§ MR. GIBSONasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether he can state what were the recommendations of the Irish Land Commission in reference to the appointment of official Court Valuers; at what date did the Treasury assent to the number and salaries of the valuers; how many official communications were made in writing by the Land Commission to the Irish Government on the subject; and, is there any official document of any kind which can be placed on the Table to show the decision of the Irish Land Commission on this important question, and the reasons for it?
§ MR. TREVELYANSir, the only information I feel myself at liberty to give the right hon. and learned Member in reply to this Question is that the official recommendation of the Land Commissioners for the appointment of official valuers is dated the 28th of August last, and that after the interchange of a Correspondence between the Land Commissioners and the Irish Government, and the Treasury and the Irish Government, the assent of the Treasury to the propositions put forward by the Land Commissioners was received in Dublin on the 5th of September, and communicated to the Land Commissioners next day. The matter had also been the subject of semi-official representations. I may say that the Land Commissioners unanimously object to Papers on this question being given to Parliament; and they must be allowed to be judges in the matter.
§ MR. GIBSONWould the right hon. Gentleman answer the last paragraph of my Question?
§ MR. TREVELYANThe only official document is the recommendation of the 27th August last, and the Land Commissioners are decidedly against producing that.