§ VISCOUNT CLEMENTSwished to put the question of which he had given notice to the Chancellor of the Exchequer in reference to the statement made by the right hon. Gentleman on Friday evening last, respecting the ejectments in the county of Mayo. The right hon. Gentleman had said that the landlords and their agents were pursuing a system of ejectments, under processes for rent, to an extent hitherto unknown in the country—that at the quarter-sessions of Ballina, 6,400 processes were entered, of which 4,000 were at the suit of landlords for rent. He was sure the right hon. Gentleman would not intentionally make a mis-statement; but it was desirable the right hon. Gentleman should inform the House upon what authority this statement was founded, and whether any papers connected therewith would be laid on the Table of the House.
§ The CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERhad made the statement on the authority of a person well acquainted with Mayo, and with the facts of this particular case, and who wrote from Galway to the effect mentioned. The communication had been made to his right hon. Friend the Secretary for Ireland, and he would vouch for its correctness. If the noble Lord wished for any returns confirmatory of that communication, there would be no difficulty in finding how many processes had been issued at the Ballina sessions for rent. [Viscount CLEMENTS: But the processes for ejectment?] He had not said processes for ejectment. The words he had used were "a system of ejectment by processes for rent." He had said that in this way a great many unfortunate persons had been driven from the occupation of land, and reduced to a pitiable state of destitution.