§ MR. DUFFY (Galway, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether the Estates Commissioners have succeeded in completing negotiations for the sale and purchase between Lord Gough, charyé d'affaires at Dresden, and his tenantry on the Lough Cutra property, Gort; and, if not, will he take measures to try and bring about this most desired result.
§ MR. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners have had several interviews with Lord Gough and the tenants' representatives and as a result the landlord agreed to sell the tenanted holdings at such prices as the Commissioners should consider reasonable, and also to sell such untenanted lands as the Commissioners should think necessary at the Commissioners' price. Lord Gough, however, made it a condition that the sporting rights should be reserved to him as he intended to reside at Lough Cutra, and upon the tenants demurring to this he offered to agree that if the tenants' crops should be damaged by game, he would pay such compensation as the Land Commission might consider proper. Lord Gough's offer appeared to the Commissioners to be reasonable, but the tenants refused to accept it, and the negotiations, therefore, came to an end. The Commissioners do not see that they can take any further action in the matter.