§ MR. DALY (Monaghan, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether Mr. C. L. Falkner, B.L., has been appointed as legal Commissioner to fix fair rents in Ireland; is he 1265 aware that Mr. Falkner acted as counsel for the landlords before the Fry Commission, and contested South Armagh as the landlords candidate; and whether, under these circumstances, this gentleman's appointment will be reconsidered?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY TO THE LORD LIEUTENANT OF IRELAND (Mr. GERALD W. BALFOUR,) Leeds, CentralThe reply to the first paragraph is in the affirmative. I believe it is a fact that Mr. Falkner was one of the counsel to the Landowners' Committee before the Fry Commission, but the Question seems to assume that a barrister always shares the views and opinion of his clients, which is quite erroneous. Mr. Falkner stood as a Unionist candidate for South Armagh some years ago, though he did not do so, I understand, as a "landlords' candidate." In the opinion of the Government, Unionist opinions no more disqualify a man from acting justly as n Land Commissioner than do Nationalist opinions.
§ MR. MACNEILL (Donegal, S.)Is this the gentleman who has been an official of the Dublin Unionist Association for some years?
§ MR. W. JOHNSTON (Belfast, S.)And why not?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThat depends on the Land Commissioners, and not upon me.