§ Mr. PATRICK MEEHANasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that a circular has been issued by the Irish Land Commission to certain tenants in Queen's County who had lodged applications to have fair rents fixed on their holdings, informing the tenants that their eases had been adjourned for two years to enable the tenants to put the holdings into a proper state; whether these notices were addressed to reinstated evicted tenants who had been out of their farms for many years, and the land conacred by the landlord and thus deteriorated; whether the tenants must continue to pay a rack-rent and improve their holdings in such a manner for two years, or such further period as the inspector may deem necessary; whether this notice is in accordance with the rules and regulations made under the authority of the Land Acts; and, if so, whether there is any limit to the discretion of an inspector in deciding when a farm is in a proper condition to have a fair rent fixed?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Land Commission inform me that in four cases in Queen's County applications to have fair rents fixed were adjourned by order of the Sub-Commission court owing to the condition of the holdings. In two of these cases the applications, which were to have a fair rent fixed for a second statutory term, were adjourned for two years to enable the tenants to put their holdings into a proper state. The other two cases were applications under Section 65 of the Irish Land Act, 1909 (Future Tenants). One case was adjourned for one year, and the other for two years, on similar grounds. On judicial rents being fixed in these cases, the parties will get the benefits conferred by Section 3 of the Land Law (Ireland) Act of 1896, as to the beginning of the judicial rent. The circular referred to was the ordinary notification of the decision of the court. Each case will be again listed for hearing in due course at the expiration of the applicable period.