§ MR. TOTTENHAMasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If he will represent to the Land Commissioners that their refusal to alter the day fixed for hearing appeals at Enniskillen of cases from the county of Lei trim, viz. 2nd March, is equivalent to a grave denial of justice to the appellants, who both themselves, their legal advisers, witnesses, and others concerned, are compelled to attend at the Assizes of the county Leitrim, which commence on the same day, and it is therefore impossible for them to be present at Enniskillen?
§ MR. GIBSONasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If it is true that the Irish Land Commissioners have fixed the 2nd March for hearing the Leitrim appeals at Enniskillen; whether the Leitrim Assizes commence on the same day; and, whether this fixture may not cause great in- 1605 convenience and expense to suitors from the county Leitrim?
LORD ARTHURHILLasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether any representations have been made to the Land Commissioners as to the serious inconvenience and injustice to litigants which must follow their refusal to alter the date of hearing appeals from county Leitrim at Enniskillen from the 2nd March, on which day the Assizes for county Leitrim begin at Carrick on Shannon, and at which both the litigants and their legal advisers are obliged to attend?
§ MR. LEWISasked Mr. Solicitor General for Ireland, Whether it is not the case that the Land Appeal Oases from county Leitrim are fixed to take place at Enniskillen on the 2nd of March, the same day as the Assizes for county Leitrim at Carrick on Shannon; whether he is aware that such an arrangement will be greatly prejudicial to suitors, solicitors, and others; and, whether the Government will use its influence with the Land Commissioners to adjourn the Appeal Cases in the Land Court to a suitable day?
§ MR. BERESFORDasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether he is aware that the Land Commissioners have appointed the 2nd of March for the hearing of Land Appeal Cases at Enniskillen from the Manorhamilton, Ballyshannon, and Bawnboy Unions, in county Leitrim; that the Assizes for county Leitrim commence at Carrick on Shannon on same date, and that it will be impossible for the solicitors and others engaged in these land cases to appear at Enniskillen as required; and, whether he will take steps to have these cases postponed until after the termination of the Assizes at Carrick on Shannon?
§ MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANI have communicated with the Land Commissioners in this matter, and have received the following reply:—
The various sittings of the Court of Appeal of the Land Commission up to the middle of August next have been fixed and advertised since December 13 last. The sitting at Enniskillen was settled long before it was, or could be, known when the Leitrim Assizes would be held. Applications have been constantly made to the Commissioners to postpone their sittings at particular places or times on account of the sitting at the same times of other Courts; but the Commissioners have found that to yield to these applications, considering the number of 1606 other Courts, both of Quarter Sessions and Assizes, would involve such a total derangement of their business as would render the arrangement beforehand of sitting for appeals in any part of the country almost impossible. The Commissioners, however, are always disposed to yield to applications for postponement in particular cases where parties have public duties to perform elsewhere, and they will do so at Enniskillen whenever it may appear to be just; but to yield to the proposal now made would involve the abandonment of the sitting at Enniskillen, to the great inconvenience of a large number of the suitors.