§ MR. J. P. FARRELLI beg to ask Mr. Attorney General for Ireland whether he is aware that the Land Commission has fixed an appeal sitting for Counties Leitrim and Longford, to take place at Carrick-on-Shannon on 13th March, and remainder of unheard cases at Mullingar on 14th March; whether he is aware that of the fifty-five County Leitrim cases listed for hearing at Carrick-on-Shannon only forty-six are proposed to be heard at Carrick, and the other nine to go to Mullingar; whether he can explain why the 176 cases from County Longford are to be taken past the county town to Mullingar to be heard there, to the inconvenience of the parties and for whose convenience these arrangements are made; and whether he can represent to the Chief Commissioners the advisability of the sittings for Leitrim being held in Carrick-on-Shannon, and for Longford at the county court-house in Longford town.
§ MR. ATKINSONThe reply to the first paragraph is in the affirmative. The second paragraph is based on a misapprehension. All the cases from the County Leitrim are entered for hearing at Carrick-on-Shannon. The list from this county consists, nominally, of fifty-five cases, but nine of these cases are duplicates—appeals having been lodged by both landlord and tenant, so that the number of distinct cases from the County Leitrim to be heard at Carrick is only forty-six. None of the Leitrim cases will be heard at Mullingar, as the hon. Member appears to suppose. With regard to the cases from the County Longford, the town of Mullingar, where they are listed to be heard, is only distant from the town of Longford one hour by rail, and the majority of those cases refer to holdings situated between Mullingar and Longford. The Commissioners, after careful inquiry, considered that Mullingar would be the most convenient place to dispose of these cases; but, consistently with the despatch of public business, every arrangement possible will be made to prevent persons attending from being unduly delayed at Mullingar.