On Thursday Mr. Morley introduced the Evicted Tenants Bill, thus
conferring on Ireland the precedence for which she, has been struggling with Wales, Scotland, London, and the- Temperance party. His Bill proposes to create a Board of three arbitrators, whose office is to last for three years. In. cases of land which has not been relet, the evicted tenant is ta be allowed, within one year of the passing of the Act, to petition the Board to reinstate him. If the arbitrators think he has made out a prima.' -facie case, they will issue a conditional order for reinstatement, and if the landlord does not object, this order will be made absolute. If he- does object, then the arbitrators will hear the parties and decide according to whether the landlord or tenant has in their opinion acted unreasonably. When the land is. not vacant but occupied by another tenant, the evicted tenant may petition as before, but if the sitting tenant objects, that objection is to be a bar to the petition. If he does not object,. the arbitrators are to act as if the land were in the occupation of the landlord, but are to pay the sitting tenant what they may think fit in the way of compensation. The money re- quired for arrears and compensation is to be provided by a charge of £100,000 on the Church funds, but the arbitration and other official expenses are to come out of the taxes.
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