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

LANDLORD AND TENANT (IRELAND) BILL. Sir W. SO:AERVILLE moved for leave to bring in a Bill to provide compensation to tenants for improvements effected by them in certaincasea, and to amend the law of landlord and tenant in Ireland. He said there had been various attempts at legislaqon upon this importlnt 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 184 G a Bill was introduce i 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 refaring it to a Select Committe. In that Committee many amendments wore 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 coin, plicated 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; he had remodelled and simplified the clauses of the Bill of 1848, and rendered theta easy of comprehension, and ho wishei the measure to bo laid on the table, in order that it might be carefully read and considered. He had not altered the terra 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 assistant-1 barristers, because it was his intention shortly to introduce a Bill to consolidate and amend the lava relating to the civil bill courts in Ireland. The Bill would contain a clause that ejeotments or non-payment of rent should apply to tenants from year to year; that receipts for rent should specify dates; that after a day to be namel no distress bo taken for rent due more than a year before making that distress; and that the practice he prevented of carrying off crops on Sundays, or by night. Ho feared the Bill would not satisfy the extremes of bath parties in Ireland, but ho hoped it would meet with tie assent of all inede,a:e men, r articularly as it permitted voluntary arean4eznenti to be reel- lee'eeesn I a1.,:e,r.-!F. t had for its object tli,! eucourlvmeut 05 labour, the st.curity of capital, and the permanent benefit of the owner and occupier of the soil.—(lTear.)  Lord CASTLEREAGH said ho was most anxious to tee justice done to all parties on this most important subject. His opinion on, the subject of the reduction of rents was this: The altered circumstauces of the country would demand a consideration of the rents under which the tenants held; and while en the one hand he would entirely discountenance a reduction of rent over all property belonging to a landlord, not discriminating between the good tenant and the bad, so on the other hand he was of opinion that it believed landlords to look into their property and rents, and to the condition of their industrious tenants, to see where the shoe pinched, and give them relief. If the landlords would follow that plan they would obtain better security for their rents hereafter, and gain the affection of their tenants.— (ffiar, hear.) At a sneoting held at Cumber, a gentleman warned the tenantry not to be satisfied with a reduction of rent; ants 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 30,0,101. ; that the rent-roll was then between 3,0001. and 4,000/., bet that it was now 24,000/. Who, he asked, hal made the difference ?—(Cries of "The tenants.") What would be the legal interest of 30,0004 ? At 5 per cent, it would amount to 1,500/. And then he wont On to say that the farmers who are toiling and sweating to enrich the landlords, are to be their slaves or banished at pleasure • from their homesteads. This was the authority of this Presbyterian clergyman for the fixity of tenure. " God net only made his own people farmers, but he gave them their farms in pervituity. He gave them fixity of tenure, on which the success and prosperity of the farmers depend. In asking for fixity of tenure, he knew they had revelation on Vseir side, and he believed God had permitted the present oppressions to show the hollowness of the relation between landlord and tenant. —(Laughter.) He had known in a parish not 12 ini:es distant farmers who had been respectable men, seeing themselves and their children reduced to beggary by no fault of theirs, and who, in a moment of trenzy, committed suicide." He (Lori Castlereagh) thought this statement so loose and general that ho made some inquiries on the subject, and the reply was, that no such circumstances had been heard of. The best advice ho 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 afew 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. Fsrr and Mr. Grainger to the General Board of Ilealsh on 38 tnetropolitrin workhouses, dr.ted the 26th day of March, 1819, was ordered to be laid upon the t'.ble of the House and printed. On the motion of Mr. EWART the following Committee on public libraries was appointed: —Mr. Ewarr, Lord Seymour, Mr. Disrarii, Sir Harry Verney, Mr. Charteris. Mr. Bunbury, Mr. George Alexander Hamilton, Mr. Brotherion, Mr. Manes, 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 %Vales, and to confirm the proceedings in the matter of the Common Wood Enclosure. The House adjouned. at Twelve o'clock.