§ MR. M'GOVERN (Cavan, W.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, is he aware that a number of land agents in Ireland have formed a society or association for the purpose of preventing the Land Purchase clauses of the various Lands Acts becoming operative, and for the protection of their vested interests, and that an estate has been sold in the county Cavan by a landlord to a syndicate of land agents, some of whom are members of this association, for £23,000, although the tenants offered him £30,000 for it. And, will a clause be inserted in the Bill referred to in the King's Speech for facilitating the sale of land in Ireland, giving the tenants in occupation the right of pre-emption when a landlord wishes to sell his estate, such as the landlord at present enjoys under the Land Act of 1881, when a tenant wishes to sell his interest in his farm.
§ MR. WYNDHAMI have no official information on the matter referred to in paragraph 1. In reply to paragragh 2, I must defer a description of the Bill's contents until I move for leave to introduce it.
§ MR. M'GOVERNDid the right hon. Gentleman make any inquiry into the question at all?
§ MR. WYNDHAMI made no official inquiry into the matter. It is a matter cencerning private individuals, and what I saw in the Press was of a very doubtful character.
§ MR. CULLINAN (Tipperary, S.)Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that in the Land Judges Court debate last session—
§ * MR. SPEAKEROrder, order!