MR. MAC NEILL (Donegal, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been directed to an article in The Star of Saturday by Mr. Theodore Dodd, entitled "Spoiling the People;" whether he is aware that Mr. Culley, Commissioner of Woods and Forests, stated in 1889 that there was an immense acreage of quit rents, extending over a large part of Ireland, which belongs to the Crown; what is the amount of quit rents in Ireland now in arrear due to the Crown, and would those quit rents, if recovered, be appropriated in aid of the Public Revenue; whether it is the fact that there are large tracts of laud in Ireland in which the Crown has a reversion on lease fee; and whether, in view of certain recent proceedings, the Government will oppose any attempt to give away to the landlords any quit rents or Crown rents, or remissions of land held on lease fee?
§ SIR J. T. HIBBERTMr. Culley stated in 1889 that the quit rents belonging to the Crown in Ireland issued out of properties containing an immense acreage extending over a large part of Ireland. Of course, Mr. Culley referred to the quit rents as originally imposed. A large number have since been sold, and the properties for which these quit rents were payable are now free of such rents. The amount of the arrears of quit and Crown rents in Ireland on the 31st March last, considered to be recoverable, as shown in the Accounts of the Commissioners of Woods, was £15,883 16s. 6d., and this amount would, if recovered, be appropriated in aid of the Public Revenue. It is not known that there is any reversion in the Crown to lands subject to quit rents proper excepting in the ordinary way of escheat. In the case of Crown rents, the Letters Patent or Crown Grants reserving them sometimes contain a limitation, and no such routs are now sold until inquiry has been made as to whether there is a reversion in the Crown.