§ MR. LABOUCHEREasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether, during his recent visit to Ireland, he has found that the landlords of that Country are, to any great extent, making use of their powers so as to force the Government to support them in the exercise of injustice; and, whether they have taken into consideration the statement made by the Eight honourable gentleman in this House on 24th August 1880, that it would be their serious duty to consider what their action should be, and that he did not think that any man in the House would expect him to remain any longer an instrument of that injustice?
§ MR. MACFARLANEasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If the circumstances contemplated when he used the following words in this House in August last year have or have not arisen:—
''If they found that the landlords in Ireland were to any great extent making use of their power so as to force the Government to support them in the exercise of injustice, the Government should accompany any request for special powers with a Bill which would prevent the Government from being obliged to support injustice. He would go further and say, under any circumstances, if it were found that injustice and tyranny were largely committed, though he did not believe that such would be the case, it would then be their serious duty to consider 345 what their action should be, and he did not think that any man in the House would expect him to remain any longer the instrument of injustice;if, notwithstanding this statement, it is the case that he refuses to protect tenants who cannot, because he believes that there are some who could pay but do not; if he can state the probable proportion of both classes now under notice of eviction?
§ MR. W. E. FORSTERSir, with regard to the Question of the hon. Member for Northampton (Mr. Labouchere), I can only state that during my recent visit to Ireland I have not found, after mating full inquiry, that the landlords of the country are to any great extent making use of their powers so as to force the Government to support them in the exercise of injustice. I do not know whether that answers the second part of the Question of my hon. Friend. I do not know who "they" are—
§ MR. LABOUCHEREIt was a quotation from the right hon. Gentleman's speech.
§ MR. W. E. FORSTERAs he has worded his Question, he asks me whether "they" have taken into consideration a statement made by me in August, 1880, and I imagine that the word "they" refers to the landlords. I think that what I have said also answers the second Question put to me; but the hon. Gentleman (Mr. Macfarlane) asks me if I can state the probable proportion of both classes—those who cannot and those who can pay—now under notice of eviction. Well, I believe, as far as I can get information on the matter, that the larger proportion of those under notice of eviction could pay, but will not. I have no official information as to the persons under notice of eviction, but I have of those actually evicted. The hon. Member will bear in mind that many persons receive notices who are not evicted, and that there are persons who are unable to pay their rent and other debts owing to their own improvidence.
§ MR. O'KELLYWill the right hon. Gentleman give a Return showing the proportion of tenants unable from misfortune to pay their rents, and of those unable to do so from improvident habits?
§ MR. W. E. FORSTERI cannot give the exact proportion, nor do I think any 346 person in the Three Kingdoms could. I believe the larger proportion of them—I will not say there are not some exceptions—are persons who can pay; and that a good many of those who cannot are persons who have got into that condition from what may be fairly said to be their own fault and their own improvidence.
§ MR. PARNELLDoes the right hon. Gentleman know that the vast majority of tenants, in reference to whom ejectments have been executed since the present Government came into Office, are tenants whose holdings are valued under £8, that many of them have large families, that their rents in most cases are greatly in excess of the Government valuation, and their circumstances consequently very poor?
§ MR. W. E. FORSTERIf the hon. Member will ask a Question with regard to the amount of the holdings valued under a certain sum, and will give me three or four days to answer it, I have no doubt I will be able to answer it for the first three months of this year—perhaps later.
§ MR. T. P. O'CONNORI would like to know from the right hon. Gentleman what has become of the tenants for whose benefit the Compensation for Disturbance Bill was brought in last year?
§ [No reply was given to the Question.]