§ MR. JOHN O'CONNOR (Kildare, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether any negotiations are going on between the Estates Commissioners and the tenants of Hortlandson, the Horts estate, Kilcock, county Kildare; whether the tenants are twenty-three in number and have offered a price for their farms, that is to say, twenty-one years purchase of the rental, provided that certain untenanted land on 1120 the estate was divided amongst them at the price of twenty-four years purchase of the rental; has an inspector been sent by the Commissioners to inspect and report upon the property; was he during his visit driven over the estate in his own trap by the eleven months holder of the said untenanted land; has the said eleven months holder offered a large price for the untenanted land; will the tenants continue their offer of purchase if the untenanted land is withdrawn from the subject matter of the bargain; have the tenants represented that the Report of the inspector is inaccurate in many important respects; and will another inspection be ordered and the tenants asked to state their opinions on disputed points.
§ THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. CHERRY, Liverpool, Exchange)I am sorry that I cannot answer the hon. Gentleman in the absence-of the Chief Secretary.
§ MR. JOHN O'CONNORWill the-Chief Secretary be in his place to-day?
§ MR. CHERRYI think he will be here some time later in the day.