§ MR. GINNELLI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if he will state the date upon which the Estates Commissioners received a memorial praying them to purchase, for distribution among necessitous people, General Richard Fetherstonhaugh's evicted and untenanted lands; the dates upon which the Commissioners communicated with that owner on the subject; the nature of his replies, if any; and whether there is any prospect of the lands in question, or any of the evicted lands belonging to that owner, being acquired for distribution.
MR. BIERELLThe Estates Commissioners received memorials from the tenants in question on 12th January, 1906, and 21st November, 1906. As the first memorial stated that the property was being sold, the Commissioners took no steps, expecting that the matter would come before them in the ordinary course. As no proceedings for the sale of the estate were instituted before the Commissioners, they wrote to the owner on 2nd November inquiring whether he was prepared to sell his estate, but received no reply. They again wrote to him on 5th March, but so far without result.