§ MR. SEXTONasked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether he has had his attention drawn to the official records of the Proceedings of the Irish Land Commission under "The Land Law (Ireland) Act, 1881," with reference to 1060 "Appeals re Fair Pent, amp;c.;" whether he has observed that whereas the total number of Appeals lodged, up to the 31st ultimo, was 7,060, the total number heard was but 1,542, and the number withdrawn 1,013, leaving the number of Appeals not then in any way disposed of 4,505; whether he has observed that the number of Appeals not disposed of was, on the 24th Feb. 1882, 648; on the 15th April 1882, 1,181; on the 30th June 1882, 1,929; on the 31st July 1882, 2,002; on the 31st Aug. 1882, 2,626; on the 30th Sep. 1882, 2,733; on the 31st Oct. 1882, 3,281; on the 30th Nov. 1882, 3,757; on the 31st Dec. 1882, 3,843; on 31st January last 3,771; on the 28th of February last, 4,096; and, on the 31st ultimo, 4,505; and, in view of the continuous increase of arrear of business, under this head, and of the fact that the demand for judicial action is several times as great as the supply, the Government will take steps to remedy the in competency of the Irish Land Commission Court to deal with this part of its functions?
§ MR. BRODRICKwished, before the Prime Minister answered the Question, to ask him, Whether the appeals were not mainly due to the hasty and ill-considered decisions of the Sub-Commissioners; and whether he would undertake that no further pressure should be put upon the Sub-Commissioners to force them to decide a larger number of cases per diem?
MR. GLADSTONE,in reply, said, that he was not aware of any pressure having been put upon the Sub-Commissioners to force them to increase the number of cases decided per diem; nor was he aware that the number of appeals in the vast number of cases before the Sub-Commissioners was any proof of their decisions being either hasty or ill-considered. He could give no opinion on those subjects, and it was his duty, in the absence of information, neither to affirm nor contradict the assertions of the hon. Member. With respect to the original Question, he had no fault to find with the statement of fact, which he believed to be correct. With regard to the closing part of the Question, whether—
In view of the continuous increase of arrear of business, under this head, and of the fact that the demand for judicial action is several times as great as the supply, the Government 1061 will take steps to remedy the in competency of the Irish Land Commission Court to deal with this part of its functions?he was afraid that the Government had no power, as an Executive Government, to apply any remedy to what he felt to be a serious inconvenience. As at present advised, he did not know of any remedy that could be suggested except such remedy as would require legislation. The hon. Member was in as good a position as himself to form a probably correct estimate of the difficulties which lay in the way of fresh legislation, in addition to the questions already before the House. Therefore, although he could hold out no immediate prospect of legislation, he could assure the hon. Member that the subject was one which would demand the careful consideration of the Government.