§ MR. DALYI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that the tenants on the Kenny Estate, County Monaghan, agreed to purchase their holdings through the Irish Land Commissioners, one of the conditions being that the tenants clear up all rents to November 1596, which they have done; whether he is aware that the receiver over the estate in question made recent application to the Court of Judge Ross for permission to sue the tenants for the May rent of 1597, and that judge Ross on the occasion censured the Irish Land Commissioners for their dilatoriness in carry- 1230 ing out their engagements with the tenants; and, whether he can state when will the sale of this estate be completed to the satisfaction of the tenants?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThe Land Commissioners have no knowledge of any agreements by the tenants on the estate referred to, to purchase their holdings through the Commissioners, They have not entered into engagements of any kind with the tenants. It is not the fact that the Land Judge censured the Commissioners, though he appears to have expressed regret that the sales could not be pressed forward. I may add that a request was issued towards the end of April by the Land Judge to the Commissioners for an inspection of the holdings on this estate pursuant to Section 43 of the Land Act of last year. The inspection has been completed, but the Inspectors' reports to the Land Commission have not yet been furnished.
§ MR. DALYasked whether the right hon. Gentleman could say when the report of the Inspectors would be issued?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURI should think that there would not be very much delay in the issuing of the report, as the inspection has been already completed, but I am not at the present time able to give a more exact answer to the hon. Member's Question.