Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1899-03-11


landlords in measures of this character.
A like remark applies to our demand
that tithes should be cleared and regis
tered at the expense of the State, in the
first instance, for no very rapid progress
can be made with land purchase trans
actions until the process of clearing and
registering tithes has been simplified and
cheapened. The present government
passed a local registration of title act
for Ireland In 1891, but it seems in danger
of becoming dead letter, and this re-
gretable fact seems to be due to the re-
fusal Of the Treasury to equip the depart
ment with sufficient staff to enable the
act to be gradually brought to general
use"
Lord Farnham, in proposing the first
resolution, said the Fry Commission
stood condemned by the commission of
the government itself. In its essence
and constitution the Lord Commission
stands condemned through no fault of
its own, perhaps, but from the circum-
stances under which it exists, as being a
tribunal asked to perform a task the
exact nature of which had not, and prob
ably never would, be defined by anyone
He was not aware the landlords ever
asked for a commission to find in their
favor or against them. They asked for
an inquiry into the constitution and pro-
ceedings CT certain tribunal, and not
for one to retry all the cases between
the landlords and tenants; but to inves-
tigate the manner in which these cases
had been gone into; and on that head
they had justification for having asked
tory Of the laws of their country had so
complete a condemnation been pro-
nounced against any tribunal set up to
administer the laws of the country. Re-
ferring to the question of making perma-
nent the Office of sub-commissioner, he
said the landlords never suggested the
present holders of the Office were to be
made permanent officials, and the land
lords case would not be met by raising
the salaries of the present men and max
ing their Office permanent. He proposed:
"That as the great bulk of the findings
of the Fry Commission have justified
our complaints against the procedure,
practice and methods of valuation under
the Irish land acts and land purchase
acts, we are entitled to ask that the prin-
cipal reforms and recommendation in
the report of the commission should
receive fair trial without further delay,
and we request our executive committee
to make every possible effort to have
this matter brought under the notice of
both Houses of Parliament again and
again until due action has been taken by
the government and the public depart
ments in question"
The Right Hon. A. II. Smith-Barry,
NJ. p, in seconding it, said the entire
system of the administration of the land
acts should be urgently and thoroughly
dealt with. He hoped they would not
cease in their endeavors until the REM
edy suggested by the Fry Commission
had been carried into effect, and until
the system by which their properties
were being whitfield away and carried
into the hands of others was redressed.
Capt. Westropp, in referring to the
Courts of subj Commission, said for abso-
lutte illegality and injustice one night
search history up and down, and fail to-
find a parallel, except, perhaps, in the
proceedings of the Star Chamber. The
landlords and tenants were sick of the
endless legislation, which led to nowhere
and satisfied no one.
DIR. Trail, in supporting the resolution,
said, as one who sat on the commission,
he thought the time had come when he
should speak, and when silence on his
part might be injurious to their cause.
Having dealt extensively with the con-
clusion arrived at by the commission,
and the incapacity shown by some of the
sub Commissioners who had been exam-
ined, and the necessity for the appoint
ment of properly qualified commission
ers who would be unbiased and above |
suspicion, he said he could not been ST. |
iCul WHICH hC saw ~ many AAhS~~he W. |
tins being dragged down to destruction.
The Marquis of Londonderry, speak
ing in support of the resolution, said he
advocated the tranfer of land from land
lords to tenants on terms of fair and |
equitable character, and he thought it
should be the duty of the government to
help in that. He and his brother Peers
in the House of Lords would do their
utmost to help those who should benefit
by the findings of the Fry Commission.
Mr. John B. Hewson (Limerick) and
Mr.. Downes Weber Cork also spoke
in support of the resolution, which was
put and carried unanimously.
Lord Inchiquin, in proposing the next
which called again upon Par
lament to consider the claims of the
Irish landlords to compensation from the
State for the loss they had sustained by
the land acts and their administration,
said he had already brought forward the
matter before the House of Lords, and if
the convention wished he would bring it
forward again, and press it to division
IL necessary. Under the operation of the
land acts the value of their foronertv had