§ MR. DUFFY (Galway, S.)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether the attention of the Estates Commissioners has been directed to the negotiations going on for the sale of the widely-spread estate of Sir Henry Burke, Marble Hill, Woodford, to the tenants; are the Commissioners; aware that the townlands comprising the 1101 really rich sections of the estate are being sold first, for the purpose of raising the market value of the poor mountainous parts of the property; and, in view of the possibility of the poor people living in these arid mountain districts being forced or induced to sign agreements neither fair to themselves or the ratepayers, will he call the attention of the Estates Commissioners to the proposed sale of this estate, with a view, amongst other matters, of having Mr L. F. Egan and other evicted tenants reinstated in their evicted homes.
(Answered by Mr. Bryce.) The Estates Commissioners inform me that they have no reason to believe that sales of portions of this estate are being arranged with the object mentioned in the Question. The Commission have referred the applications of the evicted tenants to one of their inspectors for inquiry in connection with the sale of the property.