THE O'DONOGHUEasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland, If his attention 1189 has been called to a statement in the "Kerry Sentinel" of Tuesday, February the 10th, that Mr. Daniel M'Mahon, a tenant on what is known in Kerry as the Ballysuchy Estate, has been served with notice to quit; and, if he will ascertain whether Mr. M'Mahon, before receiving notice to quit, had objected to being made liable to 3½ per cent, interest on money proposed to be expended by the agent of the said Ballysuchy Estate in fencing a portion of Mr. M'Mahon's farm?
§ MR. J. LOWTHERSir, the paper from which the extract referred to by the hon. Gentleman is taken is not known in Dublin, and no such paper appears on the ordinary lists; and, further, I must say that the Government has no control in the matter. However, I received to-day a letter from the agent referred to, Mr. Hussey, a gentleman very well known and much respected in Ireland. He says that he has noticed this Question, and he thinks it right to inform me that the facts of the case were that the tenant in question was asked to pay a reasonable interest upon the proportion of the money lent to be expended on the farm, which, instead of being 3½ per cent, was rather under than over the common interest, including sinking fund under the new terms. The reason, however, that the tenant got notice to quit was because he threw obstacles in the way of an important improvement which was required for the protection of other holdings. As I have already said, the Government has neither the power nor the inclination to interfere in the relations between the landlord and tenant.