The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-04-14
A COMPLEX LAND BILL.
Submitted to Parliament by Chief
Secretary for Ireland.

LONDON, April 1i-Gerald Balfour,
chief secretary for Ireland, introduced tho
new Irish land bill in the house Of com-
mons yesterday. 1t Is Of much wider
scope than that of John Morley.
In introducing the land bill Mr.. Balfour
said that the government believed that the
land question was mt the root of the agitar
ton for home rule The bill provided to
facilitate the purchase Of holdings and
prevented the lessee from having rent
levied on his improvements.
They proposed that the tenants should
be deemed, on the payment of two years.
arrears. to be In just possession OF their
holding, leaving the landlord to recover
the remainder of the arrears in the or
dinary way. Continuing, Mr.. Gerald Bal
four said that the governments had do
cided not to alter the statutory term OF Is
years for fixing fair rent.
Purchase would not be compulsory, the
secretary proceeded, as such scheme
would require possibly f2o0, 000,00 while
the terms could not be SO advantageous to
the tenant. The terms for repaying would
be extended, and relief would be given to
the tenants toward the end of their ten
ancy, when they were more likely TO need
it, the payments decreasing with the
length of the tenancy. Every purchaser
could buy In less than 20 years. While OF
the start there would be 20 per cent less
rent than they were now paying, they
would also be relieved of 10 per cent DUR
ing the first 20 years. The bill. he said,
extended the powers Of the congest9d dis
tricts board, enabling IL to borrow to the
extent of f1.50o,Q00
With regard TO evicted tenants, Mr.. Bal
four said the government had already de-
clared that they could not consent 10 tho
use OF public money, believing that aid
should como from private sources; but
they were prepared to re-cnact the clause
Of the land act for year and SO act as
mediators. Mr.. Balfour concluded by say
ing that the bill was al honest endeavor
to facilitate the substitution OF peasant
ownership for dual ownership.
Not FavorabIy Received. .
After hearing Mr.. Balfour's speech, the
opinion expressed in the lobby was that
bill OF such conrplexity as to have occu-
pied three hours In its explanation had
little prospect of passing at this session Of
parliament. in view of the prolonged de-
bates expected on the education bill.
When Mr. Balfour had concluded, Mr..
Morley, who was chief secretary for
ireland In the lato Liberal cabinet, aud
the author of the Irish land bill
offered In the last parliament, said that ii
was evident that the bill brist.ed with oh
jectionable features and would require o
deal of amendment in committee. Ho
warned the government that II they
wished to pass it they must withdraw
their education bill.
John Dillon. chairman Of the Irish par,
liamentary party. declared that the bill
was extremely disappointing to Ireland.
and was further pr~,f of the incapacIry
Of parliament TO legislate for Ireland. Tho
measure, he said, was very inadequate as
to fixing fair rents and as TO dealing with
evicted tenants. But he admitted that IL
was an improvement on the bill recently
put forward.
John Redmond admitted that tho bill
had good points and was better than MIR.
Morley's, because it was intended TO pass,
while Mr. Morley's was not. He thought
the Improvement clauses would benefit
the tenant. but the purchase clauses, he
said, were the most important.
The bill was read for the first time, and
Its second reading was fixed for April "a,