§ MR. JOHN DILLON (Mayo, E.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether his attention has been directed to the observations made by Judge Shaw on Monday 27th April at Listowel Quarter Sessions, in reference to some applications for fixing fair rents which came before him; 741 whether Judge Shaw is correctly reported to have said that the Commissioners did not make any order; they must make an order before he would deal with the case. That it seemed to him a most extraordinary proceeding that the Commissioners should treat the application in this manner. The Land Commissioners had refused to sit, but they tried by a side issue to have the cases tried at the Quarter Sessions. That if the intimation conveyed in the letter of the secretary to the clerk of the peace should be brought to the attention of Parliament it would be likely to receive consideration, because there was a Land Bill in the House; and, whether he will inquire from the Land Commissioners on what grounds the cases in question were refused a hearing by the Land Commissioners?
§ * MR. GERALD BALFOURInquiry is being made into this matter, and on Monday next I hope to be in a position to reply fully to the hon. Member's Question if he will then repeat it, but I understand that some such observations as are alleged were made by Judge Shaw, but that he has since stated that they were made under a misapprehension of the facts.