The Irish Land Bill has made hardly any progress this
week. Almost all the sitting of yesterday week was occupied with discussing Mr. Fowler's amendment over again in the form proposed by Mr. Kavanagh, who wished to draw the limit beyond which no com- pensation for eviction should ever be given, at farms of £100 a year, instead of farms at 150 a year, as proposed by Mr. Fowler. At length, on Mr. Disraeli's intercession, Mr. Kavanagh withdrew his amendment, on an understanding that so far as it affects exist- ing tenancies it would be competent to him to raise it at a future period. Almost all the remainder of the sitting was occupied in discussing Mr. Headlam's proposal to provide that every tenant under a lease should vacate his holding at the end of the lease,— short leases for a year being apparently included in Mr. Headlam's proviso. Of course that would fairly upset the whole object of the Bill, by legalizing leases for a year perpetually renewed, which do not differ substantially from tenancies from year to year backed by perpetual notices to quit. The discussion had not come to an end before the sitting terminated, and the Land Bill was left with only a clause and a half agreed to.
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