§ MR. ROCHE (Galway, E.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that Lord Ashtown, county Galway, issued a circular last February 345 calling upon his friends to form an association for the purpose of collecting information re boycotting and agrarian offences, to be supplied to the Ulster Tory Members, and asking for funds to promote same; that about two weeks ago Lord Ashtown purchased the estate of the late Mr. Galway, upon which eighteen tenants are living, upon an average valuation of £2 10s. each; that there is a considerable amount of untenanted land upon the estate, and that the tenants sought to buy; and whether, in view of the provisions of the Land Act of 1903, he will say what steps, if any, the Executive intend to take to extend the benefits of the Act to those tenants and prevent such occurrences in future.
§ MR. WALTER LONGI am not aware that the fact is as stated in the first part of the Question. I am informed that the Land Judge has expressed his intention of accepting Lord Ashtown's offer for the purchase of the estate referred to. The tenants opposed the acceptance of this offer, but, as the estate was unencumbered, and as no receiver over it had ever been appointed, the learned Judge held that the compulsory provisions of the Act of 1896 were not applicable. The number of tenants is, I understand, correctly stated; their holdings are small, and there is a considerable amount of untenanted land which it has been the practice to let for grazing. The learned Judge was satisfied that for at least two years past the letting of this grazing land has been boycotted by the tenants. No action on the part of the Executive is called for.