§ Mr. KILBRIDEasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether an application for reinstatement was received by the Estates Commissioners from Michael Merrins, Kildoon, county Kildare; whether the Estates Commissioners have acquired untenanted land at Mullmoy and Bally-shannon, near the place where Michael Merrins lives; whether 30 acres of the best portion of Mullmoy Farm was allotted to Shirley, the present tenant of Pat Toole's farm at Ballyquorn; can he say on what grounds Merrins's claim was passed over and this tenant given land by the Estates Commissioners, contrary to the intention of Parliament when passing recent land legislation; who was the inspector who divided and allotted those lands; and whether the claims of Michael Merrins will be taken into consideration?
§ The ATTORNEY-GENERAL for IRELAND (Mr. Cherry)Merrin's application was not received by the Estates Commissioners within the time prescribed by the Evicted Tenants Act, and the Commissioners are therefore unable to consider it in connection with the allotment of land acquired under that Act. The lands in question were so acquired, and the allotment referred to by the hon. Member was made by the Commissioners, in the exercise of their discretion to an evicted tenant coming within the provisions of the Act, and not by any inspector. Merrin's application will be inquired into when the estate on which his former holding is situate is being dealt with by the Commissioners under the Irish Land Act, 1903.
§ Mr. KILBRIDEAre we to understand that it is the settled policy in Ireland of the inspectors, confirmed by the Estates Commissioners, that professional emergency men and land grabbers for the last 35 years are to be rewarded under this legislation?
§ Mr. CHERRYI am not aware of anything more than I have already stated.
§ Mr. KILBRIDEIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that Shirley was an emergency man and a land grabber?
§ Mr. CHERRYI was not aware of that fact.
§ Mr. KILBRIDEWell, I am.
§ Mr. W. ABRAHAM (Cork)asked the Chief Secretary whether he can now state 2142 the price of the farm of 119 acres of the untenanted lands of Kildrum, on the Kingston estate, allotted to Thomas Robinson in the scheme of division prepared by Mr. Sydney Smith, and how many applicants for parcels of land were refused allotments; and whether the inspector, when, submitting his scheme for the approval of the Estates Commissioners, made them acquainted with the fact that Thomas Robinson had offered £3,000 for a farm and was a man of ample means?
§ Mr. CHERRYThe Estates Commissioners inform me that the price of the farm allotted to Thomas Robinson is £2,350. The Commissioners did not consider it desirable to sub-divide the farm. They received 36 applications in writing for allotments, eight of which were granted. The answer to the concluding portion of the question is in the affirmative.
§ Mr. DILLONOn what ground was this farm given to Thomas Robinson?
§ Mr. CHERRYAs far as I understand the matter, it was a large farm, and was only worked as a large farm. There were large buildings attached to it, and the Commissioners say that if they divided up the farm into a number of farms it would have incurred a great deal of expense, because roads would have to be made and other expenditure incurred.
§ Mr. DILLONAs there are many evicted tenants waiting for accommodation, I wish to know on what grounds Thomas Robinson has been given this farm, he being a man of large means?
§ Mr. CHERRYI cannot say anything more than I have already said. These matters are in the hands of the Commissioners, and the Government cannot interfere with them. The Commissioners must be left to use their own discretion with, regard to the allotting of farms.
§ Mr. WILLIAM ABRAHAMasked the Chief Secretary whether he will give the date of the eviction of the parent of Thomas Robinson, land steward to Lady Kingston, who has been allotted 119 acres of the Kildrum farm on the Kingston estate; if he will state the name of the evicting landlord and the county in which the holding was situated; whether Thomas Robinson made an application for reinstatement to the Commissioners as the representative of the evicted tenant; and whether the application was refused on the 2143 ground that it did not come within the provisions of the Act of Parliament, the eviction having taken place before 1st May, 1879, or for what other reason?
§ Mr. CHERRYThe Estates Commissioners inform me that Robinson's mother was evicted from a holding on the Bruen estate, county Wexford, in the year 1879 and within the period mentioned in Section 2 of the Irish Land Act, 1903. His application for reinstatement was not refused.
§ Mr. WILLIAM ABRAHAMDid this man make any application to be reinstated.
§ Mr. CHERRYI presume he did. In fact, he must have done so, because my answer states his application was not refused.
§ Mr. KILBRIDEThe right hon. Gentleman mentions the year 1879. Could he not mention the date, because the Act only applies to those evicted since 1st May, 1879?
§ Mr. CHERRYThe hon. Member is wrong. The date is 14th August, 1878, or 25 years before the passing of the Land Act of 1903. The Land Act was passed on 14th August and it goes back to the year 1878.
§ Mr. DILLONIs it not a fact that Thomas Robinson is a land agent, and, if that is so, on what ground is public money being used to provide him with a large farm which ought to be occupied by evicted tenants?
§ Mr. CHERRYI know nothing about this gentleman except that the estates Commissioners have placed him in possession of this farm, and they have given their reasons for so doing. I have given those reasons to the House, and that is all the information I have on the subject.
§ Mr. WILLIAM ABRAHAMIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the statement made by the inspector that Thomas Robinson is the son of an evicted tenant is a mere subterfuge?
§ Mr. CHERRYThe hon. Member appears to know more about the matter than I do. I have already stated in my reply to the hon. Member's question that "Robinson's mother was evicted from a holding on the Bruen estate, county Wexford, in the year 1879." That is all I know.
§ Mr. KILBRIDEIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the inspector, Mr. Sidney Smith, is a prominent member of the Orange Association in Ireland, and that all these people are also members of that association?