The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-04-01

alton ana Soontrol OF corporations In much
the same diffused and haphAzard way a La
that which was IN use when the Const-
tutional Convention undertook to remedy
It BY the creation Of the Corporation Com
mission. A "a '55s ..3 ia
1855, s5i' s4R# ======-==-% ~ 5saslsH5sfsi
THE5IRISHLAND SETTLEMENT
Probably the most far-reachins and
extraordinary feat Of statesmanship in
the internal administration Of any oo o'lrl
try In modern times Is the plan which
the Conservative party Of England pro-
poses for finally and radically settling
the trouble between the Irish people and
their landlords.
From the time the irish were conquered
in the reign Of Elizabeth and finally by
Cromwell, Ireland has been unhappy. op-
pressed and naturally rebellious. Force
bill after force bill has been enacted to
compel tenants to pay rents, and they
have been as futile In Ireland as the
force bills OF the Republican party have
been TO reconcile the Southern people
to negro rule.
3 Mr. Gladstone secured the enactment
OF amelioratlng measures which helped
to AK rents at reasonable rates, and also
provided in some degree for the acquisi-
ton Of land by Irish tenants But these
measures though they tended to quiet
the country, did not meet the require.
ments OF the case. The Irish still agi-
tated and dehed; and as long as the
English landlord depended upon the Eng
llsh government for the collection OF his
rent the principle OF Home Rule was an
impossiblity except with the utter aban--
donment OF the landlord and q complete
sacrifice Of his interests. This, no gov.
eminent in England dared to do, and OF
course all talk Of Home Rule was reso-
lutely opposed by those who had land
interests in Ireland and those who SYM.
pathized with them throughout the
United Kingdom, E.
But recently the Irish question has
been put In an entirely new shape by g
proposition which has been for some
time considered, and has finally taken
tho form OF a bill before Parliament
providing for complete sale OF all the
landlords property to the tenants, Tho
harassed and almost ruined landlord has
for the most part been willing to sell
for some time, but the price which tho
tenant was willing to pay was so much
less than the judicial rental value that
no terms could DO agreed upon. It was
to bridge this gulf between tho landlord
and the tenant that Mr.. Balfour and
his secretary Mr.. Wyndham. are pro-
posing that the British government itself
shall furnish the sum necessary to en-
able the two contracting parties. the
landlord and the tenant, to meet. In %
recent article. the London Spectator
said: ,.t. 5
ITO the majority Of irish landlords,
however, purchase has always seemed
another name for ruin; or, at any rate,
for a reduction OF income such as most
men viii resist to the ,uttermost. hi other
words the tenants would not consent to
buy at the price at which the landlords
would sell. But though neither would
agree to, or perhaps could AFFORD to
agree to- tho others price. the gap be-
tween them was not very big. MI. Nor
Icy put tho matter very clearly In his
speech In tho debate. The rent OF tho
land which has to be dealt with amounts
to s9OoOO,O0O a year, calculating It at
tho latest judicial reductions. Now the
landlords as a whole say that they cam
not sell unless they can obtain q CAPT.
tai sum which, II Invested at per cent,
Will produce $40. 900 900 a year, less ten
per cent. which they now spend on col
lection Int the tenants say that tnoy
are not willing to buy unless they can
get reduction OF from IS to 20 per
cont on this sum, That Is, they say
TINT they can only pay $lsooo,ooo q year.
taking 20 per cent, as tho reduction re-
1ured. This means that thero 70
difference OF s4.ooo.ooo a year, at the
highest computation. between the terms
on which the landlords say they can AZ.
ford to sell and those on which tho tens
ants say they can afford to buy Tho new
proposal-the proposal which was spoken
well OF 80 universally on Wollnesday--is
that the British Treasury should Etep
In and MI the gap, I. O., pay the differ
enco OF $4,000. 900 or 1t may be q consld,
erably smaller sum, for We nave taken
the largest. not the smallest, calculation
of the burden. Again, It must be noted
that this sum could not In any, clrcnr'-
stances nll DO required nt once, rs the
working out OF universal purchase
scheme would be sure to take time, s|r,
Morley, indeed. spoke Of the immediate
burden az only likely to be 100000
year"
The plan for carrying out this arrange
ment between, the landlord and the ten
ant Is set forth In Mr., Wynahanl'A bll!i