HC Deb 26 October 1882 vol 274 cc173-5
MR. TOTTENHAM

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether it is the case that the County Court Judge of Waterford, Mr. Waters, Q.C. has appointed a Mr. Fitzgerald as Court Valuer in cases coming before him under the Land Act of 1881; whether this is the same Mr. Fitzgerald who was produced as valuer on behalf of the tenants in nearly all the cases heard before the Sub-Commissioners at their recent sittings at Dungarvan, county Waterford, and was introduced to the Court by the solicitor for the tenants, as the "County Court valuer;" whether he is himself an occupier of land in the neighbourhood of Dungarvan, and admitted, on cross-examination, that he was not on good terms with his landlord; and, whether he will represent to the County Court Judge the extreme impropriety of appointing a person of this class, with a direct personal interest in the reduction of rents, to value and advise on interests opposed to his own in his own immediate neighbourhood and county?

MR HEALY

Before the Question is answered, I wish to ask you a Question, Sir, upon a point of Order. The hon. Member refers to the "extreme impropriety of appointing a person of this class, with a direct personal interest in the reduction of rents;" and I would ask, whether, as that involves debatable matter, it can be put?

MR.SPEAKER

, in reply, said, that, although the Question did, in some sense, bring doubtful matter before the House, as prejudging the question, under the circumstances, he did not think it right to interpose between the Minister and the hon. Member, who put the Question upon his own responsibility.

MR. TREVELYAN

Sir, Mr. Waters has been good enough to favour me with a report in reference to this Question. He informs me that, on each occasion on which the Land Commissioners were not able to give him the assistance of an official valuer in the County Waterford, he appointed Mr. Fitzgerald to act as independent valuer for his Court. He states that Mr. Fitzgerald is a graduate of Trinity College, a magistrate of the County Waterford, where he rents the demesne lands of Sea View, near Dungarvan—a very large property of several hundred acres, which he sub-lets to tenants—and a landlord in the County Limerick, and that he has thorough confidence in his ability and impartiality. In a postscript, Mr. Waters further informs me that he knew nothing of what occurred before the Sub-Commissioners, except that Mr. Fitzgerald had informed him he was a witness on behalf of tenants in two cases. Since then Mr. Waters says he has been asked on behalf of three landlords who have cases pending in his Court—one case being on the estate of the Duke of Devonshire—to send Mr. Fitzgerald to value the lands. I have no intention of making any representation on the subject to the County Court Judge.

MR. TOTTENHAM

I beg to give Notice that, on Monday next, I shall ask a similar Question, whether a like objection was made in the County Antrim?

MR. O'DONNELL

gave Notice that, on Monday, he would ask, Whether the right hon. Gentleman knew that the decisions of the Sub-Commissioner in Dungarvan had been received with general disapproval in the neighbourhood?