IRISH LAND LEAGUE METHODS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13326, 5 November 1906, Page 5

IRISH LAND LEAGUE METHODS.

ASSERTIONS AND DENIALS. By Talegraph.—Ftps? Association.—Copyright. London, November 2. During the course of the discussion yesterday in the' House of Commons on Viscount Castlereagh's motion that the Trades Dispute Bill should not apply to Ireland—which was eventually defeated by 239 votes to 4—great indignation was expressed by the Nationalist members at a speech delivered by Mr. S. H. Butcher (Unionist), who declared that under the baneful tyranny of the Irish Land League the living were refused the necessaries of life and the dead were denied coffins. Mr. John Redmond, the Leader of the Irish party, denounced the speech as an effort to revive the disgraceful passions of the past by repeating absurd calumnies, and said this was intended to prejudice the demand for reforms in Ireland. Mr. A. Balfour, the Leader of the Opposition, admitted that Mr. Butcher had used strong language, though it represented accurately enough what had actually occurred in the past. This statement was greeted by the Nationalist members with cries of "No," and "Pigott," and "Sheridan (the names of two informers). .; : Mr. Balfour, resuming, added that he was glad that an enormous improvement had been made in Ireland since those days, but he urged caution. Mr. Walton, Attorney-General, emphasised his opinion that agrarian combinations were not entitled to the privileges of the Bill, but frankly declared that he bowed to the majority. Both Mr. Asquith, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Mr. Haldane, Secretary for War, explained their change of views regarding the immunity of trade union funds by saying that it was a question of expediency and method rather than of principle.