§ MR. MEAGHER (Kilkenny, N.)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that a number of the tenants of the Wandesforde, Castlecomer, estate, refrained from signing their purchase agreements on the date fixed by the landlord, on account of being afraid of not being able to meet their liabilities to the Government unless the annuities were reduced; whether the Estates Commissioners, on having their attention drawn to the willingness of the tenants to purchase their holdings, subject to inspection by the Estates Commissioners as to the value of the holdings and for adjustment of some points of difference, wrote, saying that as soon as the agreements were signed and lodged application might be made to them for an early inspection; and, as this letter from the Commissioners was taken as indication that the farms of these non signing tenants would be inspected, and as in order to have inspection ensue the agreement forms were signed, whether he will see his way to have the holdings of such tenants inspected irrespective of the zone clause on account of their duress nature.
(Answered by Mr. Birrell.) The agreements for purchase in the case of this estate were lodged in February last, and the case, therefore, will not reach its turn to be dealt with for a considerable time. The holdings of any tenants on the estate who may not have signed purchase agreements will be inspected before the lands are finally declared to be an estate. As regards the tenants who have signed purchase agreements, the Estates Commissioners will be prepared to consider any applications that the agreements should not be acted on upon the ground that they were entered into under duress, and if it should then appear necessary they will direct a special inspection.