§ MR. McFADDEN (Donegal, E.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that on the sale by Sir Edmund Hayes of his estate to his tenants in the county of Donegal, some nine or ten evicted tenants were restored by him to their holdings, and on their restoration signed agreements for purchase under the 761 Land Act of 1903; that the landlord's agent has been informed by the Estates Commissioners that the first half-year's interest on the purchase money will not be collected through the Land Commission; that the evicted tenants should not have been restored until the advances had been sanctioned; and that the agent may collect the interest in whatever manner he chooses; and whether, in view of the effect of this ruling of the Commissioners, if persisted in, upon the voluntary and immediate restoration by landlords of evicted tenants to their holdings for purposes of sale under the Land Act, instructions will be given to the Commissioners to withdraw this ruling.
§ MR. WALTER LONGSection 35 of the Act of 1896, which empowers the Land Commission to collect, from the tenant of a holding, interest in lieu of rent from the date of the agreement for the purchase of the holding up to the date of the advance, does not apply to the agreements for "parcels," and the Land Commission have no jurisdiction to collect or recover interest which may, by agreement between the vendor and the purchaser, be payable. There is nothing before the Land Commission to show that the persons referred to are in occupation of their plots, but even assuming that they are, the agreements for purchase of "parcels" only provide for collection of interest from the date of advance until the purchase annuity commences.