HC Deb 28 June 1888 vol 327 cc1548-50
MR. M'CARTAN (Down, S.)

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether he can now state how many fair rent applications from the Union of Ballycastle were heard by the Sub-Commission sitting in County Antrim in July last; whether he can mention how many of the applications then listed for hearing were adjourned; whether he is aware that a number of the applications entered from this Union in the year 1885 still remain undisposed of; and, whether it is the intention of the Land Commission, as was stated, to move to County Antrim in July next the Commission now sitting in County Down?

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

The Land Commissioners inform me that 35 applications from Ballycastle Union to fix fair rents appeared in the Sub-Commission list for July, 1887. They were all disposed of at that sitting. No applications received in 1885 from that Union remain undisposed of. The oldest outstanding fair rent case was received in June, 1887. The Commissioners find it necessary, having regard to the claims of the County Fermanagh, to move the Sub-Commission sitting in the County of Down to the County Fermanagh for the month of July next.

MR. M'CARTAN

asked the right hon. Gentleman, whether it was not a fact that about 3,000 or 4,000 applications by tenants to have fair rents fixed were still remaining unheard in the County Down, and also when a Sub-Commission would next sit there?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

said, be was afraid he could not give the hon. Gentleman a more specific answer than he had already given as to the time a Sub-Commission would sit.

MR. MAURICE HEALY (Cork)

asked, if the right hon. Gentleman would say whether all the Sub-Commissioners whose appointment had been approved of by the Treasury were actually working?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

said, that he could give no answer; but the hon. Gentleman knew that he had a plan at present before Parliament for dealing with the existing block in the Land Court.

MR. W. REDMOND (Fermanagh, N.)

, speaking on behalf of the tenants in Fermanagh, asked, would the Government take any steps to deal with the great number of applications that still remained unheard in that county?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

said, he proposed to take steps to deal with the arrears in the Land Courts by a plan which was embodied in a Bill now before the House.

MR. MAURICE HEALY

When is that Bill likely to come on?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

That is a Question which I think should be addressed to the Leader of the House. As far as I am concerned, I am extremely anxious to push the Bill forward.

MR. W. REDMOND

Might I ask the Leader of the House, what steps the Government intend to take with regard to the Land Law (Ireland) (Land Commission) Bill; and if it is not the intention of the Government to take that Bill soon, will the Government take some temporary steps for relieving the block?

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

I do not know, Sir, whether I am quite in Order in answering the Question now; but if I am, I may say that it is the intention of the Government to make the Land Law (Ireland) (Land Commission) Bill one of the first measures after the Committee on the Local Government Bill. I trust the House will not think it necessary to prolong the discussion on the Bill, seeing that it would interfere with the progress of other important Business.

MR. MAURICE HEALY

May I ask the Chief Secretary, whether he is aware that the effect of postponing the Land Law (Ireland) (Land Commission) Bill until after the Local Government Bill will be that no effective steps can be taken to bring the Land Law (Ireland) (Land Commission) Bill, when it passes, into actual operation until the month of November next?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

Well, Sir, I do not know that that is the case; but I should remind the hon. Gentleman that the decisions of the Land Court are retrospective, and date from the time that the application is made.

MR. M'CARTAN

Is it not the fact that, in the meantime, tenants are obliged to pay the old rents?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

I am not aware of a single case in which a landlord whose tenants have gone into Court has tried to extract the old rent.

MR. M'CARTAN

I know of hundreds of cases.

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

I should be very glad if the hon. Member would furnish me with any of them.