The Irish standard., 1894-04-28
THE Ev1cTED:TENANTs.

The ever present land question in Ire
land is again before the House of Com
mons. A bill for the relief of evicted
tenants was introduced by John Morley
last week. 1t is evident that the Eng
llsh people, or at least that part of the
English people represented by the Lib
oral party, are becoming very tired OF
make. shift remedies for the Irish land
question. They have learned that land
and coercion acts are exceedingly expen-
sive and unsatisfactory and not eveh
efficient temporarily. Nothing short OF
absolute ownership of their holdings will
remove the discomfort of Irish tenants.
To this cause more than any other must
be ascribed the social and industrial
slavery of Ireland. English statesmen,
as suited their political convenience, have
ascribed the trouble to the laziness, the
extravaganza, the temperam ent ana even
the religion of the Irish people; but
tire after time, as often as the deceptive
assertions have been made, the industry,
the wealth, the good citizenship and the
virtue of the Irish people in every quar-
ter of the globe where they enjoy social
end political freedom have given the lie
to these assertions. To the friends of
Ireland it is then at least matter of
some satisfaction to know that there are
English statesmen who can speak of
measures for ireland without making
those threadbare assertions. While the
bill that has just been introduced can in
no measure be said to be settlement or
even change in the land laws Of Ireland,
it nevertheless recognizes the principle
that the tenant has rights as we'll as the
landlord. The bill has for it's object the
reinstatement of the ev1cted tenants in
their former holding. It offers induce
ments to the present holders or land
grabbers to surrender their tenements in
favor of the evicted tenants, and in order
to do this it provides for the appoint
ment of three arbitrators who are to in
vestigate the claims of the former tenants
and decide whether they are entitled to
If the claim is good the arbitrators is
sue an order to have the former tenant
and fix the compensation due
the present holder of which sum the gov
eminent advances one-half and the re-
stored tenant the other. Tue rent to be
paid is also fixed by the board, which, if
the landlord refuses, is referred to the
land court for adjustment. The bill also
provides that the evicted tenant on being
restored is not to be charged for m re
than two years arrears of rent and that
sum to be fixed by the ~srbitrators of
which again the government pays one
half and the tenant the other halt. The
landlord may require the restored tenant
to purchase the holding in which case
the board decides upon the price and adj
vances certain sum to the tenant for
the purchase. The bill is favored by all
the Irish members except the Parnel-
ties, and the belief is expressed by Mr..
Dillon that most Of the present holders
will surrender in favor Of the evicted ten
ants. While the bill relieves a part of
the difficulty for the time being the fact
remains that the whole system of land
tenure in Ireland is radically wrong. It
is at the basis of all the trouble which /,
England has had with Ireland. To that |
cause may be ascribed the fact that the !
Irish people are to be found scattered in
every quarter Of the world. Perhaps
Home Rule would never have been asked
had not landlordism been imposed upon
The Irish by tenure acquired, by inn
periai conquest. Not until Irish tenants
are Irish reeholders will discomfort and
distress be banished.s AZ friends Of IRE
land we would IS. pleased to see self
government established, but we do not
believe even then that the difficulty |
would be remedied. A people may have