Monday night's 'debate in the Commons on Mr. Sexton's Home-rule
amendment was a very remarkable one. Mr. Sexton, who had previously elicited by a question to the Irish Secretary, Mr. Jackson, that no Irish land had been purchased under the Act of last year (which has only been in operation six months, many of the rules of the Land Commissioners not having been even now issued), based his demand for Home- rule, and his proof that the British Parliament is incompetent to legislate for Ireland, almost entirely on his very premature assumption that the Land Act of last year is a failure. Mr. Jackson showed that the progress of land-purchase is going on steadily, but that, as there bad been till now an unexpended sum under the Ashbourne Land Acts for the purpose, which is advanced under conditions not (during the first years) so exacting as the conditions of the Land Act of 1891, the Irish peasantry have preferred hitherto to avail themselves so long as it was possible of the Ashbourne Land Acts.
