§ MR. O'SULLIVANasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If it is true that the sheriff of the county of Limerick, accompanied by several hundred soldiers and police, seized on twenty-eight cows, the property of Mr. Patrick Browne, on the 23rd ultimo, for one year's rent due to Charles John Coote; whether four respectable and substantial persons offered the sheriff to go security for the amount due if the cows were allowed to remain on the farm until Mr. Browne (who was undergoing a surgical operation in Cork) returned home; whether the sheriff refused this security; and, if so, could he state the grounds on which he did so; did he send the cows to Limerick City, a distance of twenty-three miles, to be sold, in the place of keeping them at the local pound at Kilmallock; is it true that Browne owed only one year's rent up to last Gale day, and was put to £45 5s. costs by his landlord, which he had to pay; and, whether this seizure occurred on the same property as the eviction of Denis Murphy with his wife and six children, which took place in the same parish last month?
§ MR. W. E. FORSTER, in reply, said, it was true that the sub-sheriff of Limerick did seize for one year's rent the cows referred to; but he was informed that it was not a fact that four respectable and substantial persons offered to become security, and that no actual offer of the kind was made at all. The real facts were that when the cattle were driven to Killmallock by order of the sub-sheriff some of Mr. Browne's relations begged the principal local Land Leaguers to sign a security for the rent; but when it came to a question of security they declined. The cattle were taken by train to Limerick. Had the cattle been kept in Kilmallock serious 509 disturbances and riots might have been the result. In addition to paying the year's rent, £158, Mr. Browne had to pay £45 14s. costs. It would be more correct to say that Mr. Browne was put to this extra expense by the Land League rather than by the landlord. He was informed that Mr. Browne was a rich and prosperous farmer, holding under more than one landlord, and well able to pay his rent. He refused to pay the rent at first in obedience to the Land League; and, as Mr. Browne was a very respectable man, he attributed that refusal to terrorism. His reason for that opinion was that he was informed that some months ago Mr. Browne was suspected of having paid his rent, and in consequence was "Boycotted" at market and could not sell his farm produce. On another occasion his sons were hunted through Kilmallock by a violent mob, because their father was suspected of paying his rent, and they had to be rescued by the police. It was true that the seizure was made on the same day that Denis Murphy was put out of the farm of which he took forcible possession, and to which he had no claim whatever.