THE EARL OF MAYOMy Lords, I beg to ask His Majesty's Government, in view of the statement made by Lord Denman, when speaking on the Earl of Donoughmore's Motion on Wednesday, 15th July, that—
The Government were not prepared to ask British taxpayers for a further contribution; eliminating taxpayers and ratepayers, only the landlords and tenants remained, and it was evident that there would have to be a readjustment of existing contracts as far as those parties to the bargain were concerned.…";whether this is to be taken to mean that existing agreements between landlord and tenant that have been signed by both parties and lodged with the 275 Estate Commissioners are to be re-arranged between the said parties before the estate is declared to be an estate by the Commissioners and the closing day fixed.
LORD DENMANMy Lords, the Question which the noble Earl has placed on the Paper arises out of a mistake in The Times report of something I said in your Lordships' House in the debate on the Irish Land Purchase Act. I do not think that the mistake was mine, because I noticed that in the report in Hansard and in other newspapers it was not as in The Times report. Referring to the bargain contained in the terms of the Act of 1903, I said a readjustment of the existing contract would be necessary. I made no reference whatever to existing agreements. I do not know whether the noble Earl requires any further information in answer to his Question.