§ MR. DOOGANI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if he can explain why the tenants of Rossavalley, county Fermanagh, who purchased their holdings from Messrs. Bracken and Gordon, joint landlords, in November, 1898, have had to pay, and are still paying, half-yearly instalments to the Irish Land Commission at the rate of 5 per cent. per annum on the purchase money, whilst the tenants on the adjoining estate of the Commissioners of Education, who purchased about the same time, had to pay instalments at the rate of only 4 per cent. per annum.
§ MR. G. W. BALFOURThis question refers to interest in lieu of rent payable by the tenants to the vendor pending the completion of the sale, and not to half-yearly instalments of annuities payable to the Land Commission. The amount of interest payable in such circumstances is a matter of agreement between the tenants and the landlord.