The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-07-30 00:00:00

THE IRISH LAND ACT.
TEMPORARY ADJUSTMENT OF RENTS.

Mr. Bilfour has placed on the paper the following
clause, to be added to the Land Bill, dealing with
the "temporary adjustment of judicial rents" in
Ireland:

The Land Commission, having regard to the average
pr ces of commodities for counties or other areas as
t hey think expedient, and the difference in such prices
between the year 1887 and each of the years 1881,
1882, 1883, 1884, and 1885, shall, without application,
determine with reference to such counties or other
areas what alteration, if any, is necessary to make
the judicial rents to become payable in such counties
or areas, in respect of the year commencing from the
gale day next before the passing of this Act, equitably
equivalent to the judicial rents fixed in such counties
or areas in each of the years before the Ist day of
January, 1886, and the judicial rents payable in
,enr aforesaid in such counties or
areas shall be varied to the extent so determined by
the Land Commission. In the year 1888, and 1889,
the Land Commission shall in like manner determine
what alteration, if any, is necessary to make the
judicial rents payable for the year commencing from
the first gale day in each of the said years respec-
tively, equitably equivalent to the judicial rents fixed
in each of the years before the let day of January,
18841. The Land Commission shall proceed by
counties or other areas as they think fit, in reference
to such alterations of judicial rents, and may cause to
be made such inspections and reports as may be
necessary, and may ascertain averages, and may pro-
ceed in all other respects in such manner as may
appear to them to be necessary for carrying out the
objects aforesaid. The Land Commission shall
publish the orders made by them under this section
in such manner for giving information to all persons
interested as they think most convenient. _ _

_
With regard to leaseholders, Mr. Balfour makes the
following proposal as to the possibility of setting aside
perpPtuities :
"In Case of a perpetuity lease existing at the date
of the Land Law (Ireland) Act, 1881, and executed
since the let day of January, 1869, bonft fide in the
occupation of the tenant, and to which, but for the
lecgth of the term, the Land Law (Ireland) Act, 1881,
would apply if the Court is satisfied that the accept-
ance thereof by the tenant was procured by the land-
lord by threat of evietion or undue influence, or other
.
inequitable means, the Court may, upon the applica-
tion of the tenant, made within six months after the
passing of this Act, declare such lease to be void as
and from the date of the order, upon such terms as to
costs and otherwise as the Court may deem just, and
thereupon such tenant shall be deemed to be tenant
of a present ordinary tenancy from year to year at
the rent mentioned in such lease, and subject 'to such
conditions thereof as the Court may deem just."
As to trivial cases of aub-letting the Amendment
runs:

A tenant shall, for the purpose of the Land Law
(Ireland) Act, 1881, and of this Act, be deemed to be
in bona fide occupation of his holding notw,tbstanding
that he has sub-let part thereof, providing the sub-
letting is for the use of labourers bona fide employed
and required for the cultivation of the holding, and
the Court deems such sub-letting reasonable and
sanctions the same. The land comprised hi each
such letting shall not exceed half an acre in extent,
and the Court shall have regard to the size and cha-
racter of the holding, and may prescribe such terms
as to rent and otherwise with regard to the part sub-
let as it thinks fit. A tenant may also be deemed in
occupation of his holding, notwithstanding that part
is sub-let, where the sub-letting is of a trivial elm-
racter and
i the Court deems the tenant to be sub-
stantially n occupation of the holding.
In proposing to stay the execution of a writ of fi-
fa. against the tenant, Mr. Balfour's amendment
suggests that after the words in Clause '22 "the
Court may put a stay upon the exeCution of thejudg-
ment of the Court" the following words be inserted
"in such ejectment, or, in case of an ordinary indg-
ment. may pat a stay upon the execution of a writ of i
fieri facias as against the tenant's interest n the hold-
ing." This is probably intended to exclude the
ordinary creditor, as well as the landlord from pro-
ceeding byfi. fa. Bat whatever the meaning of the
long-involved sentence may be, it appears to need re-
modelling if this amendment is inserted. Other
amendments of the Chief Secretary relate to proposals
to reduce the rate of interest on loans under the Land
Acts and as to the arrears of instalments.