§ MR. T. M. HEALY (Louth, N.)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if he is aware that discontent prevails amongst the farmers in county Louth respecting the decisions of the Sub-Commissioners especially since the Act of 1903 leaves the question of value to a single Sub-Commissioner; whether the Government propose that a tribunal, consisting of a lawyer and a gentleman drawn from the landlord class, shall continue as the rent-fixing authority in Ireland; what are the antecedents and qualifications of the Mr. F. H. Grierson who sits to fix fair rents at Dundalk on 19th March against forty-nine farmers; and what are the antecedents and qualifications of the assessor who would determine the value on any appeal.
(Answered by Mr. Bryce.) I am informed by the Land Commission that they are not aware of the existence of any discontent on this subject beyond that which it is perhaps natural to expect from disappointed litigants on either side. It is the intention of the Government to watch carefully the operation of the Act of 1903 in all respects, and I am not at present prepared to say that the provisions of that Act in regard to the fixing of rents require amendment. Mr. Grierson's antecedents and qualifications are set forth in Parliamentary Paper 151, of 1902. The assessor who may be appointed to assist in the hearing of any
† In the case of district councils.881 appeal from the decision of the Sub-Commission, of which Mr. Grierson was a member, has not yet been selected.
§ MR. HALPIN (Clare, W.)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that the tenant farmers of the county of Clare, having lost confidence in the Land Commissioners to fix fair rents, are applying to the county court judge to fix them, and that the landlords are opposing the tenants in doing so; whether he will introduce a short amendment to the Land Act which will enable tenants to bring their cases before the county court judge; and whether he will state the number of land cases brought before the county court judge for the county of Clare for the past two years ending 1st March 1906.
(Answered by Mr. Bryce.) I am informed by the Land Commission that, during the two years ending 28th February 1906, 173 applications by tenants to fix fair rents were made to the Civil Bill Court of county Clare, as against 487 applications made to the Land Commission. Of the 173 applications referred to, 91 were transferred to the Land Commission, pursuant to Section 37 (4) of the Land Law Act, 1881. In Ireland, as a whole, applications to the Civil Bill Court are about one-tenth as numerous as those made to the Land Commission. Until the present Government has had more experience of the working of the Land Acts I am not prepared to make any statement as to amending legislation.