§ MR. MEAGHERI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if he will furnish to the House a Return setting out the names of the landlords in Kilkenny and Waterford, who, having been approached by the Estates Commissioners in the interests of the peace and order of the country to sell their agricultural holdings in the interests of the tenants, declined to do so; and whether he will take a note of the names of these gentlemen, to be considered whenever application is made for the forces of the Crown to carry out civil Bill or other decrees.
MR. BRYCEThe Estates Commissioners inform me that in no case in which they have offered to intervene in the counties mentioned has the owner refused to sell. In one case the owner intimated that he could not see his way to accept the terms offered by the tenants. In another case, the landlord's agent replied that there was now no dispute, but there had been some doubt as to the ownership of the estate owing to the death of the former owner. In a third case, the Commissioners were asked to intervene, but the estate was in the High Court of Justice, and the estate therefore did not fall within the scope of the regulations as to conciliation. In reply to the concluding inquiry of the Question, I would refer to the Answer which I have now given to the Questions of the hon. Member for South Kilkenny.