Lords Sitting of 28 March 1881

MINUTES.
PUBLIC BILL—Second Reading—Committee negatived—Third Reading—Consolidated Fund (No. 2),* and passed.
LANDLORD AND TENANT (IRELAND) ACT, 1870, COMMISSION (THE EARL OF BESSBOROUGH'S)—THE EVIDENCE.

  QUESTION. OBSERVATIONS.
  LORD MONTEAGLEasked the Lord President of the Council, If he could say when the remainder of the evidence taken by the "Landlord and Tenant (Ireland) Act, 1870," Commission would be circulated? The noble Lord said, that a portion of the Evidence taken before the Commission had already been circulated; but, in his opinion, the most important portion—the rebutting Evidence—had not yet been published. He considered that portion of the Evidence most valuable, as it would enable their Lordships to judge more impartially on the whole ease. The Commission was appointed to inquire into certain grievances which had arisen under a particular state of the law, and that Commission went round the country and took Evidence in all towns. That course was a great advantage, because it gave an opportunity to every person who had a

  3
  grievance to come before the Commission and have the matter fully inquired into. But he wished to remark there was also a great disadvantage accompanying this method of procedure, for when certain Commissioners went into particular districts there was a natural tendency on the part of people to air their grievances in a manner which frequently involved charges against individuals. Of course, an opportunity was afforded to those individuals to rebut the charges made against them by any statements which they might wish to make; but the consideration he wished particularly to call their Lordships' attention to was that it was impossible for their Lordships and the public to arrive at a fair conclusion as to the true state of affairs in regard to the questions inquired into by the Commissioners until they had both sides before them. He trusted that the noble Earl (Earl Spencer) would be enabled to hold out a hope that the remainder of the Evidence taken before the Commission would soon be published.
  THE EARL OF DONOUGHMOREexpressed a hope that an index to the Report and Evidence would be furnished with the remainder of the Evidence.
  EARL SPENCER: With regard to what my noble Friend opposite has just said, I cannot answer the Question now as to whether there will be an index presented with the volume of Evidence which is shortly to be issued from Dublin; but I will take care to inquire into the question. It would, no doubt, be convenient to those wishing to study the Evidence that an index should be added to the volume. With regard to the Question of my noble Friend behind me (Lord Monteagle), the matter is now in the hands of the printer in Dublin, who has been urged to forward it as rapidly as possible. I understand that the remaining volume will be despatched from Dublin on the 31st instant, and he thinks it possible it may be ready before that time.
  LORD DUNSANYthought it would not be inconvenient if he said a few words on the constitution of the Commission itself. He had no doubt that when the Royal Commission was appointed Her Majesty's Government had no intention of making it an unfair or a one-sided Commission; but he would say that if it had been the intention of Her Majesty's Ministers to procure a
  4
  Court which might seem to support the views of the Land League, they could not have more efficiently and acutely selected the Commission. The Nobleman who was Chairman of the Commission was, it was true, the owner of a large estate in Ireland, which had always been remarkable for its good management; but the noble Chairman was very largely interested in land in Ireland. He seemed to approve of views which closely approached confiscation. The next Commissioner was the Leader of the Home Rule Party—or, rather, the late Leader—and another Home Ruler was also selected on the Commission; and then there was an Irish lawyer, who, he believed, owed his first advancement for the part which he had taken in anti-landlord agitation. A sop in the pan was given in the fifth and last Commissioner, who was a Conservative, making the constitution of the Commission four to one against the interests of the landlords. The Report of the Commission also displayed strong political animus; and he was really astonished to read in the Report the moderation of the witnesses commended, although many of the witnesses advocated confiscation.

  CONSOLIDATED FUND (NO. 2) BILL.
  Read 2a (according to order); Committee negatived: Then Standing Order No. XXXV. considered (according to order), and dispensed with: Bill read 3a, and passed.
  House adjourned at half past Five o'clock, till Two-morrow, half past Ten o'clock.