§ MR. DALY () Monaghan, S.I bog to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that the Chief Land Commissioners heard appeals at Belfast in December last, and that, out of forty-eight cases heard, in twenty-two instances the rent was raised, twenty-four confirmed, and two only reduced; and whether he can say if the Chief Land Commissioners viewed the farms, or whether the rent returned by the court valuers was adhered to in every case by the Chief Commissioners; and, if not, can he state in how many instances the rent was increased, confirmed, or lowered from that returned by the court valuers.
§ MR. ATKINSON (for Mr. G. W. BALFOUR)The figures are not correctly stated in the first paragraph. The total number of appeals disposed of by the Commissioners at Belfast in December was sixty-five. Of these the decisions of the Sub Commissioners were affirmed in twenty-seven cases; in two cases the rents were reduced, in thirty-five cases the rents were increased, and one case was dismissed. It is not the practice of the Chief Commissioners to view the holdings. In forty-five cases the judicial rents, as fixed on appeal, were above the estimates of the court valuers; in nine cases below and in ten cases equal to the rents estimated by the valuers.
§ MR. FLAVINCan the right hon. Gentleman say if it is not the habit of the Chief Commissioners to inspect the 96 holdings in order to estimate the value before deciding an appeal, and—
§ MR. SPEAKEROrder, order! The hon. Member must not argue the question.