THE MARQUESS OF CLANRICARDEwished to ask, whether Her Majesty's Government had announced or formed an intention to introduce into Parliament a Bill to render compulsory by law the custom which prevails in parts of Ireland commonly called tenant right. He put this question to the noble Earl in consesequence of a statement which he had seen in an Irish newspaper to the effect that the Chancellor of the Exchequer had stated in reply to a deputation which waited upon him on this subject, that it was the intention of Her Majesty's Government to introduce a Bill in the next Session of Parliament. He did not want to put any construction on the words used by a Member of the Government, but after what had 914 already taken place, and after the language used by the noble Earl the Secretary for Foreign Affairs in 1853, he was not afraid that any measure embodying the principle of what was called tenant right, or the principle of conveying one man's property to another, would be introduced by Her Majesty's Government. He was not opposed to any measure for remedying practical grivances. The agricultural population of Ireland was now in a more sound, prosperous, and contented state than any of their Lordships had ever known them to be, and it was to be regretted if any language should be held which would have the effect of disturbing men's minds, and encouraging hopes which were not likely to be realized.
§ THE EARL OF DERBYsaid, of what had passed at the deputation to his right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, to which the noble Marquess had alluded, he knew nothing; but if the noble Marquess had referred, not to a report in an Irish newspaper of the proceedings at that deputation, but to the Report of what had been said and done on the part of Her Majesty's Government in the House of Commons on the second reading of the Tenants' Compensation (Ireland) Bill, he would have ascertained what were the opinions of the Government on the subject. The noble Marquess was probably aware that that Bill was introduced by the hon. Member for Dungarvan (Mr. Maguire) for the purpose of carrying out tenant-right, and had been rejected on the principle on the second reading by a large majority. Most undoubtedly his right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer had never pledged himself or the Government to introduce any measure of the kind referred to by the noble Marquess—namely, "to render compulsory by law the custom called tenant-right which prevails in certain parts of Ireland." All that his right hon. Friend had said, and all that he had pledged the Government to do, was, that the Government would, during the recess, take into consideration the existing state of the law relating to landlord and tenant, and that, if they found it practicable, they would next Session introduce a measure such as they might deem requisite for correcting the acknowledged anomalies and inconveniences in that law; and he (the Earl of Derby), having every reason to believe that the feeling which existed in 1852 on both sides of this ques- 915 tion had very much diminished, and that there was now much more good sense and moderation exhibited on all hands with respect to it, was not without hope that it would be perfectly possible to introduce a measure which might have the effect of removing the existing defects and blemishes in the law, and of giving satisfaction to all parties concerned; and as the noble Marquess had already tried his hand upon the subject, if he had any advice or recommendation to offer in reference to it, it should receive the attentive consideration of the Government.