§ MR. M'DERMOTT (Kilkenny, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the resolution adopted by the Scariff Board of Poor Law Guardians, on the 16th instant, with reference to the evictions on the estate of Colonel J. O'Callaghan, in County Clare, in which the Guardians solemnly protest against the action of the landlord in casting upon the ratepayers the cost of maintaining and keeping from starvation the tenants whom he has evicted, and implore the attention of the Government to the matter; whether he is aware that the rents on this estate were reduced by the Land Commission by almost one-half; whether the judicial rents still remain above the Government valuation; if in Ulster the judicial rents are, as a rule, considerably below the Government valuation; and whether under the circumstances, he will make some representation to the landlord, or take some steps for the protection of these tenants?
MR. J. MORLEYI have seen the resolution referred to. The average reduction granted by the Laud Commissioners to the tenants of this estate is stated to have been about 40 per cent., and the rents, which are all judicial, are still above the tenement valuation. It 1687 would appear from the last Report of the Land Commissioners for the year ended August, 1891, which has been presented to Parliament, that the rents fixed in Ulster in that year were much below the valuations. It is not in my power to make any representation to the landlord; but I am bound to say that, in the face of the transactions as reported to me, the action of the local agent was not altogether free from harshness.