§ MR. SEXTON (for Mr. FLYNN)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the case of the tenants recently evicted from the estate of Mr. J. H. Payne, J.P., near Ballinhassig, County Cork; can he state what number of years' purchase of the valuation was sanctioned by the Land Purchase Commission; how many tenants have been evicted by the Land Purchase Commission since the purchase of the estate was sanctioned; and is he aware that the farm of one of the purchasing tenants was put up for sale in March, 1891, by the Purchase Commission, but that no one was found to purchase the tenant's interest; 557 and, if so, what steps do the Purchase Commission intend to take?
§ MR. MADDEN(who replied) said: The Irish Land Commission report that they are not aware of any evictions on the estate of Mr. J. H. Payne; but the question probably refers to the case of a tenant-purchaser named Daniel Kelly. This tenant held under a judicial rent of £30. His purchase money was £500, or about 17 years' purchase of the judicial rent, and the annuity payable in respect thereof was £20—i.e., a reduction of 33 per cent. as compared with the judicial rent he had previously to pay. This holding was put up for sale by the Commissioners on the 4th March, 1891, the tenant purchaser being in default for two instalments. There being no bidding the sale was adjourned; but in the following July the holding was sold for an amount sufficient to pay the arrears and expenses and subject to the annuity, which has since been regularly paid.