§ MR. W. O'MALLEY (Galway, Connemara)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether an application has been made to the Irish Land Commission by Mrs. Caroline Blake, of Renoyle, Connemara, and by her son Robert Blake, for money to purchase the grass land of the Renoyle estate, leased to them by Mr. Henry E. V. Blake, Mrs. Blake's son, who is heir to the property and nominal owner, the said estate being heavily mortgaged; and whether, taking into account the fact that the lease is granted to relatives, and the fact that the grass land proposed to be purchased is the only good land available for the tenants upon other parts of this estate, in the event of the Congested Districts Board considering their condition, he would advise the Land Commission under such circumstances not to advance the necessary purchase money?
§ MR. R. M. DANE (Fermanagh, N.)Before the right hon. Gentleman answers, I would like to ask whether the tenants referred to in the 2nd paragraph of the question, or any of them, are persons in respect of whom it was proved before the Judges of the Parnell Commission that they had been guilty of the cruel destruction and mutilation of cattle and sheep upon the lands in question?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThe supplemental question is not altogether relevant. In answer to the question on the Paper, I have to say applications were made in December 1894, by the 665 parties named in the question, for advances to enable them to purchase their holdings on this estate, which is for sale in the Land Judges Court, but as they were unable to comply with the requirements of the Land Commission Court the applications now stand "withdrawn," and there are, therefore, no purchase proceedings now pending in the matter.