from tho British Treasury for the
appropriation Of Irish landlords. Touching
his own change Of front on this subject he
preserved a discreet silence. and even had
the assurance to tax MIR. GLADSTONE with
inconsistency In resisting at this time a
scheme OF land purchase when on another
occasion he had produced one Of his own. OF
course, Mr., GLADsToNE's answer is that a
bill protesting to benefit Irish tenants ought
to be acceptable to their Parliamentary rep
rnGanfntiUaS md fbnt Jrb ba Init
approved Of his measure, they OBJ
jeot to Mr.. BALFoURs. Some OF the To-
ries defend their reversal Of attitude on the
question OF land purchase by sayin; that,
under the arrangement now propose, the
British Treasury Is secured against loss,
because should the newly created peasant
proprietors fail to pay the money advanced,
the annual contribution from the general
revenues for the local purposes Of Ireland
may be withheld. Mr.. CHAMBERLAIN, how
ever, Is estopped from excusing in this way
his own inconsistency, because no insists
that the Government has no right to mort
gage, and In given contingency to confis-
cate. the contribution for local purposes
without the consent Of the local authorities.
1t lis true that such local authorities as,
thanks to the present Parliament, have been
established in England and Scotland, do not
yet exist in Ireland. But the Unionist lead
ers have repeatedly asserted that their plan
OF local government shall be extended to Ire
land before the dissolution of this Parlia-
ment and although none OF the Gladstonians
or Parnellites believes in the fulfllment Of
this promise, Mr.. CHAMBERLAIN declared at
Oxford that it would be kept not later than
tho next session. The Unionist journals
do not seem pleased with this declara-
ton, and it may be that they detect in
II the framing Of an excuse for an eventual
desertion OF the UniOnists. should they
break their pledge to give Ireland the same
County Councils which have been bestowed
ON the rest of the United Kingdom. Still
less do the Unionist organs like the deduc-
ton which MIR. CHAMBERLAIN drew from his
assumption that the Government would
keep faith. Since he said, he took for
granted that the next session would see
County Councils created in Ireland, whv
should not the Land Purchase bill be
amended to the effect that the distribution
OF the money advanced should be intrustod
to those local boards2 Then, he argued
the BALFoUR bill would not be open to the
objection that it mortgages fund hitherto
NoA'"S'ANN~N w 'oNhA IuipDStS WITHOUT con-
sultaton with local authorities 1t is easv
to understand why Mr.. CHAMBERLAIN's
proposal Is gall and wormwood TO the Irish
landlords They know very we'll that the
bill, as it stands, would inuro principally to
their benefit. but that II the purchase money
should DO distributed by County Councils the
good of the tenants would be not only the
primary but tho exclusive aim. On the other
hand, the Parnellites and Gladstonlans
would vote to man for the amendment
suggested by the member for West Bir-
mingham. Having thus taken position
which is viewed by his present allies with
distrust and disgust, and by his opponents
with approval. Mr., CHAMBERLAIN. one can
not but think, is contemplating the con-
struction Of bridge on which he may, in
case of need, pass buck again TO the Glad
stonian camp After all, when We remem-
her that the Parnellites have forgiven Mr.
GLADSTONE whom they long denounced as
their worst enemy, We can scarcely 10 dis |