§ MR. SEXTONasked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether it is the fact that the Earl of Kenmare, has caused to be served upon two of his tenants, Michael Leahy and William Herlihy, writs of summons from the Superior Courts in Dublin (involving heavy costs), in respect of a half-year's rent due in November 1881, and, according to custom, only payable last month; whether the tenants of Lord Kenmare, in the month of November last, served originating notices in the Land Court, and whether his Lordship, having retaliated in the course of the following week by serving writs upon a number of them, the two tenants above referred to, Michael Leahy and William Herlihy, in order to avoid costs, immediately went in and paid their half-year's rent, and whether a sum of£2 10s. was deducted from each of them for costs of writs which had never been served upon them, and this sum of£2 10s. is now charged in each case as an arrear of rent in the writs served a few days since; whether it is the fact that although these two tenants, and many other tenants of Lord Kenmare served originating notices so long ago as November, and although the Sub-Commission for the district have held two sittings in Killarney, not one of the many cases on the Kenmare Es-state has been heard, or listed for hearing, and what is the explanation of this fact; and, whether he is prepared to say that he will take any steps to prevent poor tenants, unable to pay rents, from suffering the sale of their interest, and incur the loss of the rights conferred upon them by the Land Act before the Court can deal with their applications?
§ MR. W. E. FORSTER,in reply, said, the only part of the Question with respect to which he had any right to obtain information was that relating to the proceedings of the Sub-Commission. Two tenants on Lord Kenmare's estate 1945 served originating notices on the 13th and 29th October respectively, and the cases were sent for hearing to the first sitting of the Sub-Commission in Killarney in December last. No other application was received from any of Lord Kenmare's tenants till the 11th November. In the meantime 940 applications were received from Kerry, and they, of course, took precedence of the case of Lord Kenmare's tenants. In regard of the two cases held in December, one was dismissed, and in the other the rent was upheld.