The Sun. — 1850-02-19 (London, England)

LANDLORD AND TENANT (IRELAND) BILL. Sir W. SOMERVILLE moved for leave to bring in a Bill to provide compensation to tenants for improvements effected by them in certaincases, and to amend the law of landlord and tenant in Ireland. He said there had been various attempts at legislation upon this important subject. In 1845 a Noble Lord had introduced a Bill into the House of Peers, which had cover come down to the Lower House. In 1846 a Bill was introduced into the Lower House, which had never passed a second reading. In 1848 he (Sir W. Somerville) introduced a Bill, which was read a second time, with the view of referring it to a Select Committe. I❑ that Committee many amendments were introduced, but, upon being returned to the House, it was found impossible to proceed with it that session, and it dropped without having undergone a full and complete discussion. It had not met with any great favour on account of the complicated nature of the machinery by which it was proposed to carry it; into effect. He proposed by the present Bill to do away with this complicated machinery; ho had remodelled and simplified the clauses of the Bill of 1848, and rendered them easy of comprehension, and he wished the measure to be laid on the table, in order that it might be carefully read and considered. Ho bad not altered the term or amount of the compensation, as in the Bill of 1848; but he had abolished the umpire, and substituted another officer. He had not introduced any clauses to embrace the jurisdiction of the assistantbarristers, because it was his intention shortly to introduce a Bill to consolidate and amend the laws relating to the civil bill courts in Ireland. The Bill would contain a clause that ejeetmenti or nonpayment of rent should apply to tenants horn year to year; that receipts for rent should specify dates; that after a day to be named no distress bo taken for rent due more than a year before making that distress; and that the practice bo prevented of carrying off crops on Sundays, or by night. He feared the Bill would not satisfy the extremes of both parties iu Ireland, but he hoped it would meet with the assent of all moderate men, particularly as it permitted voluntary arrangements to Le made between landlords and tenants, and had for its great objcet the encouragement of labour, the security of capital, and the permanent benefit of the owner and occupier of the eoil.—(Rear.)  Lord CASTLEREAGH said ho was most anxious toy see justice done to all parties on this most important subject. His opinion on the subject of ' the reduCtion rents was this: The altered circumstances of the country • would demand a consideration of the rents under which.. f: the tenants held; and while on tho one hand he w0n.,10. entirely discountenance a reduction of rent over alit property belonging belonging to is landlord, not discriminating between the good tenant and the bad, so on the other ban& he was of opinion that it behoved landlords to look intr.'s, their property and rents, and to the condition of them. industrious tenants, to see where the shoe pinched, anvil. give them relief If the landlords would follow that plan they would obtain better semrity for their rents bereaf%er, and gain the affection of their tenants.— (Hear, hear.) At a meeting held at Cumber, a gentleman warned the tenantry not to he satisfied with as reduction of rent; anti he gave a history of an estate) belonging to a noble relative of his (Lord Castlereagh). That gentleman said that the estate at Cumber had. been purchased by an ancestor of the present owner in. the first part of the last century for 30,000/. ; that the rent-roll was then between 3,000/. and 4,0001., but that it was now 24,000/. Who, he asked, had made the difference ?—(Cries of " The tenants.") What would be. the legal interest of 30,0001. ? At 5 per cent. it would. amount to 1,5001. And then he wont on to say that the farmers who are toiling and sweating to enrich the landlords, aro to be their slaves or banished at pleasure from their homilteads. This was the authority of this Presbyterian clergyman for the fixity of tenure. " God not only made his own people farmers, but ho gave them their farms in perpetuity. He gave them fixity of tenure, on which the success and prosperity of the fanners depend. In asking for fixity of tenure, he knew they had revelation on their side, and he believed God had permitted the present oppressions to show the hollowness of the relation between landlord and tenan  —(Laughter.) He had known in a parish not 12 miles distant farmers who had been respectable men, seeing themselves and their children reduced to beggary by no f4ult of theirs, and who, in a moment of frenzy, committed suicide." He (Lord Castlereagh) thought this statement so loose and general that he made some inquiries on the subject, and the reply was, that no such circumstances had been heard of. The best advice he could give to the tenants was to be moderate in their demands on their landlords, and he would advise the landlords to consider seriously the circumstances of the times, and look to the welfare of their tenants.  After a few words from Mr. M. O'Connell, Col. Dunne, and Sir W. Somerville, leave was given, and the Bill  was brought in accordingly, and read a first time. On the motion of Mr. WYLD the report of Dr. Farr and Mr. Grainger to the General Board of Health on 38 metropolitan workhouses, dated the 26th day of March, 1849, was ordered to be laid upon the table of the House and printed. On the motion of Mr. EWART the following Committee on public libraries was appointed: —Mr. Ewan, Lord Seymour, Mr. Disraeli, Sir Harry Verney, Mr. Charteris. Mrßunbury, Mr. George Alexander Hamilton, Mr. Brotherton, Mr. Milnes, Mr. Cornewall Lewis.  Sir John Walsh, Mr. Thicknesse, Mr. Mackinnon, Mr. Kershaw, and Mr. Wyld. Mr. C. LEWIS brought in a Bill to authorise the enclosure of certain lands, in pursuance of the fifth annual general report of the Enclosure Commissioners for England and Wales, and to confirm the proceedings in the matter of the Common Wood Enclosure. The House adjourned at Twelve o'clock.