§ MR. MCCARTANI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1) whether his attention has been called to a report in the Lisburn Standard of 10th July last, of a meeting of tenant farmers of the Wallace Estate at Lisburn, on the 6th July, in connection with the refusal of the new landlord (Mr. J. Murray Scott) to sell his interest in their holdings to the tenants who had taken advantage of the fair rent provisions of the Irish Land Laws; (2) whether all the tenants who had not their judicial rents fixed were offered sale of their holdings by the landlord; (3) whether he is aware that the exercise of their legal rights in becoming judicial tenants prevented the landlord extending to them the offer of sale given to the other tenants on this estate; and (4) whether he will make inquiry into the case?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURI have been furnished with a newspaper report of the proceedings at the meeting referred to in the first paragraph. I have no information to enable me to reply to the inquiries contained in the second and third paragraphs. The matter is one for private negotiation between the parties, and the Government have no right to interfere.