§ MR. M'CARTAN (Down, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord 1701 Lieutenant of Ireland whether Mr. Hume Babington, of Armagh, has been appointed by the Land Commission as court valuer, to inspect the holdings in some cases in the neighbourhood of Downpatrick, in which appeals from the Sub-Commission have been heard and the decisions not yet given; whether he is aware that Mr. Babington is a land agent in the Copnty of Armagh, and that he has frequently appeared before the Sub-Commissions in County Derry and County Antrim as valuer for the landlord, when his valuation as to rent was invariably considered very excessive; and, whether, considering that every alteration made by the Chief Commission at their last sitting at Downpatrick was to increase the rents fixed by the Sub-Commission, and the number of indignation meetings since held by the farmers to protest against these alterations, some court valuer, who has not been employed by the landlords of the district, will be appointed to inspect these holdings?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe Land Commissioners say that they cannot undertake to discuss matters connected with the adjudication of cases now pending before them.