HC Deb 26 April 1888 vol 325 cc598-9
MR. M'CARTAN (Down, S.)

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, with reference to his reply on the 12th instant, Whether he can now state at what time the next sitting of a Sub-Commission will be held to hear fair rent applications in the County of Antrim; whether, considering that nearly 4,000 applications remain unheard in the County of Down, it is still the intention of the Government to send to the County of Antrim after the 1st of May next the Sub-Commission at present sitting in the County of Down; and, what steps will then be taken to relieve the farmers of Down of the rents demanded by the landlords, pending the hearing of the fair rent applications of the tenants made before the 1st of November last?

THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR) (Manchester, E.)

The Land Commissioners report that a Sub-Commission sat in the County of Antrim in February and March last, and no date has yet been fixed for a further sitting for that county; but it is probable that the Commission now in County Down will be moved to Antrim in July. It is intended that the Sub-Commission at present sitting in the County Down shall continue working in that county during the months of May and June next.

MR. T. W. RUSSELL (Tyrone, S.)

asked whether, seeing that the Govern- ment admitted a block in the Land Court, and had introduced the Land Commission Bill for the purpose of relieving that block, when they proposed to enable the House to come to a decision upon the matter?

THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. W. H. SMITH) (Strand, Westminster)

There is every hope, Sir, that we shall be able to ask the House to consider the Bill on Monday; but I am not able to say precisely, owing to the present state of the Paper.

MR. M'CARTAN

pointed out that the Chief Secretary had not answered the last paragraph of his Question.

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

said, he would be glad if the hon. Member would be good enough to give him any instances that had come within his knowledge in which landlords had exacted the full rent due, quite irrespective of the character of the reduction which might be made?

MR. M'CARTAN

If the right hon. Gentleman will tell me what he will do, in that case I will give him the information of a certain estate where the landlord gave a reduction of 40 per cent to the tenants who did not enter Court; while in the cases of the tenants who did go into Court, and whose rents were not fixed, he got decrees of ejectment, and they were not now in a position to get fair rents fixed.

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

I do not think that that could legally happen; but as these questions of law are rather complicated, perhaps the hon. Gentleman will put a Question on the Paper, though I think, as he stated it, that the hardship to which he alluded could not arise.

MR. M'CARTAN

I wish to state to the right hon. Gentleman that in the case to which I have referred it is a fact that—

MR. SPEAKER

Order, order!