§ Mr. LUNDONasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he was aware that Mr. Justice Fitzgerald and his assessor Mr. Lynch heard appeal cases in Limerick in January last and almost in every case raised the rents of those who sought to have their grievances redressed; were any instructions issued to Mr. Lynch to put an extra value on the land in county Limerick; and would steps be taken to protect the interests of the tenant farmers who were driven to the Land Court owing to their landlords' refusal to sell?
§ The CHIEF SECRETARY for IRELAND (Mr. Birrell)The Land Commission inform me that twenty fair rent appeals were heard by the Judicial Commissioner and his Assessor mentioned in the question at Limerick in last January. In nine of the cases the landlord alone appealed, in one case the tenant alone appealed, and in ten cases both landlord and tenant appealed. In three of the cases the rents fixed by the Sub-Commission was confirmed, and in seventeen eases the rents fixed by the Sub-Commission were raised. In these twenty cases the total amount of existing rents dealt with was £940 5s. which was reduced by the Sub-Commission to £673 9s. 11d., and the total amount of rent fixed on appeal is £755 9s. 7d. No instructions whatever were given to the assessor as to the amount of his valuation; the cases were heard in the ordinary way and judicially decided by the court.