The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-03-26
LAND BILL SUBMITTED Irish Look Upon It Favor
 ably. TERMS OF THE MEASURE The Scheme May Involve Over
 $500, 1000, ,000. John Redmond and Lord Abercorn Shake Hands and Take 6 Drink. Michael Davitt the Skeleton
 at the Feast,
TERMS OF THE MEASURE

Mir. wyndham. introduced the govern ment's long anticipated Irish land bill in the House of Commons this afternoon.
 It proposes free grant of s6ooOO.ooo for the purposes of the bill. Tenants are to pay "A per cent on loans from the gov ernment. MT. Wyndham said he thought the scheme would not involve over $5oo,- 900, 900, but that s75o. .OOOoO could safely be advanced on Irish lands. The advances to tenants are limited to $500 in the con- gested districts and 5000 elsewhere. The bill also provides that untenanted farms and grazing lands shall be sold to neigh boring tenants and that three commls- sioners ito be known as estate commits sioners shall supervise the sales. The names of the three commissioners are Michael Finucane. secretary to govern ment of Bengal revenue. general and sta- tistical department; Frederick s. Wrench, now one of the Irish land commissioners, and William Bailey one of the assistant commissioners on the Irish land ques- tion. They will be under the control of
 
 The bill will become effective November l2th.
 The keen interest felt in this new legis- lation which 1t is hoped will promote peace and contentment in Ireland was shown by the crowded house. The Peers gallery and the distinguished strangers gallery were filled, and there has been no such gathering of members of parlia- ment since the opening of the session.
 Irish Peers Present.
 In the diplomatic gallery sat United States Secretary Henry White, an in- terested spectator. while almost every Irish peer listened to MT. Wyndham [ exposition of the bill. From an early hour this morning the stone benches from the House of Commons entrance to the doors of the lobby were packed with i'm patient Irishmen. among whom were many priests Most of these went away without seeing even the inside of the legislative chamber, the galleries of which were crowded as has not been the case for many a day
 Michael Davitt, the father" of the land league, celebrated his fifty-seventh birth day by re-entering the house for the first time since he ceased to be a member. In order to hear the chief secrtary for Ire land unfold his plans.
 For the most part the liberal members sat glum, the applause coming from the Irish benches.
 A hush of expectation fell on the assem- bly, as John Redmond, the Iirsh leader, rose to speak. If he refused to counte- nance the bill. it's death and perhaps even the governments downfall was de- creed. When the galleries of the house found him sympathetic and non-commital, a feeling of relief pervaded all sides. What Sir Henry Campbell-B Zimmerman, the liberal leader. and the others said had little effect. Even T. w. Russell, who, with others, criticized the details and various omissions in MT. Wdndham' 8 plans. wound up with a gutteral and re- iuctant admission that " 1t Is a great bill"
 The passage of the first reading of the bill was followed by rush to the lobby where ensued scenes that might well make the ghost of Parnell turn in his grace. The tall form of Lord Dudley, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, could be seen amidst a crowd of nationalists who scercely a year ago would rather have suffered every penalty than associate with the official head of the Irish Government. Besides Lord Dudley stood the grizzled little Sir Anthony Macdonald, the first nationalist assistant Irish Secretary. He 1t was who drafted the bill.
 Abercorn Meets Redmond.
 Horace Plunkett. Lord Iveagh. Lord Ashburn and many Unionists members Joined the group. The Duke of Aber- corn. the most powerful landlord in Ira land, asked to be introduced to John Red mond and q mutual friend brought the duke to the leader of the nationalist party with whom the leader Of the lrish landlords heartily shook hands and they natched m the peace of Ireland over the House of Commons refreshment par
 Earl Dunraven, who. with John Red mond. shelters the greatest responsible itv for today's procedure. slipped out ouIetly to avoid congratulations. He sald to tbe Associated Press correspondent:
 "I believe the bill will meet the re- ouirenents of all parties. Though I have not had a chance to read them and can not sneak definitely concerning the de- taits of the measure. 1t does certainly seem as though a new era was dawnlhs m A new Ireland. MT. Wyndham to a great extent has followed the lines Of our conference. I think that the land- lords and tenants. with perhaps some slight amendments, will be able to agree to the main principles of the bill
 The Duke of Abercorn said: Today s nroceedinEs are certainly matter Tor congratulations. hope that the provis- ions of the bill. when carefully studled' will he carried out. It looks as though the ancient hatchet had been buried.
 John Redmond said he was unable to add anything to his utterances in the House. but he seemed in hopeful mood
 Various members of Mir. Redmond z party frankly discussed MT. Wyndham' plan. The mission of adequate pro vision for those tenants already evicted doubts whether the landlords would ac cede to the terms of the measure, anC objects of the choice of Mir. Wrench a. one of the Estate Commissioners. seemed to be the chief difficulties. although tn, Nationalist members appeared to b, agreed that the bill went farther to ward putting Ireland on a prosperou basis than anything before introduced especially as the system is to be admin istered on a commercial rather than Judicial basis
 Hitherto all the land acts have com