§ MR. O'DONNELLasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether he is aware that tenants on the estates of the "Irish Society," in the county of Derry, being in arrear of rent, and having offered to pay off part of the arrears, and to apply for a Government loan towards paying off the remainder, under the Arrears Clause of the Land Act, have had their offers refused by the agent of the "Irish Society," and are to be evicted for the entire sum of unreduced arrears, together with large amounts of alleged illegal costs; and, whether he will inquire into the case of John Carlin, farmer, Braehead, Derry, holding sixteen acres of mountain land at a rent of £36?
§ MR. W. E. FORSTERSir, only three evictions are pending on the estates referred to by the hon. Member. The ejectment in one case was held over for some time to afford the tenant an opportunity of selling the farm. As to the case of John Carlin, the hon. Member has been misinformed. The farm consisted of 38 acres, not 16. It is not mountain land, but agricultural upland land, within two miles of the city of Londonderry. The Government valuation is £32 15s., and the rent £33 15s. 7d., with £2 for interest on £50 advanced to the tenant. The tenant was three years and a-half in arrear.
§ MR. O'DONNELLasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether he is aware that extensive evictions of tenants, for arrears of rent, are taking place, or are about to take place, in the districts of Clonmany, Binnion, Garryduff, Adderville, and Cardonagh, in the county of Donegal; whether it is true that meetings of the inhabitants to protest against these evictions, and to invite public sympathy with poor tenants, on the ground of their incapability to pay the unreduced rents accumulating since the years of distress, have been prohibited by the Government, on the ground that such meetings might obstruct the sheriff in the exercise of his functions; and, whether it is not the case that all these dis- 738 tricts were scheduled as "distressed districts" in the Compensation for Disturbance Bill, and were in receipt of famine relief up to and since March 1880?
§ MR. W. E. FORSTERSir, since the 1st of January 339 persons have been evicted in Donegal, of whom 83 have been re-admitted as caretakers. It is not the case that any meeting of inhabitants to protest against the evictions, or to invite sympathy with the tenants, has been prohibited by the Government. The district was scheduled as the hon. Member states. I have good reason to hope that in many of the cases satisfactory arrangements will be come to between the landlords and the tenants. In some instances such an arrangement has already been made.
§ MR. SEXTONWill the right hon. Gentleman allow meetings of the kind referred to to be held in future?
§ MR. W. E. FORSTEROnly those meetings are prohibited which we have reason to believe have been called for purposes of intimidation.