§ MR. HARRIS (Galway, E.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If it be true that Sir Henry Burke took out sixty ejectment decrees against his tenants in Woodford parish at the January Quarter Sessions; and, if so, were these decrees legal instruments, though not signed by the solicitor, Mr. O'Farrell, or in Mr. O'Farrell's presence, whose name was on the decrees; whether it is true that Mrs. Lewis took out twenty civil bill decrees against her tenants in the same locality, though they had actually paid the hanging gale some time previously; is it a fact that the Marquess of Clanricarde has acted in a similar manner and has served writs on his tenants, and sold some of their farms by auction in the town of Galway; is it true that the trustees or managers of the estates of the Earl of Westmeath served processes of ejectment on all the poorer tenants around Woodford, though not proceeding to eject the tenants, owing to an informality in the mode of procedure; has Lord Dunsandle and other landlords in South Galway acted in a similar manner; and, if so, will the Government interfere?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. JOHN MORLEY) (Newcastle-on-Tyne)I am informed that Sir Henry Burke obtained 45 decrees against his tenants in Wood- 1168 ford parish, and that they were all signed by Mr. O'Farrell personally. Mrs. Lewis is stated to have obtained 19 decrees, and there were no hanging gales, except in the case of three. I am also informed that Lord Clanricarde sold four farms, but that in three instances the tenants have been reinstated on payment of costs. I am not aware how many writs have been served by him. According to the information before me, neither Lord Westmeath's trustees nor Lord Dunsandle have taken the proceedings mentioned in the hon. Member's Question.