§ MR. PINKERTON (Galway)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if he is aware that the Skinners' Company have sold three-fourths of their property in County London derry to their tenants, and have now limited the time when their offer to sell will be withdrawn, owing to the fact that a Syndicate, composed of mem- 1107 bers of the Skinners' Company and others, have offered to purchase the remainder of the estate as a speculation, and that the Company have agreed to accept 15 years' purchase, while the price they demanded from their tenants was 19 years; if many of the tenants, who have not yet purchased, are precluded from doing so owing to arrears; and if he would consider the advisability of inserting a clause in the Land Purchase (Ireland) Bill, giving the tenants the right of pre-emption.
MR. A. J.BALFOURThe Land Commissioners report that applications for purchase in respect of 671 tenants on the Skinners' Company's Estate have been lodged with the Commission. In 58 of these cases the advances applied for have been refused, and 48 are still pending. The records of the Commission do not afford any information as to the extent or value of the residue of the estate, nor have they any information as to the Syndicate referred to.