§ Mr. LONSDALE (for Captain Craig)asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he will reconsider the whole question of the higher rate of interest proposed to be charged to all tenants purchasing their holdings in the future; and whether he will consult the Treasury with a view to reverting to the well-established 3¼ per cent, basis before the Report stage of the Land Bill is reached?
§ Mr. CHERRYThis matter has already received the most careful and mature consideration of His Majesty's Government, and it has been decided to be impossible to continue to advance money for Irish land purchase at 2¾ per cent. As was clearly shown in the recent Debates on the Committee stage of the Bill, the Government, in undertaking to make advances at 3 per cent., are giving the fullest advantage of British credit for the furtherance of Irish land purchase.
§ Mr. LONSDALE (for Captain Craig)asked the Chief Secretary whether he can state the amount of money required to settle all the estates now in the hands of the Commissioners for sale to the tenants under voluntary purchase, and how much it is proposed to pay this year towards wiping out the arrears; and by what date he anticipates payment for all estates now in the Commissioners' hands will be completed?
§ Mr. CHERRYProceedings are pending under the Irish Land Act, 1903, before the Estates Commissioners for the sale of property representing a purchase money of £52,874,696, in respect of which advances have not yet been made. The Commissioners are not in a position at present to state the amount of the advances which they may be able to make by the end of the current year or in what time the total purchase money applied for may be advanced. Since the commencement of the Act of 1903 the Estates Commissioners have advanced £30,524,155 to date.
§ Mr. GINNELLasked the Chief Secretary, in view of the statements that the Irish Land Commission had not this season instituted proceedings against defaulters, and were not proceeding to enforce a certain agreement vitiated by duress, whether he will account for the seizure by the sub-sheriff of Westmeath, at the instance of the Land Commission, of a mare and foal, the property of Miss Early, tenant under her father's will of a farm at Corolana, on Lady Chapman's estate, in execution of a decree obtained against Widow Early on an agreement signed by the latter under duress at a time when she was not tenant or competent to purchase; whether the Estates Commissioners undertake the collection of interest in lieu of rent for landlords without inquiring into cases like this brought under their notice, while the landlords can, after the money has been recovered for them by the State, resume the property and cancel the proceedings for sale; whether the Commissioners before the institution of proceedings were aware of the duress and change of tenancy in this case, and instead of having the case investigated by their inspector in the district have had seized the only beast of the plough belonging to the tenant; and whether he will ask the Commissioners to stay all proceedings in this case until an inquiry has been held by their inspector on the ground?
§ Mr. CHERRYAs my right hon. Friend has repeatedly informed the hon. Member, the allegation that the agreement in this case was signed under duress will be inquired into when the estate is being inspected in order of priority. In the meantime, the Land Commission are bound by law to collect and pay over to the owner the interest on the purchase money, which is considerably below the rent which the tenant would otherwise have to pay. The hon. Member is mistaken in supposing that the Land Commission have not instituted proceedings against defaulters this year, or that they have anything to say to the steps taken by the sheriff to execute the decrees of the court. The answer to the concluding paragraph of the question is in the negative.
§ Mr. GINNELLWill the right hon. Gentleman inform the House how land purchase carried on under circumstances like these, where ruinous terms are enforced, can be called voluntary?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat is an argumentative question.