(No. 172.) THIRD READING. (Hansard, 1 July 1872)

LORD ORANMORE AND BROWNE

said, he desired to move an Amendment which would render the Bill effectual for its object. He showed that under his proposal the Government would advance the whole of the purchase money to tenants not holding above the value of £20 a-year, but would in no case advance a larger sum than would cover 20 years' purchase, and that would be effected without involving a larger advance of public money than could be made by the present principle of the Bill, as in the few cases where advances had been made two-thirds of 30 years' purchase had been advanced. That would enable tenants in Ireland to arrive at what they most desired—fixity of tenure without any further loss to the Government and with a very little additional burden to the Exchequer and with honesty to landlords.

§ THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNE

said, he doubted whether such an Amendmen could be made in their Lordships' House; but if it were otherwise, he could not accept it on the part of the Government. As he understood its purport, it was that in the case of very small holdings where the tenant purchased under the Land Act of 1870 the State should supply him with the whole of the purchase-money, and not with a portion of it only, whenever the purchase-money did not exceed 20 years' purchase. Such an alteration would be entirely inconsistent with the intention of the Land Act of 1870, which went on the principle that if the tenant by his own thrift was able to contribute towards the purchase of his holding, the State would aid him with a definite proportion of the whole amount. The noble Lord's Amendment would be a departure from that principle, and would have a very mischievous effect. Another effect of the Amendment would be to give to small holders a statutory right to 20 years' purchase; 423 and as he doubted whether, in addition to those objections, the Amendment would have the effect contemplated by the noble Lord he trusted it would not be pressed.