§ MR. KNOXI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury in how many cases the Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland have, up to the present date, raised the rents of tenants whose lands are alleged to have been improved by the Lough Erne drainage; what is the total amount of increase; what is the acreage of the land alleged to have been improved, and on which the rents have been increased; and how many of such tenants held under judicial tenancies?
*SIR J. GORSTI am informed that up to the present increased rents have only been settled for one-third of the district — namely, on seven hundred and fifty-nine holdings containing five thousand four hundred and two acres, the increased rents amounting to one thousand and seventy-eight pounds per annum; two hundred, and twenty-three of the holdings are held under judicial tenancies.
§ MR. KNOXI would ask the right hon. Gentleman whether, considering the bad effect on the peace of the district of those increases of rent, and the great difficulty in arriving at any final legal decision as to whether the Board of Works has power to raise judicial rents, he will use his influence to expedite the decision of the pending cases, in order that joint action may be taken by the tenants?