§ MR. McCARTANI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland—(1) whether his attention has been called to the fair rent cases on the Anthony estate heard before His Honour Judge David Fitzgerald last week; (2) whether he is aware that in the case of Patrick Morrissey, where the old rent of £130 had been reduced by the judicial rent for the first term to £103, his Honour further reduced the rent for the second judicial term to £66, and in the case of Ellen Ryan reduced the judicial rent of £6 for the first term to £3 10s. for the second term; and, (3) whether, under the circumstances, he will provide in his proposed purchase scheme that, in order to ascertain the value of the landlord's property, the rents be revised in such cases up to the date of sale?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURMy attention has not been drawn to the cases referred to in the first and second paragraphs. As to the third pargraph, the Land Bill has been circulated this morning.
§ MR. McCARTANI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland—(1) whether his attention has been called to the report of the case of Mr. John Weathered, a tenant farmer, of Derryland, Portadown, heard before Mr. Justice Gibson at last Armagh Assizes, and published in the Northern Whig of 15th March, from which it appears that Mr. Weathered had been for 70 years tenant of a farm, one-third of which had been reclaimed and then under cultivation, and the remainder turbary; that, in November 1894, the tenant applied to have a fair rent fixed; that in December 1894, the landlady leased a portion of bog, including Weathered's, for the purpose of making "peat litter," that the lessee then brought an action against the tenant for recovery of the land before County Court Judge Kisbey, who gave a decree for possession; and that on appeal before Judge Gibson evidence was given that the tenant had spent a considerable amount of money in reclamation, and 1168 the Judge expressed his sympathy with the tenant, but felt himself compelled by the present law to confirm the decree of the County Court Judge; (2) whether he is aware that a large number of tenants in county Armagh are similarly situated; and (3) whether the Land Bill will contain a provision to protect such tenants in the enjoyment of their rights?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThe statements in the first paragraph are substantially borne out by the newspaper report referred to, though I cannot say whether this latter report is accurate I have no information as to the statement in the second paragraph, nor do I know the grounds on which the decision of Mr. Justice Gibson was based, and I could not say, therefore, how far the provisions of the Land Bill are applicable to the case in question.