In his speech at Templemore, addressed to the "county convention"
of Tipperary, on Monday, Mr. John Dillon " formulated " the demands of the Irish people, as regards the evicted tenants. "We expect," he said, "that the tenants who can show to the Commission now appointed that they have been unjustly evicted during the last thirteen years, will be reinstated in their holdings. We expect, farthermore, that these tenants will be reinstated on terms that will enable them to live and thrive in their homes. What use is it to put back a man in his holding, if you know that the terms on which he is put back will compel him to slave for the rest of his life ? No greater service was ever done to the evicted tenants than "the obtainment of this great Commission," which would put "the facts of this great question and controversy on record, under the sign-manual of an English Judge." In view of the smallness of Mr. Gladstone's majority of 40—Mr. Dillon forgets it is now only 38—it was impossible for the Nationalists to ob- tain an autumn session. As to the proposals for releasing the Paris Fonds, Mr. Dillon expressed his disbelief in their bona fides. The general impression made by Mr. Dillon's speech is. that he is very much frightened at the demeanour of the evicted tenants, and that in his fright he is willing to promise almost anything, provided only that he can keep things quiet
for the moment. That is a dangerous policy, and may end in very greatly embarrassing Mr. Morley, who can no more rein- state what Irishmen mean by all the tenants unjustly evicted during the last thirteen years than he can fly. Unjustly evicted in Ireland means evicted for not paying any rent that a tenant chooses to consider unfair.
Previous page
