HC Deb 13 July 1849 vol 107 cc324-5

The House went into Committee on this Bill, when Clauses from 2 to 8 were agreed to.

On Clause 9,

MR. SADLEIR

inquired whether Trinity College, Dublin, would be empowered to grant leases under the Bill? There was nothing more objectionable than the college tenure in Ireland, and nothing more disgraceful than the way in which Trinity College had managed their estates during the last 100 years. When their land came out of lease, the authorities of the college took pains to secure and select from any part of the country some party willing to occupy the position of middleman. Cases had come within his personal knowledge where the college had rejected the proposals made to them by their occupying tenants and the persons actually cultivating the land, and had selected middlemen who offered rents much under those which the occupying tenants proposed to pay, the middlemen in these cases enjoying a profit after the payment of the rent.

The SOLICITOR GENERAL

said, the Bill would not apply either to Trinity College or any other corporation, but simply to occupiers. If, however, a clause were proposed calculated to improve the management of estates by colleges he would not object to it.

MR. NAPIER

represented the inconvenience of seizing the present occasion to make a complaint against Trinity College respecting the management of their estates. If the hon. Member for Carlow would select some specific instance, at a suitable time, he would meet the hon. Member upon this charge.

MR. SADLEIR

had made no charge against Trinity College, the authorities of which probably felt compelled to adhere to their present system of estate management.

Clause agreed to.

MR. HAMILTON

proposed a clause, empowering the incumbent of any benefice in Ireland, with the consent of his archbishop or bishop, to devise or lease any part of his glebe lands, not being less than ten acres, and not being immediately appertaining to and used in connexion with a glebe-house, for any term not exceeding twenty-one years, to take effect in possession, and not in reversion, and without fine.

The SOLICITOR GENERAL

stated, that it was not his intention to have legislated on this subject, but as the clause was proposed by the hon. Member for Dublin University, he would not oppose it.

SIR R. FERGUSON

said, that a provision should have been introduced against subletting.

MR. HAMILTON

said, the lease could be made only to a person in occupation; and in the form prescribed in the Act to which reference had been made in the clause, there was a provision against subletting; and if the Solicitor General introduced any general provision against subletting, it would, of course, apply to church lands. The clause was then brought up and agreed to.

The other clauses were thou gone through, and the House resumed.

Committee reported progress.

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