§ MR. HAYDEN (Leitrim, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1) what was the amount paid to Mr. Percy Magan, J.P., for the Counties of Westmeath, Roscommon, and Wexford, under the Arrears Act of 1882, on account of arrears alleged to be due by his tenant, Bernard Clogher, of Cartron, County Roscommon; (2) in the schedule sworn to by Mr. Magan, what was the amount alleged to be the annual rent; (3) in the same schedule, sworn to before Mr. C. Hancock, J.P. for Westmeath, on 28th November, 1882, what was the amount of arrears alleged to be due on 1st November, 1880; (4)is a landlord entitled under the Arrears Act to return in the schedule a reserved penal rent, being double the ordinary rent he was in the habit of receiving, or to receive a year's rent calculated on such reserved penal rent; and (5) when a landlord has received money under the Arrears Act, to which it can be shown he was not entitled, what steps can be taken to have such amount recovered and restored to the public fund from which it was paid?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOUR(1.) The Land Commissioners report that the amount referred to in the first paragraph was £15. (2.) The annual rent given in the schedule verified by the joint affidavit of the landlord and tenant was £15. (3.) The amount of arrears set forth was £30. (4.) The rent which the tenant was legally liable to pay during the period in which the antecedent arrears (as defined in the Arrears Act of 1882) accrued, formed the basis for the payment to which the landlord was entitled. No reference was made to a reserved penal rent in the case in question. The tenant, in his affidavit, stated that the arrears mentioned were justly duo. (5.) Provision is made under the 7th section of the Act to meet any claim which may have been falsely made.
§ MR. HAYDENMay I call the attention of the right hon. Gentleman to the fact that he has not answered the fourth paragraph of my question?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI cannot give any further answer than I have given.