MR. JOHN MORLEY (Newcastle-on Tyne)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether the application for advances up to the end of March last, under the Land. Purchase Acts of 1885 and 1888, amounted to £8,708,808; for what sum applications have been lodged between 1497 the end of March and 15th June; and, if the average of applications per month be maintained, at what date the funds at the disposal of the Land Commission would be exhausted?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe Land Commissioners report that the applications under the Land Purchase Acts to the end of March last amounted to £8,708,808. The amount of advances applied for between the end of March and the 16th of June, inclusive, was £257,356. The total amount of advances applied for to the 16th of June, 1890, was £8,966,164, from which is to be deducted for applications refused £930,571. This leaves a balance of £1,964,407 available for future applications. Assuming that the amounts sanctioned will continue per month at the average of the past, which, however, must be mere conjecture, the funds in question at the disposal of the Land Commission would be exhausted in about 14 months.