HC Deb 19 May 1881 vol 261 cc794-5
MR. LITTON

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether his attention has been called to the fact that about 240 ejectments for non-payment of rent have been served at the instance of the Commissioners of Endowed Schools against their tenants. in the neighbourhood of Coalisland, in the county of Tyrone; and, whether, considering that the Commissioners hold the lands for public purposes, he will use his influence to induce them to give further time to the tenants, so as not to impose upon them the enormous amount of cost so many actions will entail?

MR. W. E. FORSTER ,

in reply, said, he was himself an ex officio Commissioner of Endowed Schools; but he had never, nor, he believed, had any of his Predecessors, taken any active part in the business of the Commission. He had, however, received from the secretary a, statement of the facts of that matter. Seventy-eight ejectments had been given out for service. The rental of the land was 1,765; the Government valuation, including buildings, was £1,777; the rents being much below those of the adjoining estates, the Commissioners declined to make any abatement this year, first, because the sum of £200 had been advanced to the tenants in the shape of seed, only a small portion of which had been repaid, and next, because crops were above the average. In February last the agent reported that only £700 had been paid by the tenants. With a few exceptions the tenants were able to pay, but refused to do so, though the agent had attended on several occasions. Proceedings had, therefore, been directed to be taken against those who were able to pay; and it was only against those tenants that ejectments had been been obtained. Furthermore, the agent had been authorized to offer time to those who might promise to pay; but no applications for time had yet been made. The particulars as to that estate would be found in the Report of the Endowed Schools Commission.

LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL

asked whether the Commissioners had not remitted 15 per cent of their rents last year?

MR. W. E. FORSTER

said, he believed that they had.