The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-29
The, L Lard PsssiA...s Bill for ireland.

The Lana PSSShsse, Bill for Ireisnd.
Thsss b no doubt that tremendous
concession 10 the demand for agrarian
reform IL embodied in the Land Pur-
chase bin, which. was introduced on
Wednesday, March rs, in the House OF
ComfhShS . bg"Mt. "wYNDHAM, Chief
SecretsTy.0 tbe Lord Lieutenant OF Ire
landy 4 In, most respects the measure
Garrett, out sstts programme which for
some years has been advocated by Mr..
T. W. RUSSELL, MP, as we'll as by the
United Irish League, and which was
agreed upon at the conference Of land
lords and tehafits.. In certain particu-
lars, however, n fails to meet the wishes
Of the Irish Nationalist, and whether
they WIN accept the bin in the present
form depends upon the decision reached
BY the convention 10 be held in Dublin
on April IA. Meanwhile. we note the
main features ofthe' project, bearing in
mind, that for the details we must await
a copy,at the, text. 7,qr. o..
Undsr ,pgeeedins Land Purchase acts
soms eighty thousand Irish tenants have,
with Staser aid, already bought their
holdings. Mr.. T. W. RUSSELL expressed
the OPINION two years ago that the re-
naming occupying tenants could be
converted into peasant proprietors II the
Government would advance to them
about $500 900 by way OF purchase
money. He pointed out at the same time
that, as matter Of equity, the landlords
should not be called upon to content
themselves with the purchase money
paid by the tenants, but should also re-
oeive a bonus, to be given outright by
the State, and to be partially recouped
BY the resultant reduction in the cost OF
maintaining tranquility and order in Ire
land. He showed that the average rate
OF purchase in the open market two years
aRo was seventeen years OF the rents
fixed by the land commission courts Tor
the second statutory term. He admitted
that the landlord. even with his lands
unencumbered, would be heavy loser by
ceiling aA such a price; and, as the In
cumbrances would have to be cleared Oh,
his case would be very hard one il the
sale OF his lands at such a rate were made
compulsory. Mr.. RUSSELL even con-
oeded that price equivalent. to twenty
Ave years purchase Of the judicial rents
would not pay the charges upon many
estates. -.
In tho light Of this forecast Of what
q Land Petchase bill ought to be, let US
examine MI. MJEpHAM's measure. The
proposal is that $500, 200 900 in cash, pro-
durable by an issue Of Government stock,
shall be lent to occupying tenants for the
purpose Of saahaing them to buy out their
landlords. sB4 the repayment Of adj
vances the tenants will have sixty-eight
and one-half years. In addition, how
ever, to the purchase money paid by the
tenants to the landlords the latter will
receive from the Government their re-
spective shares-ranging, inversely to
the size Of the estate, from to IS per
cent. Of the purchase rnoney-of bonus
OF Soo, OOO, 900, to be distributed as free
gift from the Imperial exchequer. The
effect of the bill, 80 far as the tenant is
concerned, will be that he will pay less
annually > in order to recoup the Govern
ment for the advance Of the purchase
money, than be is now paying in the form
OF judiciA fept, while at the end OF sixty
eight and half years he will own the
holding which he occupies. Until we
see the details oil. the measure we are
unable to compute exactly what the land
lord will get, but, according to an esti-
mate cabled fQbm London, he will receive
the equivalent OF twenty-five to twenty
eight years puthase. II this estimate
be we'll founded the landlords will re-
ceive even more than their representa-
tives asked for in the Dunra ven confer
ence at Dublin.
The bill introduced by Mr.. WYNDHAM
does not make the sale Of estates COM
pulsory. This is one Of the grounds on
which Irish Nationslists hold that the
measure needs TO be amended in order to
b rendered acceptable. Our own opin-
ion il that, Notwithstanding the absence
Of q provision for ompulsion--which
might endanesr tho bill In the House Of
L,ords-the whole of the $500, 900 900 Of
fsred to the landlords Is likely TO be
accepted. Tor this reason: they dare
not allow the present state OF things TO
continue eight years longer. According
TO the Land Act Of 1881, rents are jul
dicially eadjusted every fifteen years.
About eight years hence the second stat
utory term will have expired. and Irish
tenants will be entitled 10 apply TO have