§ MR. KEAYI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the proceedings at recent meetings of tenant purchasers of holdings under the Ashbourne Acts, who have bought from the Duke of Leinster, the Marquess of Bath, the Marquess of Waterford, and others, and who are now agitating for the postponement of the annual instalments which they owe to the State; whether he will state the total amount of rental on each of these estates respectively which formed the basis of the calculation on which the purchases were effected, and whether he will state the total amount of rent actually paid on each of these estates by the tenants who purchased their holdings during the five years preceding the date of purchase, and the amount of arrears which had accumulated at the time of such purchase?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR, Manchester, E.)I understand that in some instances tenant purchasers have asked that the repayment of their purchase annuity should be extended over a greater period than the existing statutable one, or that payment of this year's instalment be deferred until the expiration of that statutable period. For particulars as to the area, rental, valuation, and purchase 163 money of the properties sold, I would refer the hon. Member to the special Parliamentary Returns on the subject—namely, No. 81 of Session 1889, and No. 115 of Session 1890. For additional particulars in regard to the sale of the Leinster estate, I would refer to my reply to a question put by the hon. Member for South Kildare on August 14th last (Hansard, Third Series, vol. 348, p. 970), where it is shown that the late Very Rev. Dr. Kavanagh, P.P., who conducted the negotiations on behalf of the tenants, wrote to the Irish Land Commissioners that the tenants were free contracting parties; that they had made excellent bargains; that their rents were low; and that the purchase would reduce these rents by 25 per cent. I may now further add that of the 348 tenant purchasers on this estate all have paid their annuities due May 1, 1890, except two, and their indebtedness does not exceed £20. The guarantee deposits amounting to upwards of £50,000 are untouched. The Commissioners have no record in regard to the subject matter of the last paragraph.
§ MR. KEAYArising out of the reply of the right hon. Gentleman, may I ask how it is that, without any regard to the amounts of the rents actually paid and of the arrears unpaid, the Commissioners have found themselves able to perform their duties under the provisions of the Act?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI do not see how that question arises out of my answer; but I will make inquiry.
§ MR. SEXTON (Belfast, W.)As it affects the question of the Land Purchase Bill, will the right hon. Gentleman place on the Table a Return showing up to the present time the number and extent of the farms in reference to which intending purchasers have applied to the Government for a relaxation of the terms of the Act?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURNo, Sir; I do not think anything would be gained by that.