nable the tenant to live the life of ease
which he will have promised himself. If his interest has been made
to be worth anything,--and it will be worth something, seeing that
it has been worth something, and is saleable under its present
condition,--it will be sold, and the emigration will continue. There
are cruel cases at present. There will be cases not less cruel under
the _regime_ which the new law is expected to produce. But the new
law will be felt to have been unjust as having tampered with the
rights of property, and having demanded from the owners of property
its sale or other terms than those of mutual contract.

But the time selected for the measure was most inappropriate. If good
in itself, it was bad at the time it was passed. Home Rule coming
across to us from America had taken the guise of rebellion. I have
met gentlemen who, as Home-Rulers, have simply desired to obtain
for their country an increase of power in the management of their
own affairs. These men have been loyal and patriotic, and it might
perhaps be well to meet their views. The Channel no doubt does
make a difference between Liverpool and Dublin. But the latter-day
Home-Rulers, of whom I speak, brought their politics, their
aspirations, and their money from New York, and boldly made use of
the means which the British Constitution afforded them to upset the
British Constitution as established in Ireland. That they should not
succeed in doing this is the determination of all, at any rate on
this side of the Channel. It is still, I believe, the desire of most
thinking men on the Irish side. But parliamentary votes are not given
only to thinking men; and consequently a body of members has appeared
in the House, energetic and now well trained, who have resolved by
the clamour of their voices to put an end to the British power of
governing the country. These members are but a minority among those
whom Ireland sends to Parliament; but they have learned what a
minority can effect by unbridled audacity. England is still writhing
in her attempt to invent some mode of controlling them. But long
before any such mode had been adopted,--had been adopted or even
planned,--the Government in 1881 brought out their plan for securing
to the tenants fair rents, fixity of tenure, and freedom of sale.

As to the first, it will, of course, be admitted by all men that
rents should be fair, as also should be the price at which a horse is
sold. It is, however, be