§ MR. T. W. RUSSELL (Tyrone, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if he will state the number of estates that have been removed from the Land Judges Court since the passing of the Act of 1896, the number of estates sold within the same 1139 period, and the amount of the purchase money.
§ MR. WYNDHAMIt is not possible to give the number of estates sold or removed, because many estates dealt with have in part been sold and in part removed from the Court. Advances amounting to £3,811,321 have been sanctioned for the purchase of lands administered by the Court to the 31st December, 1903. The greater portion of this amount, namely, £2,880,528, has been advanced since the passing of the Act of 1896. In addition, there have been large cash sales and sales of non-agricultural hereditaments. I have already stated that the gross rental under Receivers has been reduced by 50 per cent. since 1895.