§ MR. JAMES DALY (Monaghan, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1) whether he is aware that a solicitor, named Mr. Giffard, representing the M'Math Estate (which is in Chancery), County Monaghan, agreed with the tenants to sell them their holdings through the Irish Land Commissioners, and that, having arranged to meet the tenants from the townlands of Formill and Killkit at Ballybay on the 26th September 1896, for the purpose of carrying out the sale, Mr. Giffard did not attend while the tenants did; (2) whether he can state if it is the Irish Land Commissioners or the representatives of the M'Math Estate that are to blame fur the delay in carrying out the sale to the tenants; and (3) whether he will stay any proceedings for rent against the tenants 291 mentioned pending the completion of the sale.
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURNo applications for advances have been received by the Land Commission in respect of this property. A petition for the sale of the land is, however, pending in the Land Judge's Court, but neither that Court nor the Land Commission is cognisant of any dealings with the tenants such as alleged in the Question. I have no power to act in the manner suggested in the last paragraph.