§ MR. M'CARTAN (Down, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, with reference to the applications under the Redemption of Rent (Ireland) Act of 13 tenants on the 502 Macartney Estate, near Belfast, whether he is aware that at the hearing before the Land Commission Court on the 24th February last it appeared that the valuation of the Court Valuer, Mr. Babington, was almost the same as that of the valuer for the tenants; whether, after Mr. Babington had sent in his Report, Mr. Adamson, another Court Valuer, was then sent down to make a valuation; whether his valuation was much the same as that of the valuer for the landlord, and practically double of the amount fixed by Mr. Babington; and whether he will state at whose instigation the second Court Valuer was employed; and if it is usual in such cases to have the valuation of one Court Valuer reviewed by another?
MR. J. MORLEYThe Land Commissioners inform me that there were 10 applications under the Act mentioned on the estate of Mr. Ellison Macartney, which, under the General Rules, were referred to the late Mr. Commissioner MacCarthy, by whom, in May and June of last year, the two Assistant Commissioners named were directed to make independent Reports to him upon the holdings. In consequence of Mr. MacCarthy's death the cases were set down for hearing before another Commissioner, and are still sub judice. The Commissioners state it is not unusual to obtain separate Reports in such cases.