§ MR. DELANY (Queen's County, Ossory)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he can say what progress has been made with the sale of the estate of Captain Caldbeck, Ballacolla, Queen's County, to the tenants, which has been before the Estates Commissioners for I over twelve months; whether the point of law in the case referred to Judge Meredith has been decided; if there is any prospect of the untenanted land upon the estate being acquired for the enlargement of the small holdings and the settlement of the evicted tenants in the locality; and can he say what is the cause of the delay.
† Sec Col. 969.1156
MR. BRYCEThe Estates Commissioners inform me that they have received from their inspector a further report upon the estate in question. The Commissioners are not satisfied with the proposed allocation of the untenanted land according to the purchase agreements at present before them, and they propose to offer to purchase the estate from the vendor under Section 6 of the Act of 1903. No necessity has, therefore, arisen for referring any question of law in the case to Mr. Justice Meredith. If the Commissioners should purchase the estate they will consider the most suitable mode of re-selling the untenanted land, having regard to the wants of occupiers of small holdings and evicted tenants in the neighbourhood. The cause of the delay has been, amongst other matters, the difficulties as to the disposal of the untenanted land.