THE IRISH LAND QUESTION.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2445, 19 January 1881, Page 3

THE IRISH LAND QUESTION.

The Home news says that an Irish Land Bill is imperatively called for quite as much in the interests of owners as of occupiers. A day or two ago, of seventy lots of a portion of the estate of Lord Conyngham put up for sale in the Land Court, only three or four found purchasers. Land is rapidly becoming an unmarketable commodity on the ether side of St George’s Channel, and the landlords feel as strongly as anyone that something must be done. The agitation of the land question is meannwhile extending to England. At a meeting of the Farmers’ Alliance in Sussex the farmers demanded for the members of their class the right to acquire the land after a certain period of tennacy. At the Waterford assizes, although the jury panel had been three times called —on the last two occasions under penalties varying from £lO to £SO for non attendance —not a sufficient number answered the summons for the jury to be struck.

Baron Dowse, while presiding at the Connaught assizes at Galway, received a letter threatening him with death should he convict any member of the Land League. The “ Standard ” says “We understand that the parliamentary progromme to be adopted at the meeting of Home Kule members in Dublin will include resolutions demanding the removal of Chief Justice May from the Bench. The meeting will not decide on a scheme for land reform, as Mr Parnell declares that, the bonus of producing such measures lies with the Government,

At a Land League meeting in Mullingar, County Westmeath, on December 18, 10,000 persons were present, and the town was decorated with Hugs. A mob of 2,000 persons attempted to wreck the residence of Mr Downing, a Justice of the Peace, at Bonmekbrian, County Mayo, after be had served writs of ejectment on some tenants. The police kept the people back at the- point of the bayonet, and Air Downing escaped on v, car to Ballina, where lie took train for Dublin. The police now occupy his residence. The “ Times ” in an article on the Irish Land Leaguers, says : —“The situation is rapidly nearing a point where something will have to be done by the Government, or the Land Leaguers, Fenians, and Home Iluiers will have array'ed against the Administration nearly the entire population of Ireland. It is hardly correct to say that anarchy prevails in Ireland, for there is a distinct and potent Government which is rapidly superseding the Imperial Government and obtaining the ascendency. It rules with an iron hand, and the promptitude with which it enforces instant qbeyance of it is clear. The machinery is complete and the

action uniform; > There is-a Government de facto and a Government de jure. The former is wielding power which is felt and feared, and the latter is exhibiting only pomp, with hut little reality of power. The former is a terror to well-doers:; the latter is no terror to evil doers; The League is becoming the law of the land ; while the law of the State is costly and to a large extent suspended, the new law is effectually administered and cheaply and conveniently. League Courts are springing up in various places, and people are instructed to have their disputes settled by such Courts and to go to no more sessions. Local magistrates in the west of Ireland have lately been surprised to find no cases brought before them except by the police. The people have been for some time advised to take this course, and are only now beginning to act thereon. As a rule the penalties which the said Land League Courts have the power of in flicting are regarded with more dread than those imposed under the statutes. Another function of the new Government is the levying of taxes, and it is most effectivcdy fulfilled. No rate assigned by law is half so promptly paid. The taxes to put on licenses to sell at fairs and in market are required by the new Government, and the production of the licenses is enforced by a summary process only. The element wanting to constitute a Government is a standing army, but materials for it are at hand, and aie being prepared for use when called upon. The knowledge of this fact creates the deepest alarm.”