§ MR. G1NNELL (Westmeath, N.)I beg to ask Mr. Attorney-General for Ireland if his attention has been called to the face that the Estates Commissioners ignore the existence of congestion on and around Colonel Malone's estate in Westmeath, and propose to advance £3,000 to enable one tenant, not within the Land Law Acts, to purchase an undivided grass tract; and, if there is no legal reason why the Commissioners should not exercise in this case their discretion. judicially established in the Blake-Foster case, will the Government advise them to do this in order to make the grass land available for the people in need of it.
§ MR. CHERRYI beg to refer the hon. Member to the reply which my right hon. friend the Chief Secretary gave to his Question on this subject on Wednesday last.† The matter in question is one for the discretion of the Estates Commissioners, and it is not within my province to intervene in the manner suggested.
§ MR. GINNELLHas any Court decided that the discretion cannot be exorcised in such a case as that stated in the Question?
§ MR. CHERRYI do not know that any Court has, and it is not for me to advise any Court how to exercise its discretion.