§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNOR (Donegal, E.)I beg to ask Mr. Attorney General for Ireland in how many cases during the last two years have proceedings been taken on the equity side of the county courts for recovery of arrears of tithe rent.
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. ATKINSON,) Londonderry, N.During the period mentioned in the question, proceedings of the nature referred to were taken in three cases.
§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNORI beg to ask Mr. Attorney General for Ireland whether the Land Commission can state approximately what amount of costs of proceedings, receiver's fees, receiver's solicitors' fees, passing accounts and discharging receivers have been paid by the owners of tithe rent during the last two years for which accounts are complete.
§ MR. ATKINSONIt is presumed that the hon. Member refers to tithe rent-charge payers, not "owners." The Land Commission have no information on that part of the question which relates to receiver's fees, or receiver's solicitors' costs, either for passing accounts or for discharging receivers. The approximate amount paid to the Land Commission for costs incurred by them in appointment of receivers during the two years ending 30th June, 1900, is £240.
§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNORI beg to ask Mr. Attorney General for Ireland whether complaints have reached him that receivers are appointed for the recovery of arrears of tithe rent-charge in many cases in which the costs of proceedings, receiver's fees, receiver's solicitors' fees, passing accounts and costs of discharging receivers far exceed the amounts originally due; and whether he can say in how many cases during the last three years receivers have been appointed in respect of sums (a) under £10, (b) under £20, and (c) under £50.
§ MR. ATKINSONThe first part of this question docs not appear to refer ex- 1348 clusively to the Land Commission, as lay impropriators have similar powers of procedure, but in most of the cases in which the Land Commission receive tithe rent-charge from receivers appointed by the Court of Chancery the receivers have been appointed at the suit of parties other than the Land Commission. During the period mentioned in the second paragraph, receivers were appointed in two cases in respect of sums under £10; in four cases under £20; and in six cases under £50. In four of these twelve cases the costs of the Land Commission exceeded the actual debt due to the Commission, but no other proceedings would have enabled the Commission to realise their debt.
§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNORI beg to ask Mr. Attorney General for Ireland if he will state who appoints the receivers in cases for recovery of arrears of tithe- rent; how and on what principle they are selected; and why the solicitor to the Land Commission does not act as receiver.
§ MR. ATKINSONThe receivers in such cases are in variably appointed by the Land Judge, who usually appoints the district receiver nearest to the lands as the person who can most conveniently and advantageously collect the rents. It is not the practice to appoint the solicitor for parties to proceedings as receiver under the Court.