§ MR. SULLIVAN (Westmeath, S.)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that Mr. Patrick Duff, a middleman on the Wilson estate in the parish of Drumraney, county Westmeath, bought out his land on which there was a large portion of cut away bog and a number of sub-tenants; that the 1608 agent of the estate entered into an arrangement with Mr. Duff, by which he divided five acres of the bog amongst the tenants, to be included in their holdings; and that then the agent and Mr. Duff fixed the terms of the purchase between them without any consultation with the tenants, leaving them solely at his mercy; and whether, seeing that Mr. Duff now refuses to sell to the tenants, and insists on the tenants paying the full amount of their rackrents without any abatement, he will bring this case before the Estates Commissioners in order that they may deal with it satisfactorily to the tenants.
(Answered by Mr. Bryce.) The Estates Commissioners inform me that the agreement for purchase signed by Patrick Duff shows that there are upon his holding four sub-tenants, two of whom hold at judicial rents. The Commissioners have no knowledge of the remaining facts stated in the Question. The estate, however, will shortly be inspected, and the Commissioners will direct the special attention of their inspector to the holding mentioned and the sub-tenancies thereon, and also to the question of turbary.