§ MR. ROWNTREE (Scarborough)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether his attention has been called to the following remarks of Judge Curran, reported to have been made on the hearing of certain ejectment cases from Mr. William Lunn's estate at the Tralee Quarter Sessions on Saturday last—namely—
This was taking not alone a pound of flesh, but more than a pound of flesh. They must look upon a tenant as something more than a mere rent-making machine…. Because the Government is pressing the landlords (for payment of drainage and improvement charges), that is no reason why the landlords should crush the tenants. No wonder the people would be irritated when brought up there and saddled with costs. The landlords of Kerry were treating their tenants considerately, with, unfortunately, a few exceptions. He and other men were trying to restore law and order, and certainly they did not receive much assistance from landlords such as the present one;and, if so, whether the Government intend to take any steps to remedy the grievances alleged by the Judge to exist in certain cases?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY(Mr. A. J. BALFOUR) (Manchester, E.)My attention has only been called to the alleged remarks of the County Court Judge by this Question, which is, apparently, founded on a newspaper report. The Question appearing for the first time on the Notice Paper circulated this morning, I have been unable to ascertain whether the remarks attributed to the Judge are substantially correct, or to acquire a knowledge of the circumstances of the case alluded to.