The Irish Land Bill was read a third time in
the House of Commons on Saturday last, after several distinct battles on the question of cancelling arrears of rent in the case of farms on which the rents are to be reduced, but no concession was made. On Thursday, the amendments carried in the Commons were considered by the House of Lords, and a few of the Commons' amendments were disagreed with, the most important of them being that by which the tenants of accommodation-land near towns with a population of less than two thousand, are to be admitted to the benefits of the Land Act of 1881. The debate was made of more general interest by a very able speech from the Duke of Argyll, in which he dwelt upon the great danger which will arise, under the provisions of the new Bill, that the rent of land may be so lowered as to encourage greatly indolence in the tenant, unless the Land Commissioners and the Courts show a very much greater power of resisting the pressure of popular opinion than any one expects.
