The Saint Paul globe., 1903-03-27
REDMOND ON
THE LAND BILL
He Finds Some Defects-An-
other Important Provision
of the Measure.

LONDON, March 26.-John Redmond
said today:
The land bill~in many respects is
a far-reaching and important measure.
1t proposes a loan for the purpose of
enabling the landlords to be bought
out to the extent of a hundred million
pounds, in addition to bonus, not to
be repaid. to amount to at least twelve
million pounds. The bill does not fill
all the requirements Of the case. 1t
does not provide as good terms either
for the landlords or tenants as pro-
posed at the recent land conference,
but it marks an enormous advance on
any measure of it's kind hitherto pro-
posed by an English government.
1T is the direct result of the unity Of
the national government in Ireland and
the National party in parliament for
the last three years, which led to the
breakdown of coercion in Ireland, which
induced the landlords to come to the
conclusion that, their best interests lay
in making friends with the Irish peo
pie, instead of continuing in conflict
with them. The land conference which
ensued spoke in the name of united
Ireland Regarding the result of this
measure cannot speak with any GER
tainty. Its details, many of which seem
to me highly Objectionable, are capable
of Improvement by discussion. If this
4ledSuie SIOuiu pIONIuG, DIS ever OIlo
hopes, settlement of the land Ques-
ton, not only will a great social and
industrial problem be put once for all
on sound basis, but it will make
the united demand of all the classes
in Ireland in the near future a GER
tainty.
Until these clauses of the bill are
actually in my hand 1 cannot say, of
course. whether they will actually car
ry out the project in view. Therefore,
l cannot say for a certainty if the bill
will be accepted by the Nationalist con-
Vention which assemblies in Dublin on
April IA. This great assembly will
have the deciding voice in the matter
If it rejects the bill the measure will
be dead. If it accepts it, subject to
certain amendments, it is quite posi-
BILE the bill may be moulded into such
shape that it will entirely transform
Ireland"
Perhaps the strongest indication Of
opposition yet eVinced has come from
the Ulster landlords, the majority of
whom are said to be unlikely to sell
their estates. T. w. Russell, member
for one Of the Ulster divisions. de-
clares that this difficulty, arising from
the absence of a compulsory law In the
bill, will result in a continuance of the
agitation in Ulster by the tenants who
thus are deprived of availing them
selves of the new measure
William O'Brien has issued a mani
festo criticising many features of the
bill, but strongly deprecating anything
like a hasty condemnation by the Ma
tionalists' convention. Generally speak
ing, the Nationalists heartily welcome
the bill, not because they regard it is
perfect, but because it gives minister
ial sanction to the principle of state aid
In the shape of the bonus provided for
under the bill and bacauSe il ic hold to
contain the germs of a future measure
for government for Ireland.
Among the provisions of the bill
which Mr.. Wyndham had not time to
explain yesterday is very important
one, sweeping away all arrears of rent.
except Tor the year preceding the pas
sage of the act. Several other ex-
tremely good features of the measure
will come to light when the text Is dis
tributed.