§ 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 circular sent by Mr. Fred. L. Capron, agent on the County Antrim Estate of the Lady Wallace, issued last month to the tenants, informing the tenants that, as they had not accepted the offer for sale made to them by Lady Wallace, that the rent due on 1st November last must be paid before 1st May next, otherwise the matter would be placed in the hands of his solicitor; (2) whether he is aware that it was the custom on this estate to allow a hanging gale or rent for one year to be over; that, after the passing of the Land Law (Ireland) Act 1881, a large number of these tenants agreed to have judicial rents fixed at the amounts to be fixed by a Mr. Wilson, the landlord's valuer; and that, notwithstanding that it took some years to have the valuations made, and the tenants signed the judicial agreements in a body in 1884, the reductions dated back to 1882 and Judicial Rent was marked on rent receipts from the latter date; (3) whether these tenants are now entitled to have fair rents fixed in respect of a second statutory term; and (4) if something can be done to dissuade the agent from enforcing at this time of the year payment of the hanging gale?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURI am informed that a circular to the effect stated in the first paragraph has been issued to the tenants on this estate. A considerable number of agreements and declarations under Section 8, Sub-section (6), of the Land Act of 1881, fixing fair rents on the estate, were lodged with the Land Commission in the year 1884, but the Commissioners cannot express any opinion as to whether the tenants in these cases are now entitled to apply to have fair rents fixed for a second statutory term. They may have to determine the matter judicially. The Executive Government exercises no control over the management of the estate, and cannot take any action as suggested in the fourth paragraph.