§ MR. JAMES O'CONNOR (Wicklow, W.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if he can state whether the whole or any part of the Fitzwilliam estate, in county Wicklow, has been sold under the Act of 1903; if so, what was the extent of the acreage sold; what was the number of the tenants; whether any of the tenants have refused to purchase at the landlord's price; how many years purchase did the landlord demand on first term and on second-term rents respectively: what was the total amount of the purchase money and the amount of the bonus paid or to be paid to the landlord; and whether there was any inspection for value of the holdings sold.
MR. BRYCEThe Estates Commissioners inform me that 60,422 acres of the estate of Earl Fitzwilliam have been sold to 1,055 tenants under the Land Act of 1903. The Commissioners have no information as to the number of tenants who may have refused to purchase at the landlord's price. The number of years purchase of the rents varied considerably, but generally was:—In the case of rents fixed after August, 1896, between twenty-five and twenty-six years purchase; and in the case of rents fixed before August, 1896, between twenty-two and twenty-three years purchase. The purchase money was £536,016, and the bonus payable to the vendors is 12 per cent, of the amount advanced. In all cases not within the zones, the holdings were duly inspected as to the security for the advances applied for.
§ MR. JAMES O'CONNORI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if he can state the 1141 number of tenants on the Fitzwilliam estate, county Wicklow, who have been proceeded against for arrears of rent between 1st January, 1904, and 15tb May, 1906; whether those tenants so proceeded against had refused to purchase their holdings at the landlord's price; and whether they have since submitted to the landlord's terms, and signed agreements to purchase.
MR. BRYCEThe Estates Commissioners inform me that they have no information from which they can furnish the particulars asked for.