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Show I VICTORY FOR IRISH PARTY. I The Irish party scored a noteworthy I achievement when the Town Tenants I Ireland) Bill, which was in charge of 1 Patrick O'Brien, obtained its second I reading- and was referred to a grand. I committee. This was the first bill put I down by th party this session, which juakcs the result all the more satisfac- !tory. The second reading was moved in. " nn eminently practical and business like speech - by Mr.-O'Brien, and Mr. Field seconded it. as he has been closely Mentind with this subject for several j Th provisions of the bill proposes to I i provide that where a tenant of a town If holding desires to make improvements, , j lie in the first place ask the landlord's j assent. If the landlord gives his as- I . pent the Improvements are registered. I and In the event of the tenant giving ! up the holding he will receive com- I f pensation for the improvements, less 1 w ear and tear. Should the.landlord re- fuse to assent to the registration of the improvements, the tenant could ap- I peal to the -county court, where the 1 judge, if he was satisfied that they 1 vould be suitable to the holding, could I order them to be registered. I The opposition came from Sir John I Oolomb. who was backed up by the I chief secretary, who objected to intro- I ducing this system of compensation I into town holdings, which, he maln- talned, were on a different footing from agricultural land. However, al- 1 though he declared that he would vote I against the bill himself, he did not ask 1 anyone to follow his example. His at- I titude. though hostile, was quite fair. 1 The case for the bill was. in fact, un- I answerable, for, as T. W. Russell put I it. under the existing law the land- I lord would do nothing in the way of j improvements, and the tenant was I afraid to do anything. The Irish Union - ists also supported it. and in the dlvi- I sion six of them voted for the second I leading. The majority for the second I reading was 57. while tlie motion to re- fer it to the grand committee was ! carried by 68. 'The Liberals voted in a body for the measure, and also some $ half-dozen English Unionist members. I The bill should undoubtedly pass , Into law, unless the session is termi- 1 tinted unexpectedly by a dissolution. The Irish party will now press to have ! I it brought before the grand committee i at the earliest possible rate, and it . should pass through that stage in one i or two sittings. Irish World. |