§ MR. J. E. ELLIS (Nottingham, Rushcliffe)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, When he will lay upon the Table the facts and figures with respect to the taking of derelict farms in Ireland, to which reference was made by His Excellency the Lord Lieutenant in a speech at Belfast on the 15th of October last?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR) (Manchester, E.)I have already explained, on former occasions, the reasons which make me reluctant to tabulate in an official form the information we receive about evicted farms. Those reasons still seem to me to carry great weight.
§ MR. CLANCY (Dublin Co., N.)What are those reasons?
§ MR. J. E. ELLISThe Lord Lieutenant has made those controversial statements, and are we to have no means of testing their accuracy?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe hon Gentleman will see that if the table were given it would only repeat what the Lord Lieutenant has stated, and on the same authority. So I do not see that the hon. Gentleman is, for controversial purposes, any worse off now than he would be if the Return were presented. Further, the hon. Gentleman is aware that information may properly be given in speeches which could not properly be laid before the House in a tabular form.
§ MR. CLANCYWhat is the authority on which the Lord Lieutenant made those statements?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURFrom information supplied to His Excellency.
§ MR. JOHN MORLEY (Newcastle-upon-Tyne)Did not the right hon. Gentleman say, in the course of this Session, that the Government had no means of keeping an account of the 763 number of derelict farms; and, if so, what is the authority on which His Excellency made the statements?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURNo, Sir; I do not think that I laid down a proposition like that. The right hon. Gentleman is aware that information on the subject has, from time to time, been given to the Irish Office; and one reason why I should be reluctant to give those figures is that, so far as I can make out, sufficiently precise and accurate instructions were not given in Earl Spencer's time for information to be collected on this subject with care and precision. Therefore, any figures which might now be laid on the Table cannot be compared with the figures gathered in Earl Spencer's time. As I have said, however, there is some information on the subject which can be supplied.
§ MR. JOHN MORLEYI do not rise to labour the point; but I should like to point out to the right hon. Gentleman that we do not desire those figures for the purpose of comparing them with any figures gathered in Earl Spencer's time; but for comparing the number of derelict farms at present with, say, a year ago.