§ MR. J. P. FARRELLI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he can state the number of evictions which took place under the 7th section of the Land Act of 1887 in the county of Cavan, west division; how many evictions were fully carried out; and in how many cases settlements were effected; and can he hold out any hope for the repeal of this section.
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. ATKINSON,) (for Mr. G. W. BALFOUR) Londonderry, N.The official statistics of evictions are made up in respect of constabulary districts and geographical counties, and not according to Parliamentary divisions. The number of eviction notices served under Section 7 of the Land Act of 1887 in the whole County Cavan between the passing of that Act and the 31st December, 1899, a period of over twelve years, was 3,077. Put the number of tenants and subtenants who were actually evicted in the same period and not re-admitted as caretakers or tenants on the date of eviction was only 245, that is to say, a yearly average of about 20. The police have no records to show what has been done in the 3,332 cases in which the service of notices under Section 7 was not followed by actual eviction, though it may be assumed that in the great majority of these cases settlements were arrived at between landlord and tenant. I cannot hold out any hope for the repeal of the enactment referred to.