§ MR. GEORGE FABER (York)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, (1) whether he can state the total number of cases in which proceedings have been instituted by civil Bill or otherwise for the recovery of instalments of annuities due under the Purchase Acts, 1885, 1888, 1891, 1896; (2) the total number of cases in which arrears of instalments, due on the 1st November last, have been placed in the hands of solicitors for recovery (3) the average number of years purchase paid for lands sold under the Purchase Acts, 1885, 1888, 1891, 1896, and (4) the total acreage of lands so sold, specifying the amount in each county; (5) the number of cases in which purchasers who have purchased under the said Acts have mortgaged or alienated their holdings, and the proportion which such cases bear to the total number of purchases made.
§ MR. WYNDHAMI am not in a position to reply to the first inquiry to-day, but the information is being tabulated. The total number of cases in which arrears of instalments due on 1st November last that have been placed in the hands of solicitors for recovery is 1,320 under the Acts of 1885–1888, and 754 under the Acts of 1891–1896. As already stated, it may be taken for granted that the arrears will rapidly be recovered. I recently laid on the Table† a Return containing information in respect to the average rates of purchase since 1885. The last annual Report of the Laud Commission, which has also been presented to Parliament, shows at pages 89 and 116 the acreage of lands sold in each county under
† Parliamentary Paper, No. 90, of this Session.1358 the Acts mentioned. There is no information obtainable to enable a reply to be given to the concluding inquiry.