§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLOn behalf of the hon. Member for East Sligo, I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether any regulations, instructions, or orders have been Issued by the Irish Government in 422 reference to the administration of the provisions of the Land Act of 1903, under which the reinstatement of evicted tenants can be carried out; and, if so, whether he will lay such instructions or orders upon the Table of the House.
§ MR. ATKINSONThe Government have been in correspondence with the Commissioners with respect to this matter, but it is not proposed to lay the correspondence, which is Departmental and confidential, on the Table of the House.
§ MR. JOHN REDMONDThe question is whether any orders or regulations are contained in these letters, and, if so, are not the Government bound by Act of Parliament and by their pledges to this House to lay them on the Table?
§ MR. ATKINSONI do not agree with the hon. Member that there is anything in the Act requiring us to lay this correspondence on the Table.
§ MR. JOHN REDMONDAre there any instructions contained in the correspondence?
§ MR. ATKINSONNo regulations have been made, but instructions and orders are contained in the correspondence, which is confidential and cannot be laid.
§ MR. JOHN REDMONDCannot the right hon. Gentleman see how impossible it is for us to discuss the administration of the Land Act if we do not know what instructions and orders have been issued.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLAnd in debates in this House it was stated that the action of the Commissioners would be open to our criticism. How can we criticise them?