HC Deb 13 April 1896 vol 39 cc735-6
MR. M. MCCARTAN (Down, S.)

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1) whether his attention has been called to a report in the Belfast Irish News of 23rd March last, of a meeting of farmers in Coleraine, whereat it was declared, by a unanimously adopted resolution, that the statement as to reductions in rent, having been freely given by the landlords was misleading and contrary to fact; (2) whether he is aware that, notwithstanding the low prices and the failure of the flax crop, no such reductions have been generally given by the landlords in Ulster; and (3), if he can now state on what estates these reductions have been freely given?

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. JOHN ATKINSON,) Londonderry, N.

In the absence of my right hon. Friend, and with the permission of the House, I will reply to this and the other Questions on the Paper which are addressed to him. Attention has been drawn to the report of the proceedings at the meeting referred to in the first paragraph. The speakers at the meeting appear to have questioned the accuracy of the statement of my right hon. Friend, who spoke of rent reductions in Ulster, generally, on the ground that they had not heard of a similar concession in their own neighbourhood. Such an assumption is unwarranted and erroneous, and I repeat that it is the fact that abatements in rent have been granted in Ulster, in some cases solely owing to the failure of the flax crop, and in other cases because of the depreciation in prices of agricultural produce, generally, including the flax crop. It would be quite contrary to practice to indicate the particular estates on which these abatements have been granted, but I may state that they vary from 10 to 25 per cent., and were given on certain properties in the counties of Armagh, Cavan, Donegal, Down, Londonderry, and Tyrone.

MR. MCCARTAN

asked the hon. and learned Gentleman to name one single large estate in county Down in which reductions had been freely given?

THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL FOR IRELAND

That is precisely what I refuse to do.