§ MR. FFRENCH (Wexford, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that Mr. Justice Loss has commented adversely on the delay of the proceedings of the Land Judges' Court in Ireland, in reference to sales of estates in that court; that most of the estates in the Land Judges' Court have been there for over ten and some over twenty years; and that a list of rentals, that is, a list showing the tenants on the estate, takes four or five years to make out in that court; and whether, with a view to expedite sales, he will lay a Return upon the Table of the House showing the number of estates in the Land Judges 369 Court at present, and the dates at which they were put into that court, and the number of sales that have taken place in that court for each of the last ten years, and the prices obtained for each, also the number of estates that have been taken out of the Land Judges' Court within the last two years.
§ MR. ATKINSONMr. Justice Ross has commented on the delay in carrying out sales in his court, and loses no opportunity of urging on solicitors who have carriage of the proceedings the necessity for expedition. The judge has never found fault with the officials of the court. It is not correct to assume that most of the cases have been in court for over ten or twenty years, nor is there any foundation for the statement that the preparation of a rental takes four or five years. The preparation of a, Return such as suggested in the second paragraph would throw upon the department of the Land Judge an amount of labour which would not be commensurate with the results to be attained, and the Government are not prepared to consent to the Return.
§ MR. FLAVINDid not Judge Ross find fault with the receivers as well as the solicitors?
§ MR. ATKINSONI am not aware of it.