The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-04-01
the irish LAND BILL.
II Has in il The Germ Of a Great
Reform.
WHAT JOHN REDMOND SAYS
About the Measure in a Letter
to the Associated Press---lt is
a Far-Reaching and lmpor-
tant Measure.
WHAT JOHN REDMOND SAYS

London, March 26.-Former Cen
gresham W. Bourke Cochran, of New
York, will not be able to be present at
the Convention of Irish Nationalist,
Ito be held in Dublin on April IA, for
She purpose of considering the Irish
Sand purchase bill introduced in the
House of Commons yesterday. His
doctors say he must not leave the
warm climate of Egypt until May, as
his lungs are seriously affected, and
he will remain at Assoun, upper
Egypt. John Redmond, the Irish
leader, and other members of the
House of Commons, deeply regret the
fact that Mr.. Cochran will not be
present at the Convention. The Irish
members maintain the same attitude
towards the land bill, reserving serious
criticism Of the measure until the text
is$published, and are awaiting the de-
cision of the Convention before COM
mitting themselves to definite policy.
John Redmond wrote the following
for the Associated Press:
'The land bill in many respects is
far reaching and important mea-
sure. It proposes loan for the pur-
pose of enabling the landlords to be
bought out to the extent Of hundred
million pounds, in addition to a bonus,
not to be repaid, to amount to at least
twelve million pounds. The bill does
not fill all the requirements of the case.
It does not provide as good terms
either for the landlord or the tenants
as proposed at the recent land confer
ence, but it marks an enormous ad-
vance on any measure of its kind hlth-
erto proposed by an English Govern
ment. It is the direct result of the
unity of the National movement IN
Ireland and the National party in
Parliament for the past three years,
which led to the breakdown of
coercion in Ireland, and which induced
the landlords to come to the conclusion
that their best interests lay in making
friends with the Irish people, instead
of continuing in conflict with them.
The land conference, which ensued,
spoke in the name of united Ireland.
+ Regarding the result of this mea-
sure, cannot speak with any certainty.
Its details, many of which seem to me
highly Objectionable, are capable Of
improvement by discussion. If this
measure should provide, as every one
hopes, settlement of the land ques-
tion, not only will a great social and
industrial problem be put once for all
on a sound basis, but it will make a
concession to home rule, in answer to
the united demand of all classes in Ire
land, certainty in the near future.
.sJTntil. the clauses of the bill are
actually in my hands I cannot say, of
course, whether they will actually car
ry out the project in view. Therefore
I cannot say to certainty if the bill
will be accepted by the National 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. II it accepts it, subject
to certain amendments, it is quite
possible the bill may be moulded in
committee into such a shape that it
will entirely transform Ireland"