HC Deb 04 May 1883 vol 278 cc1876-7
MR. SEXTON

asked the First Lord of the Treasury, with respect to the inability of the Irish Land Commission Court to deal with the mass of appeals before it, Whether he has considered, as a matter of public policy, the probable effect of continuing, in connection with the Appeal Court, the present system of Court Valuers, some of whom, after having themselves been unsuccessful applicants for the place of Sub-Commissioners, and all of whom are dependent for continued employment as Court Valuers upon such a level of appeal valuation and such a course of appeal judgments as may continue to encourage the presentation of appeals by showing a general increase of the rents decreed by the Sub-Commissioners; and, whether, with a view to restrict the number of appeals, and thereby assist the Land Commission Court to meet the demands upon it, the Government will consider the expediency of discontinuing the employment of Court Valuers in connection with the Court of Appeal, and will enable that Court to consider and decide appeals upon the material afforded by the Sub-Commission Courts, namely, the sworn evidence of the parties and their respective valuers, and the valuation arrived at in the case of each holding by the Sub-Commissioners who inspect it?

MR. TREVELYAN

Sir, the First Lord of the Treasury wrote to the Land Commissioners on the subject of this Ques- tion; and he received a Memorandum which, perhaps, I had better read. It is as follows:— The system now adopted by the Land Commissioners in re-hearing cases is to have each holding, the rent of which is the subject of appeal, valued by one or more of the Court Valuers, who are all persons selected for their special knowledge of the value of land. A special Report on each holding is made by the Valuers for the information of the Commissioners when re-hearing the case; but the Commissioners are merely assisted, not in the remotest degree bound, by this Report, in coming to a decision, and the fact that they are provided with it in no way delays their proceedings; on the contrary, it expedites them. The Commissioners re-hear all the evidence in each case given in the Court below that is presented to them, and the Report of their own Valuer materially assists them in arriving at a correct judgment. What the effect might be on the number of appeals of discontinuing the system of valuations by Court Valuers, whether to increase or diminish them, cannot possibly be estimated; but the result of such discontinuance would be that the Commissioners would be deprived of the most important aid in carrying on their work—aid which is essential to the satisfactory discharge of their functions, and which they, therefore, cannot dispense with. The principal point in the Question, which is not adverted to in the foregoing Memorandum, appears to be that the Valuers have a personal interest in fixing rents high, in order that landlords may be induced to appeal. It might, on the same principle, be argued that Sub-Commissioners, being appointed only temporarily, have an interest in fixing rents low, in order that tenants might be induced to bring their cases into Court. The Government cannot admit either point of view, and do not see any reason to interfere with the present system on the ground suggested by the hon. Member.