The record-union., 1896-04-19
Difiucult to Agree as to How the
Measure Will Operate.
Balfour's Speech in Relation to the
Measure SO Complicated That But
Few Are Able to Understand the
Correct Meaning of the Details
Relating to the Intricate Subject.

LONDON, April 1S.-Experts in Irish
land legislation are exploring the maZes
OF the text of the Irish land bill, which
was issued to the members of the House
of Commons yesterday. They find 1t
difficult to agree on exact conclusions as
to how the measure will operate. The
Chief Secretary for Ireland, Gerald
| Balfour, in introducing the bill last
Monday, left the House in a state of
| puzzhng perpleXity. His style Of eX-
| position did not assist in elucidating the
| intricate subject. Experienced gallery
| reporters concur in the opinion that
Mr. Balfour'S speech was the most COM
| plicated and technical one ever deliv-
cred in Parliament. He hurried unin-
| telligibly through a mass of details,
rapidly reading parts Of the speech
that had obviously been prepared for
| him, which he did not understand him.
self.
| John Dillon, the leader of the anti
| Parnellites, who understands the Irish
| land question probably better than any
other member, said in the lobby that he
had listened to the most intricate and
difficult of all the speeches he had ever
heard in connection with Irish land af-
| fairs.
| The text of the bill shows that the
measure is divided into six parts and
forty-four clauses, where the matter Of
| purchase occupies seventeen clauses,
covering eleven pages. Until the bill is
| fully scrutinized nothing definite can
be said as to the attitude towards it of
| the Irish leaders. In the meantime they
are inclined to approve the proposals
affecting tenants. Under the present
| law when tenants buy land the State
advances the money, the tenants paying
| 4 per cent. interest thereon throughout
period of forty-nine years. Under the
new bill they will pay per cent. on the
full f100 for the first ten years; for the
next ten years the same rate on tS6;
for the next ten years on ETA, the sum on
which interest is to be paid lessening
with each year until the full amount
of principal advanced is paid off.
The anti-ParnelliteS are convinced
! that the Government does not intend
/ to pass the bill at this session, and they
will therefore not obstruct its second
reading, but will concentrate their eff
! forts against it in the Committee of the
| Whole.
The War Office has been instructed to
| hold two regiments of guards and three
line regiments in readiness for active
| service abroad in June. The destina-
| ton of these troops is not announced,
but it is unofficially known that they
are destined for Egypt, where it is ex-
pected they will land in July. By the
end of August the British reinforce
ments will number $500, and probably
an Indian contingent will raise the
number. According to the Army and
Navy Gazette" the earliest advantage
will be taken of the rise of the Nile in
July to transport the troops, supplies,
etc, to Dongola. Until the river is
high enough to allow stern-wheelers to
pass safely over the cataracts native
craft will be used for transportation
purposes They will, however, be used
only to transport stores to places near
the principal base of operations.
The English papers make much of the
statement that large capitalists in
Egypt oppose the action of the French
syndicate of Egyptian bondholders
against the Egyptian Debt Commission
to prevent the commission from paying
| funds held by it for the expenses of the
Soudan expedition The truth is that
the capitalists consist of English, Aus
TRAN and Jewish firms holding Egyp-
tian cor tracts. The head of these firms
! Raron Menasce of Alexandria, has a
| practical business interest in widening
the area of the expedition. He provides
/ railway and other material for the ad-
! vance.
While there is every sign that for
mdable operations are designed in the
Soudan in the autumn, the question that
is exciting interest here is: Will the
| Government venture to simultaneously
challenge the Transvaal? Some differ
ence Of opinion as to the policy to be
| pursued clearly exists in the Cabinet.
| Mr. Chamberlain has in the meantime
obtained the assent of his colleagues to
add / 800 more troops to the permanent
| garrison in South Africa Lord Sails
! bury means to deal with the Soudan
matter first 1t depends upon the Beers
whether they will allow the British to
wait for an opportunity to deal with
! them.
The correspondent of the Post"
writing upon the subject of preferen-
tial duties granted by the Transvaal to
goods imported from Germany, says
that since 1890 the British imports into
South Africa decreased from SO per
| cent. of the total imports to ~ per
cent. The German imports during the
same period advanced 100 per cent
over 100 missing infants are now con-
nected with Mrs Dyer, the baby farmer.
The police have consulted the higher
legal authorities regarding prominent
persons who have been found to be in
volved by giving Mrs. Dyer charge of
! children. Sensational developments
are probable when the case comes on
| for trial.
Senior Canovas del Castillo, the Span-
ish Prime Minister, has sent an ennis
sary to England to place orders for
steel armaments connected with the
| strengthening of the defenses of the
Spanish Atlantic and Mediterranean
coasts. Judging from the reported rise
of the orders, the work projected is
colossal. 1t is supposed that Spain is
making these preparations to guard
against eventualities growing out OF
the attitude of the United States on the
Cuban question.
The Clyde trade shows a wonderful
expansion. The orders for 10000 tons
of new shipping were placed there in