§ MR. J. H. PARNELL (Meath, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, (1) how many evicted tenants (not emigrated or dead) are now on the roadside and altogether out of their holdings; and, (2) whether, under the hopelessness of their being reinstated, he would consider the advisability of the Government planting them on other lands in Ireland on one large tract, bought or rented by Government, of land which is now waste but good?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThere are no official records giving the information asked for by the first paragraph of the hon. Gentleman's question; and as to the second part of the question, without entering into other objections that might be raised to his proposal, I may perhaps remind him that an experiment, having for its object the planting of tenants on a purchased tract of land, was attempted to be carried out some years ago in Ireland with land that was not waste to begin with, but that the experiment ended in complete failure.
§ MR. W. JOHNSTON (Belfast, E.)Was not the late Mr. Parnell the prinpal director? [Nationalist cries of "Order" and "Shame!"]
§ [No answer was given.]