§ * MR. McCARTANI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, considering that no intimation is now given to the solicitors for landlords and tenants as to the fair rents fixed by the Sub-Commissioners, whether he will suggest to the landlords, that in the interest and for the convenience of the parties and their solicitors, printed slips of the decisions be prepared and sent to them; and whether he is aware that this method would not only meet the necessities of the case, but it would also relieve the deputy registrars who are already overburdened with work?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThe preparation of slips, as suggested, would retard the issue to the parties of the notifications of the decisions of the Court, and thus curtail the limit of time in which they may appeal against such decisions. I stated on Tuesday last that the decisions are frequently, at the request of solicitors, communicated to the latter, but that the Commissioners do not propose to issue any directions on the subject.
§ * MR. McCARTANasked whether the right hon. Gentleman was aware that this would not cause one day's delay, or involve much trouble, and would be a very great convenience?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURI can only give the answer supplied to me by the Commissioners. These are not matters in which the Executive interferes. It 853 appears to me that the hon. Gentleman's questions are entirely directed to the convenience of the solicitors, and not to the convenience of the Commissioners at all.
§ * MR. McCARTANI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he will consider the desirability of issuing as a Parliamentary Paper, and circulating it among Members of this House, the form of pink paper now used by the Sub-Commissioners engaged in fixing fair rents in Ireland?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThe Paper referred to will be found embodied in the Land Commission Rules of 2nd January last, which were presented to Parliament on the 5th ultimo.
§ * MR. McCARTANI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether he is aware that in all eases where the valuation of the holding is over £10, the tenant, on his application to have fair rent fixed, is bound to give on the back of his notice particulars of the improvements made by him or his predecessors in order to get them exempted from rent, and that he cannot claim exemption for any improvement not mentioned on the notice; whether the landlord, without giving any notice to the tenant, can make claim for improvements and contributions made by him at any time; and whether, considering that in Ireland the farmers generally kept neither books nor records of their improvements, while the landlords as a rule had every contribution entered against the tenant in his books, the tenants may in future be allowed the same rights as to proof of improvements as are now exercised by the landlords in the Land Courts?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThe subject raised by this Question was fully discussed and dealt with by my right hon. Friend the Attorney General for Ireland on the occasion of the Motion of the hon. Member for Fast Mayo on the 11th ultimo that little 130 of the Land Commission Rules of the 2nd January last should be annulled. It is not proposed to alter the existing practice, which is similar to that prescribed by the Rules of 1883, and has ever since been followed.
§ * MR. McCARTANI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he can now state what is the rota, under which the sittings of the Chief Land Commissioners is fixed; whether he can explain for what reason Mr. Murrough O'Brien, one of the Chief Commissioners, is never appointed to sit on appeals and re-hearings in Belfast or Armagh, where questions vitally important to large numbers of Ulster tenants are heard and disposed of; and if he will give the number of the sittings of the Chief Commission for re-hearings and appeals held since September last, with the names of the Commissioners who formed the Court on each occasion?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThere is no rota for the sittings of the Chief Land Commissioners. The composition of the Court when hearing appeals is arranged by the Commissioners amongst themselves, having regard to their other official engagements. The Executive have no power in the matter. As a matter of fact, Mr. O'Brien has sat in Belfast, to hear fair-rent appeals, which included cases from Co. Armagh. There have been 15 weekly sittings to hear fair-rent appeals since the month of October last. Mr. Justice Bewley and Mr. Fitzgerald have sat at all of these, Mr. Wrench at five, Mr. Lynch at four, and Mr. O'Brien at four.