§ Mr. FETHERSTONHAUGHasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether, having regard to the fact that the Irish Land Bill, 1909, while providing for the compulsory deprivation of landowners in Ireland of lands in their own occupation, and which they may desire earnestly to retain, leaves them to bear all costs of making title to the lands of which in the presumed interest of the State they are to be deprived, and whether the area of the land taken be large or small, and however difficult and expensive making title may be, he will be prepared to favourably consider any suggestion in Committee for indemnifying vendors from such costs of compulsory sale, as was done by the Evicted Tenants Act of 1907?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI am aware that the hon. Member has put down Amendments to the Land Bill for indemnifying vendors against the costs of compulsory sale, but the Government, as at present advised, are not prepared to accept these Amendments. The vendor will now receive a bonus on compulsory sale which he would not have got under the Bill which was before the House in December last, when I promised the hon. Member to give favourable consideration to his suggestions. I have already pointed out that to give both costs and bonus would be giving compulsion an unfair advantage over voluntary sale.