§ MR. ESSLEMONT (Aberdeen, E.)On behalf of the hon. Member for Elgin and Nairn (Mr. Keay), I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, with reference to the nine holdings stated to have been resold in consequence of default by tenant purchasers under the Ashbourne Acts, whether he will state the date of the original sale, and the amount of the original purchase money, of each of these holdings respectively; the amount realised from the tenant purchaser in each case in respect of the annuity up to the date of default; and the date of resale, and the price received in each case; was the price in each case received in cash; and what loss, if any, has been sustained by the Treasury or by the original landlord in each case in consequence of the default and re-sale?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI have the particulars, and shall be happy to show them to the hon. Member, but it would take a long time to read them out to the House.
§ MR. ESSLEMONTHas the right hon. Gentleman any evidence to show what, in the cases of re-sale, the arrears were?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURNo, Sir.
§ MR. ESSLEMONTIt is well-known that in many instances the arrears were included in the purchase money, and that the default was owing to that fact.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURWhat the hon. Gentleman means is that the total purchase money has been in excess of the value of the holdings. I have no grounds to think that such has been the case.
§ MR. MAURICE HEALY (Cork)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the fact that on several estates recently sold to tenants tinder the Ashbourne Acts (and notably on Lord Shannon's estate, near Middleton) portions of the property sold consisted of the plots of ground taken on 99years' lease by Boards of Guardians under the Labourers' Acts, for the erection of labourers' cottages; whether in these cases, under the existing law, the landlord's rent and reversion, in respect of the labourer's cottage, must be either retained by the landlord who is selling, or bought by the tenant who is purchasing, and who thus becomes the landlord of the Guardians; and whether he will consider the advisability of giving Boards of Guardians themselves power to purchase in such cases?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe law is as stated in the question. The suggestion in the last paragraph shall receive consideration.