§ MR. M. MCCARTAN (Down, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, with reference to the 36,000 "recorded" cases under the Land Law (Ireland) Act, 1881, whether he can state in how many of these fair rent applications judicial rents were fixed 1692 by the Court, and also in how many of them judicial agreements were entered into owing to the great delay in disposing of the cases in Court?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURI regret that I am unable to furnish the hon. Member with the information he desires, as the "recorded" cases in which fair rents were fixed are not shown separately in the books of the Irish Land Commission. To segregate them now would involve an examination of the original papers, not merely in the recorded cases, but in all cases, for a lengthened period, as no distinction was made in fixing the terms of hearing. Even if this serious interruption of regular official business were entered upon, a reply could not be given to the second inquiry, as the Sub-Commissioners had no means of knowing, and the order could not disclose the reason that the tenant did not prosecute his application.