§ MR. LONSDALE (Armagh. Mid.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he can state approximately the number of bona fide evicted tenants who are eligible for reinstatement, and the probable cost of their reinstatement.
† Select Committees on Rural Housing and Small Holdings.
THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. BRYCE, Aberdeen, S.)The Estates Commissioners inform mo that, until they have inquired into the claims and circumstances of all the persons who have applied for reinstatement as evicted tenants, it would be impossible for them to say how many of the applicants are eligible for reinstatement, or to estimate the cost of reinstating those whose restoration can be effected.
§ MR. LONSDALEWill the right hon. Gentleman make inquiry as to whether there are any funds available in the hands of the Nationalist Party for wounded soldiers in the land war?
§ MR. DELANY (Queen's County, Ossory)Why don't you subscribe?
§ MR. GINNELL (Westmeath, N.)Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that most of those technically outside the statute are really bona fide evicted tenants?
§ MR. GINNELLI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether, when pleading for a further six months' trial of the policy which has failed during three years to get untenanted lands for distribution, he had considered the fact that the number in need of the land will in that time be decimated by death and emigration; and will he reconsider this matter with a view to asking Parliament now for compulsory powers to purchase.
MR. BRYCEI have nothing to add to the statements upon the subject of untenanted land and the need for acquiring it which I made in debate on Monday, 29th October†.