§ MR. J. P. FARRELLTo ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if he is aware that Hugh Bartley, of Ballyminion, county Long ford, bought his land out in 1889 at 5s. in the pound reduction, and signed the agreement, upon the Greville property; whether he is aware that the inspector came on the land, and he reduced by £2 15s. out of £7 15s. per annum the instalments; whether he paid a year and a half's interest money on it, and then the agreement was refused, and he cannot get back the money which he paid on the original agreement; and whether this will be ordered to be repaid.
(Answered by Mr. Birrell.) The purchase agreement in this case was dated 25th February, 1891, and the Land Com mission, after inspecting the holding, re fused the advance applied for on the ground that the security was insufficient. Under the 3rd section of The Purchase of Land (Ireland) Act, 1888, which was then 518 in force, interest was payable from the date on which the advance might be sanctioned to the vendor and not to the Land Com mission, as has been the case since the Act of 1896 was passed. The Land Com mission, therefore, have no knowledge of any payments which may have been made to the owner, either as rent or interest, under the purchase agreement in question.