§ SIR G. CAMPBELLI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if he has noticed in the Times of 25th May, a statement asserting that the Land Purchase Acts have been abused in the following particulars—
The son of a landlord buys from his father two farms at a little over £3,000 each, total £6,000. A purchaser buys a demesne or home farm in five separate conveyances, of £2,000 each, total £10,000 to one purchaser,and whether he has any reason to believe that such or any similar transactions have actually taken place; if so, whether he has done anything to check such things, or has any power to do so; and, if not, whether, in the event of his not proceeding with the Land Department Bill, he will propose any measures to prevent the possibility of abuses under the new Act such as have occurred under the Ashbourne Acts?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI have observed the letter published in the Times of May 26th, to which I presume the hon. Member refers. It is the case that, as the law stood prior to 1887 there was no limit in the number of advances which could be made to any one tenant-purchaser. But under the Land Act passed in that year the amount of an advance to any one purchaser was limited to a sum not exceeding £5,000 in all, which was modified by Section 2 of the Purchase of Land (Ireland) Amendment Act, 1888, to a sum not exceeding £3,000, except where expedient for the purpose of carrying out sales on the same estate, when an advance not exceeding £5,000 might be made. This 1200 limitation continues and would be applicable in the case of any sale under the proposed legislation now before the House.
§ SIR G. CAMPBELLMay I ask whether the right hon. Gentleman has reason to believe that the facts are as stated in the question?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI gather, at all events, that that might have been done before the Act of 1887.
§ SIR G. CAMPBELLWill the right hon. Gentleman take any measures to prevent such abuses from taking place in the future?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI have told the hon. Gentleman that we have taken two measures to stop them—one under the Act of 1887 and another under the Act of 1888.