The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-03-27
LAND BILL IS
 FAR REACHING John Redmond Explains In- pOrfanCG of the Measure
STEP IN RIGHT DIRECTION
He Says While 1t Does Not Fill All of the Requirements 1t Will Do Much Towards Breaking
 Down Coercion.

London March 26.-John Redmond wrote the following for the Associated Press today:
 "The land bill in many respects is a far-reaehing and important measure II proposes loan for the purpose of en- abling the landlords to be bought out to the extent of a hundred million pounds, In addition to a bonus. not to be repaid. to amount to at least twelve million pounds. The bill does not fill all the re- quirements of the case It does not pro- vide as good terms either for the landlord or tenants as proposed at the recent land conference, but it marks an enormous ad- vance on any measure of it's kind hitherto proposed by an English government. IL is the direct result of the unity of the national movement in Ireland and the na- tional party in parliament for the last three years, which led to the breakdown of coercion in Ireland, and which induced the landlords to come to the conclusion that their best interests lay in making friends with the Irish people instead of continuing in conflict with them. The land conference which ensued spoke in the name of united Ireland.
 Regarding the result of this paper, cannot speak with any certainty It's de- tails, many of which seem to me highly objectionable, are capable of improvement by discussion. If this measure should provide, as every one hopes. settlement of the land question, not only will 1t be a great social and industrial problem put once for all time on a sound basis, but it will make a concession to home rule in answer to the united demand of all the classes in Ireland in the near future a certainty.
 Until those clauses favorable are ac- | tually in my hands 1 cannot say, of course, whether they will actually carry out the project in view. Therefore, 1 cannot say for a certainty if the bill will. be accepted by the national conven- ton, which assemblies in public on April IA. This great assembly will have the de- ciding vote in the matter If it rejects the bill the measure will be dead. If II accepts 1t subject to certain amendments, 1t Is quite possible the bill may be moulded in committee into such a shape that 1t will entirely transform Ireland.
 'J F. REDMOND"
 Wyndham Is Pleased.
 Wyndham has no cause to be dissatls- fled with the reception given to the Irish land bill thus far. A day reflection has not modified the first favorable opinions expressed. Perhaps the strongest oppo- sition yet evinced has come from the Ulster landlords, most of whom are said to be unlikely to sell their estates, T. w. Russell, member for one of the Ulster divisions, declares that this difficulty arising from the absence of a compulsory law in the bill will result in a eontinu- ance of the agitation in Ulster by the tenants who thus are deprived of avail ing themselves of the new measure.
 William OBrien has issued a manfes- to criticizing many features of the bill. Generally speaking the nationalist party welcome the bill, not because they regard 1t as perfect, but because it gives min- isterial sanction to the principle of state in the shape of the bonus provided for under the bill, and because 1t is held to contain the germs of a future measure of self government for Ireland.
 Hope for Settlement.
 MT. Asquith, speaking at St. Albans to- night said that without being sanguine. credulous or optimistic. he could not help thinking that if by q concordat. such as this bill. they could hope for satlsfac- tory land settlement. it was not beyond the bonds of craftsmanship that by q like concordat between Ireland on one side and all the parties in England on the other, they would make an equally sub- stantial advance towards settling the problem of irish government.
 Lord Londonderry, speaking at Skip ton. Yorkshire. expressed his unqualified approved of the bill.
 Among the provisions of the bill which MT. Wyndham had not time to explain yesterday was an important one. sweep ing off all areas of rent except for the year preceding the enactment of the act.
 The other features of the act will come to light whol the text is distributed