§ MR. J. F. X. O'BRIEN (Mayo, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether, in cases in which landlords obtain Chair- 1241 man's decrees for only one half-year's rent, a second half-year's rent not being yet due, he will grant the aid of the forces of the Crown; whether he is aware that Mr. George A. Moore, of Moorehall, County Mayo, is now taking proceedings against tenants, one half-rear's rent only being due; whether he is aware that Peter Keaveney, of Ballintubber, has, at the suit of Mr. George A. Moore, been served with a Civil Bill, dated 16th March, 1889, "for the sum of £6 5s. due for half-a-year's rent of part of the lands of Ballintubber, held by defendant of plaintiff as yearly tenant at the yearly rent of £12 10s., up to and ending the 1st day of May, 1888"; and if he will endeavour to discourage such conduct on the part of landlords?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI am not aware of any case in which Mr. Moore or any other landlord is taking proceedings against tenants in cases in which only one half-year's rent is due. In the case of Peter Keaveney, mentioned, one year's rent was actually due, though the landlord only required the payment of one half-year in the proceedings taken by him. I do not suppose this is the kind of conduct on the part of landlords which the hon. Gentleman is anxious that I should discourage.