Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-12-12
THE IRISH LAND PROBLEM.
OPer@Iions OF the Land Commission
During the Year,


| The first report of the Irish land com
missloners, for hetwelye months from tha
! passing of the land act on the 99d Of A.,
/ gust, 1881, TO the 22d of August 1850 shows
that during that time 75,S07 applicafions
TO fix fair rent were made to the commits
siOners, and 1880 TO the civil bin courts
About the middle of April the commiS.
sioners decided to make new rules, under
which landlord and tenant who were
unable to agree upon a fair rent might.
without coming before a sub-commission.
nave fair rent fixed by Yaluers:
and from that date Onwards four
courses were open to those wishing
TO nave rents determined. (1) They
might proceed either before the land
commission for the county court
Judge. p. They might come to an agree
ment outside the court, and on this agree
ment being filed in court the rent stipula-
ted would become the judicial rent. (3l
Ihey might, on their Joint application.
nave rent fixed by Valuers nominated by
the commission; and ~ they might refer
the question of the rent to be paid to the
oeclslon OF two arbitratOrs, and, if neces-
sary, an umpire, in the manner provided
for by the landlord and tenant IrnlandG
act of 1870. When thus in full operation
the machinery of the commission worked
very rapidly, fair rent cases being dis
posed of at the rate of 1900 a month
and the commissioners add that there
can be no doubt that beyond this num-
Der there were very many instances of
landlords and tenants arriving at agree.
ments as to rents, which did not come in
any shape under the notice of the court.
OF the 80, lS7 applications to fix fair rents
nled with the commissioners and civil
Dill courts, 62, 704 were undisposed of at
the end of the year, The number disposed
OF was IL, ,4S3, rents having been fixed in
1854 cases and applications dismissed or
WITHDRAWN in 4,O99 others. The following
additional facts and figures, CLEANED from
the report, are interesting: Rents fixed by
commission, ,929; tenement valuation
OF same, 4224, 4,542; former rent, 93l6.-
l12; Judicial rent, f25l, 1855: per-
centage of reduction, 2O.547 per
cent. Rents fixed by civil bill
courts, ,455; tenement valuation of same.
1929; former rent, f22 674: judicial /
rent, 1867; percentage Of reduction,
22O4O per cent. Against the decisions of |
the sub-commissiOns and civil bill courts. |
3,6S0 appeals were lodged during the year, |
and of these 1,O24 had been disposed of at |
the date OF the report, leaving 2,611 still !
to be decided. Comparatively few ten |
ants nave aVailed themselves of the pur- /
chase clauses of the act, the total apDli !
cations under them having amounted |
to only fl15,l00 and the total I
amount sanctioned to E1S.200 The /
emigrant clauses have been prac- I
tcaliy imperative. A few applications |
for aid have been made by wOuld.be emi- |
grants, and numerous letters have been |
received from land owners in the United |
states and Canada making inquiries on |
the subject, but thus far the commission |
ers say, no definite scheme, upon which |
they can act, has been presented for their |
consideration. The work of the commits |
sion has proceeded at a Iivelier rate than |
was anticipated, and, so far as fair rents |
are concerned, a complete settlement is |
likely to be effected much earlier than |
most people thought possible. AS |
the arrears of rent act was not passed |
until the 18th of August last, and the re- |
port of the commissioners comes down |
only to the 22d of that month. no record
can be given of the operation of that /
measure. As yet, the applications under
1t have been fewer than was expected. |
and although from now until the close of |
the year the applications are pretty sure /
to rapidly increase, it is quite likely that |
the amount to be expended by the govern
ment under the arrears act will be smaller
than Mr., GiadstOne's original estimate.