HC Deb 30 November 1888 vol 331 cc598-9
MR. M'CARTAN (Down, S.)

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether he is aware that, of 19,979 notices to fix fair rents served from Ulster during the year ending August, 1888, fair rents have been fixed by the Sub-Commission in 3,033 cases only; whether he can state the additional number of applications to fix fair rents made before the 1st instant; and, whether, considering that at the above rate it would take upwards of six years to dispose of the cases already entered, and the necessity for having the fair rents fixed without further delay, in order to enable tenants to purchase their holdings on fair terms, and to save them from the enforced payment of the old rent, he will appoint such an additional number of Sub-Commissioners as will enable the Court to have these rents fixed within a reasonable period?

THE SOLICITOR GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. MADDEN)(who replied) said (Dublin University)

The Land Commissioners report that the number of notices to fix fair rents served from Ulster during the period named are as stated in the Question. But of these, 3,919 were disposed of during that period, in 3,231 cases fair rents being fixed, and the remaining 688 cases were either dismissed, struck out, or withdrawn. Between the 22nd of August and the 1st of November, 1888, 727 notices to fix fair rents were received from Ulster, and during the same period 703 cases were disposed of. The Government intend to appoint 10 additional Sub-Commissioners, from the 1st of January next, to overtake the work, which has fallen into arrear through the large influx of cases consequent on the Act of last year.

MR. M'CARTAN

asked, whether or not one of these Sub-Commissions would be sent specially to the County Down, where so many of the applications still remained unheard?

MR. MADDEN

said, of course that would be a matter of arrangement by the Land Commissioners, to whom he would be happy to communicate the suggestion.

MR. M'CARTAN

asked that arrangements might be made so that one of these Commissioners might be sent to the County Down, where a very large number of fair-rent cases on the Lord Lieutenant's property were still undisposed of.

MR. MADDEN

had no doubt the Land Commissioners would discharge their duty in making proper arrangements for the sittings of Sub-Commissions.

MR. LEA (Londonderry, S.)

asked whether the Government meant to appoint 10 additional Sub-Commissioners; and, also, whether two legal Sub-Commissioners would be appointed?

MR. MADDEN

replied that the Government would appoint 10 Sub-Commissioners. He was not specifically informed as to whether or not any of the new Commissioners would be legal or not; but he gathered from the information before him that they would be lay Commissioners.

MR. FLYNN (Cork, N.)

asked that a recommendation be made to the Land Commissioners that one Sub-Commissioner be sent specially to Cork, where a number of cases remain undisposed of.

MR. MADDEN

said, he had no power to make recommendations to the Land Commission; but he would be happy to communicate the suggestion of the hon. Member to them.