§ MR. P. O'BRIEN (Kilkenny)On behalf of my hon. Friend the Member for the St. Patrick's Division of Dublin, I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, is he aware that a tenant named William Wilson, of Courtfoyle, Ashford, County Wicklow, who had a judicial tenancy since 1882, was evicted from his holding on 25th March, 1898, by the agent of the property, Joseph Abbott, who had made William Wilson sign a document under threat of eviction making him a future tenant; is he aware that this agent is an arbitrator under the Local Government Board of Ireland; and will he cause inquiry to be made into all the circumstances of the case?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. GERALD W. BALFOUR,) Leeds, CentralI understand that in 1882 Wilson had a judicial rent fixed against a middleman who, in 1891, was evicted for non-payment of rent, and that possession was then taken by the sheriff from the under tenant, Wilson, a proceeding which, as the law then stood, destroyed Wilson's interest unless he redeemed. After he had been put out he signed an agreement to retake the holding as a future tenant. Suck a case is now provided for by the 12th Section of the Land Act of 1896. I am aware that Mr. Abbott has been employed in arbitration cases by the Board of Public Works.