in
speaking well of whom--at a great distance--he has spent a long life,
he is now bound to express himself as opposed. We all remember the
manner after which the Coercion Bill of 1881 was passed. The hoarse
shrieks with which a score of Irish members ran out of the House
crying "Privilege," when their voices had been stopped by the
salutary but certainly unconstitutional word of the Speaker, is
still ringing in our ears. Then the Government and the Irish score
were at daggers-drawn with each other. To sit for thirty-six hours
endeavouring to pass a clause was then held by all men to be an
odious bondage. But when these clauses had thus roughly been made to
be the law, the sugar-plum was to follow by which all Ireland was to
be appeased. The second Bill of 1881 was passed, which, with various
additions, has given rise to Judge O'Hagan's Land Court. That, with
its various sub-commissioners, is now engaged in settling at what
rate land shall be let in Ireland.

That Judge O'Hagan and his fellow commissioners are well qualified
to perform their task,--as well qualified, that is, by kindness,
by legal knowledge and general sagacity as any men can be,--I have
heard no one deny. In the performance of most difficult duties they
have hitherto encountered no censure. But they have, I think, been
taxed to perform duties beyond the reach of any mortal wisdom. They
are expected to do that which all the world has hitherto failed in
doing,--to do that against which the commonest proverbs of ancient
and modern wisdom have raised their voice. There is no proverb more
common than that of "_caveat emptor_." It is Judge O'Hagan's business
to do for the poorer party in each bargain made between a landlord
and a tenant that against which the above proverb warns him. The
landlord has declared that the tenant shall not have the land unless
he will pay L10 a year for it. The tenant agrees. Then comes Judge
O'Hagan and tells the two contracting parties to take up their pens
quickly and write down L8 as the fair rent payable for the land. And
it was with the object of doing this, of reducing every L10 by some
percentage, twenty per cent. or otherwise, that this commission was
appointed. The Government had taken upon itself to say that the
greed of Irish landlords had been too greedy, and the softness of
Irish tenants too soft, and that therefore Parliament must interfere.
Parliament has interfered, and L8 is to be written down for a term
of y