LORD MONTEAGLErose to ask Her Majesty's Government (1) whether the monthly Returns of the proceedings of the Irish Land Commission could not be given by counties, showing (a) the fair rent proceedings in the form 666 of tables I., XI, XVII., XVIII, XIX. (column 1), XXI (column 1), XXXI, and XXXV., in the appendix to the last annual Report of the Irish Land Commission; (b) the number and amount of loans applied for, sanctioned, and issued under the different Land Purchase Acts; and (2) whether the monthly Returns of the Irish Land Commission could not be presented during the Recess, as provided for by the Order of this House of 17 February 1896. In putting this question to Her Majesty's Government, he hoped that he was not asking for any unreasonable information, or for Returns that would involve very great cost in their production. Looking at the annual Report of the proceedings of the Irish Land Commission, it appeared to him that the information he desired could be easily given in a monthly form instead of being kept, back for a considerable period as was the case under the present system. He hoped that Her Majesty's Government would see their way to granting his request.
§ THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (VISCOUNT CROSS)said that in the absence of the Lord Chancellor for Ireland, he had been requested to state, first, that the Government had considered the matter and did not think that the additional labour and expense involved in preparing the statistics in the form suggested would be attended by any compensating advantage sufficient to make the adoption of the change desirable, and they trusted that the noble Lord would not press for the suggested alterations in the Returns; and, secondly, that all command papers of the Irish Land Commission would, in accordance with the Order of the House referred to by the noble Lord, be completed and sent forward for circulation during the Recess. ["Hear, hear!"]
LORD MONTEAGLEasked whether, as the Government did not see their way to giving these Returns monthly, they would consider the possibility of giving them quarterly?
§ VISCOUNT CROSSsaid that he would take care that the suggestion of the noble Lord was placed before the Irish Government, and no doubt they would be able to answer his question in a short time.