§ MR. M'CARTAN (Down, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord 744 Lieutenant of Ireland, with reference to the certificates of valuation for the standard year required by the Land Commission in fair rent applications, whether he is aware that about the time of the commencement of the first judicial term a number of small holdings were consolidated into larger holdings, and one rent receipt only given for the entire holding; and that this consolidation deprived the tenants from being able to devise, alien, or sell, or have judicial rents fixed for second term on any of the small holdings so consolidated without express consent of the landlord in each case; also that the valuations on these small holdings were not then separately made, and cannot, without a revaluation, be procured or supplied to the tenants by the secretaries of the county councils or the general valuation office; and whether, for the purposes of the Irish Land Laws, revaluations of these small holdings will be made forthwith to enable the tenants to comply with the requirements of the Land Commissioners, and have their fair rents fixed for second judicial term.
§ MR. G. W. BALFOURThe Land Commissioners have no information with reference to the statement in the first paragraph that about the time of the commencement of the first judicial term a number of small holdings were consolidated into larger holdings. In cases where such consolidation took place it is assumed the tenants must have assented thereto. Without knowledge of the facts, in each particular case the Commissioners can express no opinion as to whether the consequences of such consolidations would be as stated in the question. The Valuation Act of 1854, as I have already pointed out, contains express provisions for the revision of the valuation of tenements, the limits of which shall have become altered. A penalty was recoverable from collectors of rates neglecting to take steps to have such revision carried out, and any ratepayer within the district was empowered to set in motion the procedure to have such revision made. The Order in Council of 30th January, 1899, provides for applications for revision of the valuation under the Valuation Acts, and I understand that applications made in accordance therewith in cases connected with fair rent applications are dealt with with all possible expedition.