The Irish standard., 1903-08-08
House of Commons the Scene
of Wild Excitement
and Enthusiasm.
Liberal and Conservative
Leaders Climb the Irish
Band Wagon.
HOUSE OF COMMONS.

the Irish land bill was announced for
it's third reading.
Sir A. ACLAND HOOD formally
moved that the Irish Land Purchase
bill be read third time.
Mr.. JOHN REDMOND, who was
loudly cheered by the Irish members
on rising. sad-I think the occasion is
one for congratulation to everybody
concerned (hear, hear; but l feel that
if we on these benches remained alb
solutely silent at this stage of the pro-
ceedings our attitude might be mis-
understood and miSnterpreted. One
set of critics might say that our silence
that our silence was an indication of
our complete and absolute satisfaction
with the shape in which the bill stands
at this moment. and that we accepted
full responsibility for everything in
the bill, and for the successful work
ing of every part of the bill: another
set fcritics might say that our silence
was a most sinister silence, that it
meant that we were lying low till tho
bill passed, and that we did not regard
it as a valuable bill or as one that
would be likely to settle the land
question. and that we intended to go
back to Ireland and lO our best to re-
give the bill a fair trial. Now. both
of these criticisms would have been
absolutely untrue. and l think that
under the circumstances it is wise
that I should take the opportunity of
saying a few words on behalf of my
colleagues on these benches to explain
clearly what our attitude is in regard
to this bill (hear. hear. In the first
place, 1 had better say at once that
this is not our bill 0rsh cheersl. 1t is
the bill of the government, and in the
main the responsibility for it rests, not
OIL us, but on the government (hcar,
hear). Let me for n moment recall to
(hear, hear. After reviewing the his
tory of the bill, the honorable gentle
man said-'The tenants and their lead
ers in Ireland will be naturally anxious
to find with this bill means of settling
this Irish land question and to pro-
mote permanent mean between the
various classes in Ireland for the COM
mon good of their country (cheersl.
They will. therefore, entleavor to work
this bill in an amicable and reasonable
and moderate spirit, but the honorable
members make no mistake about this
matter. In my opinion the successful
working of this bill will depend more
upon the landlords than the tenants
(cheers). l would like to express my
own individual appreciation of the at
titude which Irish landlords as a
body have taken up upon this question
since the date of the Irish land con-
ference. That does not of course, in.
clude every individual landlord There
have been and still are, no doubt. some
unreasonable and irreconcble Irisl,
landlords, but. speaking of them as a
whole, I say that the attitude and
spirit since the Irish land conference
and down to this moment has been 4
reasonable and conciliatory spirit
Now, if that spirit is carried on after
the passage of the bill. if it is car
ried on into the working of this bill in
Ireland. WELL my own belief is that
the success of the bill is assured. This
hill will be worked. so far as the ten
ants are concerned. in reasonable
concilatory. and moderate spirit. II
depends upon the landlords TO adopt
a similar spirit, and the success of TIL,
bill depends absolutely upon their do
ing so. If they as Il body do not ut
tempt under this bill to wiring OK
tortionate prices from their tenants. i
the landlords consent to take for thci
land reasonable. fair. and homes
economic price. then. for my part,
am quite convinced that land purchas
in Ireland will go on rapidly all owe
the country, and that the measure Wi
prove to be the beginning of the en-
of the Irish question (cheers). l sd
the beginning of the end of the Iris
question, because I think it my dut
to point out and repeat here at tli
stage of the bill what l have said i
this House and out of it ut every stag
of this controversy that the settl,
ment of the Irish land question vii
in my opinion. remove the last T.,
naming obstacle to the concession c
those wider political and nation;
rights without which Ireland wi
never be contented (clleers). This hi
now goes to the House of Lords. I'll
papers have been full recently of mo.
sinister rumors as to what will llappe
to the bill in another place. I hay
not at all been disturbed by thes
rumors. The compromise arrived :
on this bill after discussion in con
mittee is a compromise by which I'll
government Of this country is
honor committed (cheers) More tina
that, it is a compromise to which til
landlords are in honor committed.
was arrived at with the full agre
ment and consent of the committe
representative Of Irish landlords. nm