§ MR. MCCARTANI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the report in the Northern Whig of 20th April last, of a meeting of Presbyterian farmers, presided over by Mr. Carr, J.P., at Killyleagh, County Down, on the previous day; and whether, considering that a resolution was unanimously adopted declaring it to be "absolutely necessary" to have a law passed to compel the landlords to sell to the tenants their holdings at a fair price, and having in view the strong feeling of discontent among the farmers of Ulster, he will now consider the desirability of introducing a Bill to amend the law relating to the sale of land in Ireland? I wish to supplement my question by this inquiry: Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the secretary of this meeting declared himself to be a Unionist, and is reported to have said the Government must either pass a Compulsory Sale Bill for the farmers of Ulster or grant Home Rule? Which alternative is the Government prepared to take?
§ MR. JACKSONI think it must be obvious that the Government must form their own conclusions as to the necessity of passing a Compulsory Land Bill; and I am not aware of any intention 707 on the part of the Government to propose to Parliament a measure dealing with compulsory sale and purchase.