§ Mr. MOORE (Armagh, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if he will now grant the Return relating to evicted tenants in Ireland to be moved for in the name of the Member for North Armagh.
[Return. — Mr. Moore: — Evicted Tenants (Ireland). —Return showing the names and addresses of the tenants whom it is proposed to reinstate under the Evicted Tenants (Ireland) Bill, with particulars of the farms, by townlands and counties, from which they were evicted; name of landlord, and amount of arrears for which they were evicted; and the dates of such evictions.]
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. Birrell, Bristol, N.)Although there would be no objection to grant a Return giving particulars of the cases of evicted tenants who have already been reinstated or provided with new holdings, it would be very undesirable to publish particulars of the cases, already stated to number about 2,000, with which it is still proposed to deal. The Estates Commissioners have expressed the strong opinion that the publication of such a Return would lead, on the one hand, to endless pressure for the inclusion of the names of persons whose applications have been refused, and, on the other hand, to long and acrimonious discussion as to the merits of particular persons whose names would appear in the Return. For these reasons the Government are not prepared to consent to the Return asked for.