HL Deb 28 March 1898 vol 55 cc1039-40
*THE EARL OF ARRAN (Viscount SUDLEY)

My Lords, with your Lordships' permission, I rise to ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are yet able to say when the evidence given before Sir Edward Fry's Commission on the working of the Irish Land Acts and Land Purchase Acts will be laid before Parliament; and whether the Report itself is under the consideration of Her Majesty's Government with the view of taking action with regard to it? The Report of Sir Edward Fry's Commission has been now for a considerable time before the House, and from the various interests that were represented on that Commission it seems pretty clear that to have arrived at a unanimous Report must have involved a good deal of compromise, and it therefore appears to me to be a matter of great importance that the evidence upon which that Report was based should, as soon as possible, be put before Parliament. My Lords, as I said before, the Report itself has been a long time before Parliament, and as the evidence must have accrued de die in diem, and have been dealt with as it accrued, it seems a matter of surprise that it should be so long before being in the hands of Parliament. With reference to the second part of my Question, I should like to say that it has always appeared to me that the incidence of taxation, in Ireland at any rate, for a time to come, will depend upon the action of the Sub-Commissioners, and I am strengthened in that view by a rather remarkable passage in a speech made by the Chief Secretary of Ireland in another place, and on another matter, to which it would, of course, now be improper to refer. The right hon. Gentleman said— When rents came to be re-fixed the tenant will be able to throw some portion, perhaps the whole portion, of the burden on the landlord. I am quoting from the Times report. Now, my Lords, this is a very remarkable statement, because it amounts to this, that whatever safeguards may be in another way brought to guarantee the interests of the minority, the Sub-Commissioners have now, and practically always will have, the power of nullifying them. Now, it appears that the very fairest and the very strongest tribunal which the wisdom of Parliament and Her Majesty's Government can devise, ought to be established to exercise these enormous powers. To anyone who has read the Report of Sir Edward Fry's Commission, and to those whose knowledge of the subject enables them to read between the lines, it is clear that the Commission is of opinion that the present tribunals require a great deal of reform, and it would be a matter of relief to a great number of persons if they knew that Her Majesty's Government were considering this matter.

THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (Viscount CROSS)

My Lords, I will answer the Question of the noble Earl on behalf of the Government. My answer is that the evidence given before the Royal Commission, of which Sir Edward Fry was the president, will, it is expected, be laid before Parliament at an early date. It is printed, and it is only waiting for the revision of the digest. With regard to the last part of the Question, the Report of the Commission requires careful consideration by the Government and the Irish Land Commission; but no conclusion can be arrived at until the evidence is available for reference.