THE IRISH LAND BILL.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IV, Issue 172, 14 July 1876, Page 8

THE IRISH LAND BILL.

++ Every Irish Bill introduced this session in the House of Commons by the Home Rulers have been defeated — with one exception, — a bill to regulate the pensions of coroners, introduced by A. M. Sullivan — which was accepted by the Government. The majorities, however, have been remarkably small, compared with late years. The Irish. Franchise Bill was strongly supported by John Bright and other leading Englishmen. The chief Irish bill of the season is the Land Tenure Bill, introduced by Mr. Isaac Butt, and now under discussion. In his opening speech, Mr. Butt said he had convinced himself by studying Irish disaffection, that until the land question was satisfactorily settled they never could have peace or contentment in Ireland. He also satisfied himself of two things — that they never could settle the land question until they gave the tenantry security of tenure, and that security could never be obtained as long as they left in the hands of the landlord the arbitrary power of eviction. This land question, and the unsettled relations between the landlords and tenants of Ireland, he had no hesitation in saying, were the cause of all the miseries of Ireland. It was apparently the general wish and desire of the landed proprietors of Ireland to keep their tenants in a state of subjection to themselves. A country where the people were in a state of serfdom never could be prosperous, contented, or peaceful. But landlords used that power of eviction which good landlords employed only for beneficial purposes. In 1849, no less than 500,000 civil bill ejectments were served in Ireland, and since that time he had himself seen whole districts desolated. The two main provisions of the bill were the taking away of the landlord's arbitrary power of eviction ; and, secondly, their power to raise the rent without due cause. Tenants would have the right to claim the protection ofl^ the Act whenever they wished. Another provision of the bill was * to give greater security to Ulster tenant-right. The settlement of the value of the rent he proposed to leave to three persons, one to be nominated "by the landlord, one by the tenant, and the third to be chosen by the other two. In case this arbitration broke down, the rent was to be fixed by a jury. In one case he retained the landlord's power to evict, and that was where the tenant committed wilful waste on the land. In conclusion he denied that the bill was a violation of the rights of property. The bill is bitterly opposed by the Government ; and there is not much hope that it •will eventually pass. — ' Pilot.'