§ MR. MAURICE HEALY (Cork City)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, (1) whether it is the fact that applications to have a fair rent fixed for a second statutory term, lodged with the Land Commission, have now been listed for hearing by Sub Commissioners in the ordinary way: and, (2) whether the undertaking of Mr. Justice Bewley, that the decision in such cases would be postponed until after the passing of the Land Bill, will be carried out; if not, will he explain no what grounds?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThe reply to the first paragraph is in the affirmative. Only 457 of such applications had been lodged with the Land 1431 Commissioners up to the 13th inst., although there are probably some 30,000 cases in which such applications could have been lodged. The Sub-Commissioners have, on application made to them, full power to postpone the hearing of any such case if they consider the interests of justice so require. Mr. Justice Bewley did not, as I have repeatedly pointed out, give any such undertaking as that attributed to-him in the second paragraph. He merely expressed his view as to a course that might be adopted under certain circumstances. ["Hear, hear!"]