§ MR. MAHONY (Meath, N.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether he will explain why the last Return of Evictions in Ireland, which has been drawn in a new form, omits all evictions in which the persons are re-admitted as caretakers on the day of eviction; whether, in 1887, 11,648 persons were thus temporarily re-admitted; why the new form of Return, though giving the evictions of caretakers created under Section 7 of the Act of 1887, omits caretakers such as the 11,648 persons temporarily readmitted to their houses in 1887; and, whether he will alter the form of Return, so as to give, as heretofore, the total number of tenants evicted, including 194 those temporarily re-admitted as caretakers, and will add to the Return a column showing the number of caretakers other than those created under Section 7 of the Act of 1887 who maybe evicted?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR) (Manchester, E.)The Return in Table 2 gives the information to which the hon. Member refers as regards tenants converted into caretakers, whether under the old law or the new law, and also as regards sub-tenants readmitted as caretakers under the old law. It does not give it as regards subtenants affected by the proceedings under the new law, because that information is not obtainable with any accuracy, and this is explained in a foot-note to the Return. It may be noted that since the Land Act of 1887 came into operation the number of tenants converted into caretakers otherwise than under Section 7 of that Act must be very small; as the procedure for determining the tenancy under that section supersedes, in the majority of cases, that which required a temporary expulsion of the tenant from his holding. The object of the Return is to give as accurately as possible the main facts which are of public interest—namely, the number of tenants whose tenancy is determined, and the number of tenants turned out of their holdings by such form of procedure as actually severs their connection with the holding, either temporarily or permanently. Neither of these facts was shown in a clear form in the old Return. Possibly this circumstance alone might not have justified an alteration in the established form; but this alteration was rendered absolutely necessary by the change in the law introduced by the Act of last Session.
§ MR. MAHONYcalled the right hon. Gentleman's attention to the last part of his Question, with reference to the total number of tenants evicted.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURsaid, the hon. Gentleman could find that out by adding up two of the columns on page 1 of the Return. There could be no objection to giving another column in the Return, with this addition effected.
§ MR. MAHONYsaid, there appeared to be some misunderstanding in the Return. He wanted the right hon. Gentleman to include in the number of cases of eviction the tenants who were evicted 195 and re-admitted on the day of eviction as simple caretakers. He also asked, what was the exact meaning of the expression "determined" used in reference to tenancies?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURreplied that the fourth page of the Return gave the hon. Gentleman exactly the information he desired. It gave the number of tenants who were under the old law turned out and re-admitted on the second day.
§ MR. MAHONYasked, whether the expression that a tenancy was "determined" meant that a decree of the Court had been given, or that power of eviction had been obtained? There seemed to be considerable misunderstanding on the matter.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURsaid, he had consulted with his hon. and learned Friend the Solicitor General for Ireland, so as to have expressions used in the Return which would have no ambiguity.