§ MR. DALYI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1) if his attention has been drawn to the fact that on 5th March sheep were almost unsaleable in Dublin Market, and that some of those sold were bought in October last and sold to-day at less than was paid for them in October and loss of feeding besides, and that bullocks bought in Athy Fair on the previous day, were sold in Dublin at £2 per head less than cost price delivered in Dublin; and (2) if, in framing this Land Bill for Ireland, he will remember the low prices that prevail for cattle, sheep, horses, and farm produce?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThe hon. Member has forwarded to me a newspaper report in this matter. The Land Commissioners, whom I have consulted, inform me that they have received no information as to the statements respecting repeated losses incurred in the sale of sheep purchased in October 1895, and of bullocks purchased at Athy Fair, on re-sale in the Dublin Market of the 5th instant, but it is observed that in the columns of a Dublin newspaper, several lots of sheep stated to have been bought at the October fair at 47s. each were said to have been sold in Dublin on the 5th instant at 56s. It occasionally occurs, especially at this period of the year, that sellers of fat stock find a particular market of a disappointing character, and on the whole the Commissioners understood that the market of the 5th instant was so. I replied to the second paragraph yesterday.