Los Angeles herald., 1890-03-25
FOREIGN NEWS.
Labouchere Again Worrying
the TOries.B
BalfOur Introduces a New Land
Purchase Bill.
Very Complex and Intricate
Measure,
1t Promises to Do Great Things for ire
land, but the Parnellites Mis-
trust ft.S
Associated Press Dispatches.l

Associated Press Dispatches.l
LONDON, March 24-In the Commons.
Matthews, Home Secretary, in reply to
question by Labouchere, denied that
Inspector Jarvis had ever gone into bus
mess at Del Norte, Colorado, near Sheri-
dams ranch, for the purpose of cleaning
evidence to be placed before the Parnell
| Commission
Balfour introduced a bill for the pur-
chase of land in Ireland, and for the i'm
provement of the poorer and more con-
gested districts. The bill also provides
for the establishment of an Irish land,
department. Balfour said in proposing
the formation of the land department
the complex nature of the question pre-
sented ITSELF There were now no fewer
than five bodies for the valuation and
sales of land. The bill proposed the
amalgamation Of these into one body.
Concerning the question: Ought the
land purchase bill be compulsory? the
Government answered, No. no. Com
pulsion should be used most sparingly,
Gronical Irish cheers), but when iusti-
fed by necessity it should be ap-
piled. Compulsion could not be
one-sided if they compelled the land
lords to sell, they must force the tenants
to buy. most cogent reason against
compulsion was that they could not
make the bill compulsory without ap-
plying it to the whole of Ireland. The
Government saw no possibility for the
immediate cOnsummatiOn of such an
enormous transaction as the compulsory
transfer of the whole land of Ireland
from the existing owners to the existing
occupiers. Ought they to throw any
risk upon the British taxpayers? The
Government answered no. Still British
credit under perfectly sure conditions
must be used. In dealing with the uues-
tion OF advances to tenants to enable
them to purchase, the Government de-
eided against advancing more than
twenty years. rental, meaning rent from
which had been deduced the local rates
now paid by the landlords. .4s.
Balfour then went on at great length
to explain the scheme of the security of
the 1unds, the matter being very COM
plicated. The bill in large portion is
the Ashbourne act improved and with
additions requiring security for pur-
chases, etc. After an elaborate financial
detail showing how the Imperial ex-
chequer is secured against default. Bal
TOUR said 1t was impossible unless there
We're repetition of the famine of 1916,
that guarantees effecting the poor law
and education grants should ever be ap-
preached. 1t is designed to use one
fourth per cent from the tenants annual
four per cent, as fund for the erection
OF laborers' dwellings. The grant of a
million and half from the Irish church
surplus shall be devoted to relieving
congestion, fostering industries, and
amelorating the condition of the poor
districts. .Tal 81
Balfour, in concluding, defended the
scheme as without risks to the Imperial
taxpayer, while 933, 100000 adj
vanced under the bill, with a1O,OOO,OOO
OF the Ashbourne act, would establish
perpetual fund, from which future
purchases by tenants might be made.
The landlords are to receive Government
stock at 2344 per cent interest, payable
In not less than 30 years, and to be ex-
changeable for consols wherever pre-
ferred 9A
Gladstone said the scheme was GER
tainly very complicated, and thankswere
due to Baifour for the obvious pains he
has taken in its preparation. 1t was
premature, he added, to discuss the in
volved proposals of the bill.
Gladstone expressed pleased surprise
on hearing the possibility of there being
&1 800, 900, left of the Irish church sur
plus. He said when he was last officially
informed on the subject, he had learned
that the money had been exhausted.
The bill passed first reading.
Under the closure rule, the aIlotments
bill passed reading in the Commons to-
night.
Gladstone tonight in speech at the
National Liberal Club, spoke of Bal
four's land purchase bill as bold meas
ure which involved the British tax
payers assuming large liability, and
demanded a searching investigation.
Referring to the Parnell Commission he
said he could not conceive a shorter
method of suicide than that adopted by
the House OF Lords in approving the re-
port. The Tory majority had invented
political methods as new-fangled as they
were abominable.
The Daily News in speaking of the
land purchase bill says: One thing
stands out clearly; that the British
credit may be pledged to the extent of
9333, ,OOO, 900 for the benefit, nominally,
ol tIle 1rlsH tenant, OUT really tor the
benefit of the landlord
The Neacs says the voice was Balfour's,
but the hand was Goschen's.
Parnell says the bill is absurd and OBJ
jectionable in the highest degree, one
fatal defect being that it gives no local
control over its administration.
Davltt pronounced against the bill as
an insidious proposal to give the land
lord more than value for his land.
The Times does not commit itself. NOT
having studied the bill, but thinks upon
the whole, it seems to prompt the crea-
ton OF peasant proprietary on a very
large scale, without involving the British
excheOuer in risk