§ MR. SHEEHAN (Cork, Mid)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that in May, 1900, a request was issued to the Irish Land Commission for the sale of the estate of F. C. Hawkes and others under the 40th section of the Land Act of 1896; that the Commission sent their valuer, who assessed 18½ years as the fair purchase value of the farms of John Cronin, Scart, Lower Aherla, county Cork, which the tenants were willing to give; that, when the case again came before the Land Commission for further consideration, it was represented that the purchase money, owing to the fall in the price of Government stock, was insufficient to redeem the superior interests, and that the head landlord would not accept less than twenty-seven years purchase of the 298 head rent; and, seeing that the Land Commission rejected the application for purchase, whether it is intended to introduce legislation under which, in circumstances such as these, the sale of the landlord's interests will be compulsorily ordered.
§ MR. WYNDHAMIt was shown to the satisfaction of the Land Judge that the sale of the holding at the price reported to him by the Land Commission would be insufficient to redeem the superior interests to which the holding was liable. The Land Judge cannot compulsorily redeem a superior interest without paying for it the full redemption price, which at the option of the owner of the superior interest may be fixed by arbitration. The reply to the last query is therefore in the negative.
§ MR. SHEEHANWill the right hon. Gentleman compensate the tenants for the time lost and money expended in connection with these abortive proceedings?
§ [No answer was given.]