§ MR. DANE (Fermanagh, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the case of Metge versus the Chairman and Justices of the County Meath in Her Majesty's Court of Appeal in Ireland, deciding that, by reason of the non-publication in the Dublin Gazette of the average price of corn during the last seven years, courts of quarter sessions now possess no jurisdiction to vary tithe rent-charge in Ireland; whether he is aware that the Irish Land Commission, consequent upon the above decision, now decline to vary perpetuity rents reserved by ecclesiastical grants; and whether, having regard to the great hardship thereby inflicted on many landowners holding lands subject to tithe rents, whose rents, owing to the fall in the price of corn, have now become excessive, the Government will upon an early day introduce a Measure dealing with the subject?
§ MR. ATKINSON (for Mr. GERALD BALFOUR)My attention has been called to the decision referred to, and the action of the Land Commission consequent upon it. Notwithstanding the importance of the subject, legislation upon it is impossible this Session. The Government have under consideration the question whether it may not be possible to make provision to secure the publication forthwith in the Dublin Gazette of the average prices of corn in the manner contemplated by the Statutes dealing with the revision of tithe rent-charge, such publication to be made the basis for legislation next Session.