THE IRISH LAND PURCHASE ACT OF 1903 909 



appear to be any reason to regard the charge as excessive, since 

 it is the price of rehef from a difficult and expensive situation. 



Though the features already ^noticed are those of most im- 

 portance, the act contains in its one hundred and three sections 

 a great deal of serviceable legislation on special points. Thus 

 the powers of trustees in respect to investment are enlarged, 

 and the office of public trustee created. Of still wider effect is 

 the provision that the owner, when selling an estate, may him- 

 self repurchase his demesne or other land in his occupation in 

 the same way as an ordinary tenant. The aim of this conces- 

 sion is, besides encouraging sales, to offer an inducement to 

 resident landlords to remain in Ireland, and take part in the 

 working of local government as well as to supply examples of 

 better agricultural management. It is difficult to say how far 

 this expedient will prove successful. Though all owners who can 

 do so will rebuy their demesnes, it is likely that most of them 

 will soon dispose of this remnant of their property, for which 

 they can easily obtain a good price. 



Another troublesome question is that of the position of evicted 

 tenants. This has been met by allowing any one " who within 

 twenty-five years before the passing of the act was the tenant " 

 to purchase a parcel of land (presumably his former holding) ; 

 but in such cases the advance is limited to the amount of ;^iooo 

 (unless the Land Commission consider that a larger amount will 

 not prejudice other claimants). This section was the result of 

 a compromise between the goyemment and the Irish party, and 

 was keenly debated. It leaves open the difficult question of the 

 position of the new tenants who have taken evicted farms. Are 

 they to be allowed to retain their holdings, or shall they receive 

 compensation ? 



In accordance with the bad precedent set in so many previous 

 acts, there are, as already noticed, certain sections dealing with 

 the fair-rent courts and the laborers, tacked on to the main body 

 of the land-purchase enactments. The subcommissions for fixing 

 judicial rents will for the future consist of one legal and only 

 one lay assistant commissioner. In appeals one judicial com- 

 missioner, assisted by a lay assessor, will form the court. There 



