HC Deb 20 August 1889 vol 339 cc1762-3
MR. M'CARTAN

I beg to ask the Solicitor General for Ireland whether he is aware that the Land Commission have recently made a new rule requiring certain appellants to state, within 14 days of the date of a notice served by the Commission on the appellant, the ground of appeal intended to be relied on, and intimating to the appellant that if the form sent by the Commission is not received within the period stated, or if the information supplied is not such as to satisfy the Commission, the appeal will be liable to be struck out of the list and will not be listed again without a special order of the Court; whether this rule is intended to apply to all cases of appeal now entered for hearing; and, whether, considering that an appeal from the Sub-Commission or County Court is considered to be a re-hearing of the case, the Land Commission is acting within its powers in enforcing such a rule?

* MR. MADDEN

I have examined the notice referred to by the hon. and learned Member, which is substantially as stated in the question, and refers apparently to all pending appeals. The Land Commission inform me that after careful consideration they came to the conclusion that it was necessary in the interests of the parties concerned in appeals and of the Public Service that they should adopt the course specified in the notice in question. In my opinion, the Land Commission are acting within their powers in settling the lists of appeals in accordance with such a notice.

MR. T. M. HEALY

Was this a notice or a rule?

* MR. MADDEN

It was not a rule, but a notice calling upon tenants to give certain information for the purpose of facilitating the settling of the lists of appeals, and informing the parties interested that if they did not do so their cases might be postponed.

MR. M'CARTAN

What right had the Land Commission to circulate this order?

* MR. MADDEN

The Commission had a right to circulate a notice made for the purpose of getting information, in order that the lists of cases might be settled in the best manner; their action did not go beyond that.