Evening journal., 1903-03-26
WYNDHAM GIVES
IRELAND HOPE
This New Land Bill Will Aid
Tenants to Purchase
Farms
GIVES FREE GRANT OF SGH,0ll,O0O

London, March 25.-The Irish secre-
tary, Mr.. Wyndham, introduced the
governments long anticipated Irish
land bill in the House of Commons
yesterday afternoon. 1t proposed afree
grant of $60.OOO.O0O for the purposes Of
the bill. Tenants are to pay SA per
cent. interest on loans from the gov
ernment. Mr.Wyndham said he thought
the scheme would not involve s5O0.OOO,-
600, but that $3.50, 100000 could safely
be advanced on Irish land The advan-
ces to tenants are limited to $500 in
the congested districts and $4,000 else
where.
The government" said Mr.. Wynd-
ham, attaches greater Importance to
the credit side of the bill than to the
free grant The annuities by which
the purchase will be secured will be for
sixty-eight and one-half years. The
untenanted land will be sold to neigh
boring tenants and any person who in
the previous twenty-five years has been
a tenant in the neighborhood."
The bill also provides that unten-
anted farms and grazing lands shall be
sold to neighboring tenants and that
three commissioners. to be known as
estate commissioners, shall supervise
the sales. The names of the three com
missioners are Michael Finucane, sec
retary to the governmental Bengal rev
enue department; Frederick S. Wrench.
now one of the Irish land commission
ers, and William F. Bailey, one of the
assistant commissioners on the Irish
land commission. They will be under
the general control of the lord lieuten-
ant Of Ireland. The bill will become
effective November 1.
The keen interest felt in this new
legislation which, 1t is hoped will pro
mote 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 parliament since the opening of the
session. Michael Davitt, the Father"
of the land league, celebrated his 57th
birthday by re-entering the house for
the first time since he ceased to be a
member, to hear the chief secretary of
ireland unfold his plans.
For the most part the Liberal mem
bers sat glum. the applause coming
from the Irish benches. A hush of ex-
pectation fell on the assembly as John
Redmond, the Irish leader, rose to
speak II he refused to countenance
the bill. its death. and perhaps even
the governments downfall, was de-
creed. When the galleries OF the house
found him sympathetic and non-com-
initial, a feeling OF relief pervaded all
sides What Sir Henry Campbell-Ban-
herman, the Liberal leader, and the
others said had little effect. Even T.W.
Russell, who, with others, criticised the
details and various omissions in Mr..
Wyndham's plan, wound up with a gut
tural and reluctant admission that 'it
is a great bill"
The passage of the first reading of the
bill was followed by a rush to the
lobby, where ensued scenes that might
well make the ghost of Parnell turn in
his grave
The tai form of Lord Dudley, lord
lieutenant of Ireland. could be seen
amidst a crowd of Nationalists, who
scarcely year ago would rather have
suffered every penalty than associate
with the official head of the Irish gov
ernment Beside Lord Dudl0- stood
the grizzled little Sir Anthony McDon.
nell, the first national assistant Irish
secretary. He it was who drafted the
bill. Horace Plunkett, Lord Iveagh
Lord Ashbourn and many Unionist
members Joined the group The Duke
of Abercorn. the most powerful land
lord in ireland, asked to be introduced
to John Redmond. and a mutual frienC
brought the Duke to the leader Of tn,
Nationalist party, with whom the lead
er of the Irish landlords heartily shool
hands, and they patched up the peac.
Of Ireland over the House of Commons
bar.
The Duke of Abercorn said: "Th'
proceedings are certainly matter TO
congratulation. hope that the provi
sions of the bill. when carefully stud
led. will be carried out. 1t looks a
though the ancient hatchet has beel
buried"