§ MR. J. J. SHEE (Waterford, W.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether, in the year 1888, a farmer named James Hearn, of Lisfennel, Dun-garvan, county Waterford, purchased his holding by means of an advance from the Land Commission, repayable by an annuity of £90 6s. 8d. for forty-nine years; what has been the history of said holding since; whether a man named Moloney is now in possession of it; if so, under what tenure and terms as to repayment of said advance to the Land Commission; is the valuer of the Land Commission, on whose report they acted in sanctioning the advance for the purchase of said holding, still employed by them; and, if so, in what capacity; and to what extent has the guarantee deposit in this case been drawn on by the Land Commission.
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThe facts are correctly stated in the first paragraph. Hearn having failed to pay any instalment of the purchase annuity, the Land Commission took possession of the holding, and placed a caretaker in occupation. In January, 1894, the holding was sold to Matthew Moloney, subject to the payment, from 1st November previously, of the same annuity as Hearn had failed to pay. Moloney still remains in possession, and has paid the instalments of the annuity due by him up to the 1st November next. The Inspector who reported on the value of the holding is now employed as an Assistant Land Commissioner. The sum of £409 has been applied out of the guarantee deposit.