§ MR. DALTON (Donegal, W.)I beg to 'ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if ho can state the total number of families to be evicted during the coming week on the Olphert estate; whether he has seen the statement that Mr. Olphert boasted that by November next the Falcarragh district shall be laid waste, and that not a tenant shall hold a foot of his soil; whether fresh proceedings have been taken which, if persisted in, will have the effect of bringing the number of families rendered homeless in the Falcarragh district up to the appalling total of 600; and whether, in view of the desolation which must result from this, and in view of the fact that the Government have dropped the Land Bill, which contained a provision for the relief of congested districts, he can see his way to adopting a similar course to that taken by the President of the Board of Trade when Chief Secretary, in the case of the Clanricarde tenantry, or will he take any steps whatever to relieve the destitution of the district?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI understand there are 43 evictions pending on the Olphert estate for next week, in consequence of the continued operation of the Plan of Campaign. I have not seen the statement attributed to Mr. Olphert, that he boasted that by November next the Falcarragh district should be laid waste, nor do I believe it to be true that he made it. As a matter of fact, he has already settled with a number of his tenants. I understand that proceedings are pending which will bring up the total number of families whose position 1351 is imperilled by the Plan of Campaign to 458. It is not a fact that the Purchase of Land Bill has been dropped.