The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-03-26


the cash operation. He then unfoldel
the scheme, which provides for ad-
Vances of money for the purchase of
land by the tenants. The advances will
be IN the shape OF cash and not of
stock, but in order to enable the cash to
be raised a new stock is to be foated.
It will be called Guaranteed 2 "a per
cent stock" and Will be unredeemable
for thirty years.
Mr. Wyndham doubted if $500, ,OOO.0 600
of the stock would be needed. 1t will
be issued at the rate of $25,000,000
yearly for the first three years and aft
erWards possible in larger sums. In
addition to this, the government pro-
posed a free grant of $60,000,000 to be
raised in addition to the stOSk, the in
terest and sinking fund of which Will
be borne by the treasury and the maxi
mum annual charge of which Will not
exceed 81, $4,000. Against this charge
on the British treasury the Irish gov
ernment proposes forthwith to COM
monce reductions in the cost of admin
istration amounting to $1,250000 per
annum forever.
Financial Ruin to Landlords.
Mr. Wyndham dealt with the points
of the bill which contains a beWilder-
ing mass of figures showing how ad-
Vances would be made and the terms
of repayment, but it seems in the main
to be on the lines laid down by the
land conference report and will be sat
isfactory to the landlords and ten
ants. Mr.. Wyndham said the land
lords of Ireland were being ruined
morally and the taxpayers Of Eng
land were paying 100000 per an
mum to the land commission and ST.
100000 to the Irish police, which large
ly was needed to deal with illegalities
arising from the land question.
Us if roma 1< a hla under these cir
come together?"
tary, If the landlords and tenants
circumstances, asked the Irish secre-
Mr. Wyndham did not think any
recOndite or veiled reasons need be
looked for. Experience showed the
state incurred no risk in giving such
aid. From the taxpayers viewpoint
it was stated that aid for land pur-
chase was a safe commercial transac-
ton. BY the aid of the state $4,000
tenants had already bought their hold
ings and the state had not lost half
penny. Public opinion supported re-
payment, and this was high moral Sc
curity besides which was the security
of the land itself.
Strange State of Affairs.
Mr. Wyndham said that the number
Of anomalies which had to be dealt
with rendered the work most embar-
RAISING, complicated and very difficult
to present to the house in an intel
Hgible manner. The state of things in
some parts of Ireland was such as
could scarcely be believed in England.
He instanced one village in which a
landlord was in the WorkhOuse dur
ing the greater part of the year, while
the tenants lived under conditions
worse than that of the Kaffirs of Af-
rica. What the government proposed
to do to remedy this state of affairs
was, while withdrawing no existing
rights, it contemplated that the pur-
chase of land IL the future should pro-
ceed by the sale of estates under three
commissioners. The latter are en-
powered to decide what constitutes ar
estate, which does not necessarily
mean the entire property owned by the
Vender, as a considerable proportion
thereof may remain in his hands. The
commissioners may refuse to sanction
the sale of poor holdings unless there
are reasonable facilities for their en-
largement where necessary, and for
adequate access to turf as fuel
In view of the strong recommended
ton of the recent land conference, the
government had provided that the
landlords might make their own ar
rangements with the tenants if they
tailed with the policy of the present
bill, which. instead Of expatriatfng the
-
would, he hoped, enable them to re-
main in the country. The government
thought the period for repayment of all
loans should be siXty-eight and one
half years. There were strenuous pro-
visions against subdividing mortgages
on holdings.
Mr.. Wyndham said he was sure the
landlords and tenants would continue
to act in the reasonable spirit which
actuated the conference. There were
two alternatives before the country.
They could prolOng for another $50
years the present tragedy in Ireland,
| or they could now initiate and hence
forth prosecute a. a-business transaction,
occupying some fifteen years, based on
self-esteem, probity and mutual good
VIII of all concerned.
Irish Leader Speaks.
John Redmond, the Irish leader, fol-
lowed Mr. Wyndham. saying everybody
would admit that the tone and temper
OF the secretary's speech showed he
realized the gravity of the situation
IN Ireland and that he was anxious to
sincerely attempt to grapple with it.
tary asked that no hasty judgment be
ment of Mr.. Wyndham's proposals,
either for or against them. No one
could question that the proposals were
an enormous advance upon those of
last year, or that they really aimed at
| a settlement of the question. He,
| however, took exception to the com
missioners, especially Mr.. Wrench. If
the Irish concluded that the bill offer
| ed reasonable hope of a settlement it
would be accepted by them
Sir Henry Campbell -Bannerman. the
Liberal leader, said he would not pass
summary judgment on the great
measure, presented with so much
! power, and which raised such great
| issues" but he would ask for infor-
nation on certain points which he
! enumerated.
Mr.. Healey, Irish Nationalist. gave
the measure cordial reception. He
suggested alterations in the direction
| of the provision for the distribution of
| the free grant.
Mr.. Wyndhlm replied. He said $6O.
100000 formed the limit. The govern
ment would go no further. The secre-
tary asked that no hasty Judgment be
passed in commons.
The bill then was formally intro
duced and passed it's first reading
The second reading was set for
April %.
Criticism From Davitt.
1t is conceded as absolutely certain
that the bill will pass, although it
may be modified in it's minor details.
Michael Davitt says:
The impression left in my mind by
| the speech of the chief secretary for
Ireland is that the bill he outlined
offers unreasonable compensation to
the landlords and therefore does not
offer sufficient inducement to buy their
| holdings on those terms-terms which
appeaS to be fully ten years purchase
above the market value of the Irish
landlords property. However, it is
possible that there may be some pro-
visions in the bill, when we can see it