§ MR. M'CARTAN (Down, S.)Perhaps the right hon. Gentleman would allow me to supplement the Question which stands in my name, by inquiring whether he was aware that a large number of the applicants are tenants on the estate of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland? I beg now to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether he is aware that the Sub-Commission appointed for County Down has not sat there since November last and is now sitting in County Donegal, and that it is likely to be occupied in the latter county till after Easter; whether the landlords in Down are enforcing payment of the old rents due at November, notwithstanding the fact that the tenants who applied before that time to have fair rents fixed are entitled to the benefit of the judicial rent from the six months previous to the November gale day; whether, considering the number of applications to fix fair rents entered from County Down, he will take steps to have sittings of a Sub-Commission in the county without further delay; and, whether he can state when the tenants may expect the next sitting of a Sub-Commission there?
THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDER SECRETARY (Colonel KING-HARMAN)(who replied) (Kent, Isle of Thanet)said: No, Sir. I have no information with regard to the inquiry of the hon. Member which is not on the Paper. With regard to the Question on the Paper, the Land Commissioners report that Sub-Commissions are not appointed for any particular county, and that in fixing the sittings of the Sub-Commissions due regard must be paid to the interests of all the districts concerned. The Commissioners hope to be able to arrange for the sitting of a Sub-Commission in Down during the month of April next. Neither the Government nor the Land Commissioners have any information as to the proceedings of landlords in the County Down in enforcing payments of old rents due at November. The hon. Member, however, appears to be under a misapprehension in regard to the date from which the judicial rent will take effect. The Land Act of last Session directs that the judicial rent shall be the rent payable 382 by the tenant of the holding as from the gale day next after the making of the application; and therefore, in the cases he refers to, the rent for the six months previous to November is in no wise affected.
§ MR. M'CARTANMay I ask the right hon. and gallant Gentleman whether he is aware that the rent runs for six months previous to the 1st of April, and that, therefore, the date of the sitting did affect the tenants in question? Am I to understand from the answer of the right hon. and gallant Gentleman that there is to be no sitting of the Land Commission until April?
§ COLONEL KING-HARMANI am afraid not before April next. The Commissioners cannot arrange for an earlier sitting.
§ MR. T. W. RUSSELL (Tyrone, S.)May I ask the right hon. and gallant Gentleman whether, in consequence of the friction that appears to prevail, the Government will not take into consideration the advisability of appointing additional Sub-Commissioners?
§ COLONEL KING-HARMANThis is the first intimation that the Government had of any friction of the kind; but if any is found to exist, the Government will do their best to alleviate it.