18 JUNE 1870, Page 2

The debate was resumed on Thursday by Lord Cairns, in

an extremely long speech, full of detailed criticism decidedly dull to read. He praised Mr. Bright's clauses, but doubted whether Government might not in the end be embarrassed by the resist- ance of its tenantry to rent ; believed that no one would venture at auction to bid against a tenant ; held that the law of distress benefited the small tenant ; wanted " disturbance " much better defined, and so on and so on ; but never quitted the merely critical position. Earl Grey thought the Bill deficient because it con- tained no provisions to facilitate contract between landlord and tenant, and held that the Bill would increase litigation, but he would help to pass it. Lord Athlumney, as an Irish proprietor, declared there was nothing in the Bill which a humane landlord could not accept ; while the Duke of Abercorn believed that the Bill would give "a partial and temporary content to the present occupiers of the soil, while making all below them more dependent than at present." He, however, should support the Bill.