§ Mr. GINNELLasked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware of the number of cases in Ireland where present tenancies were technically broken by eviction of the tenants and their reinstatement as future tenants prior to the passing of the Land 189W Law (Ireland) Act, 1887, in which the son-in-law or assignee by way of family settlement of such tenants in occupation of the holdings at the passing of the Irish Land Act, 1909, are still excluded from getting fair rents fixed by the restriction of Section 65 of that Act; having regard to the persons that that Act was expressly enacted to benefit, whether it was his intention at the time that the assignees of those persons by way of family settlement or where marriage formed a portion of the consideration should be excluded from the benefit, as Section 65 is held to exclude them; and, if not, whether he will introduce this Session a short Bill to amend Section 65 of the Land Act of 1909, giving such excluded future tenants the right to enter the Land Courts and get fair rents fixed, or allow such a Bill to be introduced by an unofficial Member with a view to its adoption if found to be non-contentious?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe provisions of Section 65 of the Irish Land Act, 1909, limited the benefit of its operation, in the event of the evicted tenants being no longer alive, to persons who would have been entitled, under the will or as one of the next-of-kin or issue of such tenants, to the holding or any distributive share therein. I did not at the time of the passing of that Act, nor do I now, consider that there is any case for extending the benefits of the Section to the small number of sons-in-law or assignees by way of family or marriage settlements of such tenants who are not already covered by it, and the answer to the last part of the question is accordingly in the negative.