The Star. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1881.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4001, 15 February 1881, Page 2

The Star. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1881.

I _ Hi-xua, by the exercise of an over* whelming power successfully stamped oak sedition and outrage in Ireland ; having orußhed obstruction in Far* liament with an iron hand, the Gladstone Government announce that they are prepared to push forward the legislation necessary to remedy in some degree the admitted evils under wbioh the people of that unhappy country groan. There are those who hold that, the spirit of antagonism to the union with Great Britain is now so deeply rooted in the breasts of the people of Ireland that no mea* sures of reform, however comprehensive and far-reaohing, are in any way likely to restore hearty sympathy between the two islands ; that nothing but separation and absolute self-government will secure a lasting peace. This may be true, but it is clearly unnecessary for us to-day to disouss Home Eule, a measure wHoh it is not probable will be granted during the present generation, if indeed it ever oomes to pass. Taking those measures whioh all intelligent and liberal minds concede to be generally necessary, the firßt and by far the largest is the land question. The ohief misfortune connected with this question is, that its bearing is not by any means confined to Ireland. Effectively ohange the conditions of the holding of land in Ireland, and the spirit of reform will at once make itself manifest in England and Scotland, where evils similar in oharaoter if not yet felt to be so oppressive and prejudicial, certainly exist. In England the acquisition of vast fortunes by a comparatively few, and the lust for ter* ritorial ownership in a small country where the population is, year by year, increasing by tremendous strides, driving the people into the cities and towns where, production being impossible sub•istenoe is precarious, men are driven to ask by what right a few thousands of rich men hold the landfj, denying the people homes and seriously affecting their means of subsistence. In Scotland the people have been thrown from their native hills in order to turn the highlands into hunting grounds for wealthy south* eruers, and as a natural consequence the country, in certain districts, is beooming speckled with vast wilder* nesses. It will be seen therefore that any effeotive remedy that could be devised for the uloer festering in the heart of the body politic in Ireland, will but lead to a demand for the application of the same course of treatment in Eng* land and Sootland. Thus, a question whioh is a quite sufficiently big difficulty in itself is rendered of almost colossal magnitude, and nothing short of a constitutional struggle of a tremendous oharaoter between the landlords and the people in all three kingdom is likely to be productive of any lasting or benefioial result. The soheme put forward by the Irish Land League is, that England should borrow Borne 250 millions and buy out therewith the lights of the present landlords to the soil, the fee simple to be transferred to the Government. One would naturally imagine that if this were oarried out it would be fatal to all Home Bale aspira. tions, for it is not likely after borrowing 250 millions to buy Ireland up, that the English Government would immediately surrender the whole control of the conntry into other hands. But the projeo* tors of this notable soheme do not reason that way; they still remain Home Rulere. The landowners being bought out, the tenants now in occupation are to oontinue in possession of their holdings, paying rent to the Government whioh has stepped into the shoeß of the present landlords, the monies bo paid being employed, to reimburse the State for its immense outlay. After a oertain period— to be calculated —has passed, the amount of the prinoi* pal and interest upon eaoh holding iB to be considered as recouped, and the fee Bimple iB to pnes into the hands of the present oooupants or tenants. The Government, in short, are to assume the position of a huge land company, trad* ing upon borrowed capital, with no prospect of financial profit and almost every certainty of lobb ; they have to buy up the lands as cheaply as they can, but in any case it is not likely they oan be obtained at less than their value, and practically sell them again on a system of deferred payments to a class of people who are as likely to rise in robellion aguinßt tho monstrous wrong of being called upon to pay rent to the Government, us they have been to rise against their present landlords for tho flame reason. The observance o! a saored respeot for tho contracts which thojf Lave entered into in the past, is

about the only security whiobj the Irish people can give give that they will faithfully adhere to their terms with the Government in the future, and if the security is in any way defective in that respect obviously it beoomes valueless. Supposing, however, the scheme to have been adapted and carried to completion, wbut will then be the state of tb« coun> try P The present landlords having been driven out, a fresh lot would be found in occupation of their position — more numerous perhaps, but still landlords. The fee simple of the land would still be in the hands of private persons who would be at liberty to sell them again to the capitalist, and to let them again to poor tenants, and all the old heart-burnings would be found onoe more in full force. Fifty years hence the difficulties of Ireland would have become multiplied and intensified— there would be perhaps a greater number of landlords occupying smaller holdings of land, but the poverty would probably be greater and the bitterness more fierce than that of to-day. In connection with this question we have before us an interest* ing eßsay from the pen of Mr Alvbed B. Wallace, which we propose noticing in a few days, when we hope to return to the subject.