The debate on Mr. Redmond's Bill for the Amendment of
the Irish Land Act, on Wednesday, was a very remarkable one. Mr. Redmond's tone in moving the second reading was as different from that of the Irish Irreconcilables during the last few months, as was Sir Stafford Northcote's last week in relation to Inspector Smith's circular, from the recent tone of Lord Salisbury. Mr. Redmond and his friends were temperate, reasonable, all but conciliatory. They asked for a change in the law as to arrears of rent, which, whether justified or not, is at least arguable on grounds which statesmen would appreciate ; for the revision of the terms of leases on the same principle as the terms of tenancies from year to year ; for a rectification of the law laid down by the Court of Appeal as to the rights of tenants in the improvements; and they proposed a very large measure for promoting the purchase of their properties by the tenants. Mr. Gladstone recognised at once the remark- able alteration in the tone of the Parnellite party, and declared it to be the intention of the Government to deal with the case of arrears by amending the Land Act; and while declining to anticipate the principle on which he would deal with it, he laid it down that Mr. Redmond's Bill, with the limitations it ad- mitted, proposed a remedy which deserved the fullest discussion. Indeed, he thought that if a compulsory law for dealing with arrears were to be agreed to, then it would be wise for Parlia- ment to couple with compulsion the principle of giving what- ever might be necessary to cut the burden of the arrears from off the neck of those tenants who were incapable of paying. The Prime Minister postponed his statement as to the purchase clauses till the day of Mr. Smith's motion. After a very dove- like debate,—Mr. Gibson being the only sparrow-hawk,—the debate was adjourned.
