MR. T. M. HEALYfor (Mr. CHANCE) (Kilkenny, S.)asked the Parliamentary Under Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether any letter from Lord Granard has been published, denying that the authorities of Maynooth College are, either directly or indirectly, responsible for the evictions on his estate?
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDER SECRETARY (Colonel KING-HARMAN) (Kent, Isle of Thanet)(who replied) said: A letter has appeared in The Free- 1680 man's Journal of Tuesday last, addressed to Dr. Browne, the President of Maynooth College, which does not exactly tally with the suggestions contained in the hon. Member's Question, but in which Lord Granard describes himself as being "quite ready to assume the responsibility" for the evictions on his Drumlish estate.
§ MR. T. M. HEALYI wish to ask the right hon. and gallant Gentleman, whether he proposes to make any apology to the authorities of Maynooth College for his insinuation that they were responsible for the evictions?
§ MR. SPEAKEROrder, order!
§ Subsequently,
§ COLONEL KING-HARMAN, in asking leave to make a personal explanation, said: The hon. and learned Member for North Longford (Mr. T. M. Healy) either insinuated or stated that I had brought a charge against the authorities of Maynooth College. I wish to explain. It will be in the recollection of the House that what I did say was that Lord Granard's agents stated that his Lordship did not desire to press the matter to the point of eviction; but that it was owing to the action of the mortgagees that this course had to be adopted. The hon. and learned Member for North Longford then demanded from me the names of the mortgagees. I had not intended to give them; but I was obliged, in reply to his Question, to mention that the mortgagees were the Trustees of Maynooth College. On the following Monday, the hon. Member for Kilkenny (Mr. Chance) road what purported to be a letter from Lord Granard's agents to the clerk of the Mohill Union, stating that his Lordship's estate had never been in the hands of a receiver. The hon. Member, probably from the excitement of the moment, did not read the end of the letter, which went on as follows:—
§ "We have, unfortunately, been obliged to press for payment of the rents now overdue. This is in consequence of charges on the estate, the principal one being the interest due to Maynooth College, and which the Trustees state they do not feel themselves justified in allowing to fall into arrears.
§ Yours obediently,
§ DARLEY AND ROE."
§ I think the House will see that I was justified in saying that the agents of Lord Granard's said that the mortgagees were the Trustees of Maynooth College.
1681§ MR. T. M. HEALYAfter the statement of the right hon. and gallant Gentleman, to prevent further discussion, I think it is only right, speaking on behalf of the mortgagees to some extent, to say that it was the right hon. and gallant Gentleman himself who stated, in reply to my Question, that it was in consequence of the pressure of the mortgagees that these evictions occurred. I asked then who were the mortgagees, and the right hon. and gallant Gentleman said Maynooth College. It was the right hon. and gallant Gentleman's original statement that these evictions took place in consequence of the mortgagees that brought out the names of the mortgagees; and the right hon. and gallant Gentleman must now see, owing to the letter of Lord Granard and the statement of Maynooth Colloge, that these evictions in no sense have taken place in consequence of the action of Maynooth College.