The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-04-14
NEW IRISH LAND BILL
GERALD BALFOUR's MEASURE IN
TRODUCED IN THE COMMONS.
John Morley Says Ii Bristles with Oh
tecffonabIe Features - Comment
of the London Press.

LONDON, April l3-Mr. Gerdlu bdlioui,
Chief Secretary for Ireland, introduced the
new Irish land bill in the House Of Conn
mons to-day. 1t is of much wider scope than
that of Mr.. John Morley. who was Chief Sec
rotary for Ireland in the late Liberal govern
ment, and is on the principle OF purchase by
the occupying tenant as being the ultimate
solution of the land question. In Introducing
the bill the Chief Secretary for Ireland said
that the government believed that the land
question was at the root of the agitation for
home rule. The bill provided to facilitate the
purchase of holdings and prevented the lessee
from having rent levied on his improvements
1t embodied the most noncontentious pro-
posals Of the bill of 1895 and modified Others
They proposed that the tenant should be
deemed, on the payment of two years ar
rears to be in just possession of his holding,
leaving the landlord to recover the remainder
of the arrears in the ordinary way. Con-
tinuing. Mr.. Balfour said that the govern
ment had decided not to alter the statutory
term of fifteen years for fixing a fair rent.
When Mr.. Gerald Balfour had concluded
Mr.. John Morley, who was Chief Secre-
tary for Ireland in the late Liberal Cabinet,
and the author of the Irish land bill offered
in the last Parliament, arose to reply. He
said that 1t was impossible to criticise such
a complex bill until he had seen it printed,
but Ii was evident that 1t bristled with OBJ
1ecti0nable features. and would require
deal of amendment in committee. He
warned the government that If they wished
to pass It they must withdraw their educa-
John Dillon, the chairman Of the Irish
parliamentary party, declared that the bill
was extremely Disappointing to Ireland, and
Parliament to legislate for Ireland. He said
the measure was very inadequate in fixing
fair rents and dealing with eviceed tenants.
But he admitted that II was an Improvement
on the bill recently put forward
The bill was read the first time, and its
second reading was fixed for April q.
tive opinions on the new bill. sought an
interview with John Redmond on the SUBJ
ject. He admitted that the bill had some
good points. and was better than Mr.. Nor
ley's because IL was intended TO pass, while
Mr.. Morley's was not. He thought the i'm
provement clauses would benefit the ten.
the most important. Horace Plunkett, men,
Der of Parliament for Dublin county, South.
the bill an honest attempt to bring the land
question within measurable distance of
a finality-
Purchase would not be compulsory, the
ing as such a scheme would require possibly
eco. ZOO. while the terms could not be SO
advantageous to the tenant The terms for
nine to over seventy years, and relief would
be given to the tenants toward the end of
their tenancy, when they are more likely to
need II, the payments decreasing with the
length OF tenancy every purchaser could buy
In less than twenty years purchase. While
at the start there would be 20 per cent. less
rent than they were now paying. they would
also be relieved OF 10 per cent. during the
first thirty years. The bill. he said. extend
ed the powers of the contested districts
board. enabling II to borrow to the extent
of f15O0,000 With regard to evicted tenants
Mr. Balfour said the government had al
the use Of public money. believing that aid
should come from private sources. but they
were prepared to re-enact the clause OF the
land act for year. and so act as mediators.
Mr.. Gerald Ba1four concluded by saying that
the bill was an honest endeavor to facilitate
the substitution OF peasant ownership for
dual ouUnershin