HC Deb 30 June 1882 vol 271 cc922-3
MR. TOTTENHAM

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether Mr. Thomas Meek, who has been recently appointed a Sub-Commissioner under the Land Act, is the same person who was employed as tenants' valuator before the Tyrone Sub-Commissioners, and whether the valuations put upon the farms by him were, in every instance, so palpably too low, that the Sub-Commissioners before whom he was examined disregarded his evidence, and fixed the judicial rents considerably higher; whether he has given any assurance that his decisions will not be in accordance with the views on which, such estimates were based; and, whether a very large proportion of the de- cisions of the Sub-Commission of which he is a member are being appealed against by the landlords?

MR. TREVELYAN

Sir, the Land Commissioners have forwarded to me a letter from Mr. Meek, in which he states that, while there was a material difference between his valuations and the judicial rents fixed, it should be borne in mind that the lands about which he gave evidence were of a cold, heavy nature, and belonged to a class which, he considered, had depreciated more in value than lighter soils. Mr. Meek is only one of three Sub-Commissioners, and is not alone responsible for the decisions of the Sub-Commission. Up to the 28th of June 318 cases had been decided by this Sub-Commission, and against these decisions 104 appeals, all from landlords, have been lodged.

MR. J. LOWTHER

wished to know if Mr. Meek had been employed as the tenants' valuator before his appointment?

MR. TREVELYAN

, in reply, said he had been.

MR. DILLON

gave Notice, in consequence of this Question having been asked, that at an early date he would ask how many agents and landlords' valuators had been appointed?

MR. WARTON (for Lord ARTHUR HILL)

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether Mr. Thomas Meek, now a Sub-commissioner under the Land Act, was employed by some of the tenants on Colonel the honourable Stuart Knox's estate to value their farms and give evidence on the hearing of their applications to fix a judicial rent; whether all these farms were let at or under the Government valuations, at an aggregate rent of £75 15s., whereas Mr. Meek's valuation of same was £51 12s. 2d.; and, whether his estimate was discarded by the Sub-commissioners as inadequate and unreliable, and the judicial rent fixed at £64 14s.?

MR. TREVELYAN

Sir, I have called for information in reference to this Question, but have not yet received it.