MR. WINGFIELD BAKERsaid, he would beg to ask the Chief Secretary for Ireland, If he will inform the House what has been the number of Petitions for Sales of Property under the Sale of Encumbered Estates Acts since the end of December last; whether, in any cases where sales have been completed, proceeding on notices to quit and evictions have taken place on such Estates since such date; and, whether it is not desirable that some steps should be taken to suspend the continuance of sales under the Court of the above named Acts until the Irish Land Bill, now before Parliament, becomes Law, in consequence of the hardships experience has shown evictions under the causes above referred to have brought on the tenants holding under Estates sold by the Encumbered Estates Court?
§ MR. CHICHESTER FORTESCUEsaid, in reply, that there had been some petitions presented to the Landed Estates Court since December last; but that, as only the first steps had been 1866 taken with reference to them, it would be impossible that any such results as those contemplated by the Question of his hon. Friend could have occurred. He also found that there would be no further sales until the end of April, and that these were few and unimportant. On the whole, he thought there was no reason for special interference in this matter on the part of Parliament.