TO THE EDITOR OF THE SPECTATOR.
54, Parliament Street, 8th August 1850.
Sin—The attention you have lately shown to Irish questions, and still more the enlightened and impartial tone which has characterized your dis- cussion of them as of other topics, encourages me to hope that you will per- mit me to offer a very few remarks upon a subject with which I have had occasion to deal in my place in the House of Commons during the current week. My excuse for not entering into the explanation I am desirous of offering in the House, is the difficulty that would be found at this Late period of the session in obtaining a suitable opportunity, and also the fact that, whether from the general weariness induced by Irish debates, or from some other cause, a vets imperfect notice of their bearing is often communi- cated by the reports in the daily. journals. This is especially true in reference to the discussion on the notice fee., e?ces...d reading of thi3. Encumbered Estates Amendment Dili, on Wednesday last. The ob- servations I made on that occasion were directed to the following ob- jects: first, to express my entire dissent from the sentiments that fell from the Attorney-General in reference to the Upper House of Parlia- ment, and to the general conduct and position of the proprietors of land in Ireland,—sentiments, I may remark, which were characterized by a de- gree of acrimony that cannot be judged of from any of the newspaper re- ports I have seen ; and secondly, to convey my views as to the bill itself. To one clause in that bill I could give no support ; I could not join in any attempt to effect an economical impossibility, by legislating for a fixed minimum price of land. The other two clauses comprised in the bill,
I thought necessary, and likely to be beneficial. One of them went to correct a literal error in the Encumbered Estates Act, by which a forced gale of lightly-burdened Lands might be effected if the smallest portion of them was "subject to any receiver, or in the possession of any encum- brancer." The other went to enable the Commissioners to grant to owners of land "protection from arrest at the snit of any person claiming or entitled to any charge or encumbrance to which the land might be subject" pending proceedings. I further endeavoured to urge the propriety of the Commission- ers so conducting the business of their court as to prevent a sudden glut, by spreading the sales over the period of three years, to which their commission is limited ; and also by alternating the sales and the distribution of the pro- ceeds so as to send the money as quiekly as possible out of their keeping and into the land-market. I am well aware of the advantages of the Commission in diminishing law-costa, preventing the law's delay, and affording security of title.: the working of it on the plan I have just adverted to would, in my mind, render it more generally useful, by improving its operation upon the interesteof sellers and eneumbrancers.
I am, with great respect, your obedient servant, FITAN. FRENCH.
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