§ MR. MEEHAN (Queen's County, Leix)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware thas the tenants on the estate owned by Mrs. Tate, Miss Rutledge, and Mr. M'Loughry, and situated near Drumkeerin, in the county of Leitrim, had, after lengthened negotiations, agreed to purchase their holdings on terms offered by the agent, but that owing to one of the landlords refusing to accept the terms agreed upon the tenants were proceeded against by civil bill process and put to considerable expense; and whether, under the circumstances, the Estates Commissioners will intervene with the object of preventing further legal expense and 901 bringing about an amicable arrangement of sale.
(Answered by Mr. Cherry.) The Estates Commissioners have no knowledge of the matters referred to in the Question, which appear to relate to preliminary negotiations for sale and purchase between the landlords and tenants. The Commissioners do not appear to have been approached by any of the parties, but if they should be so approached they will consider whether the case is one in which they can usefully offer their services as conciliators under the Lord-Lieutenant's regulations.
| Claims adjudicated upon in undermentioned periods. | |||
| Period. | Number of claims. | Amount awarded. | Number of cases in which persons were made amenable. |
| £ | |||
| 1906 | 500 | 6,531 | 36 |
| 1907 | 504 | 10,538 | 43 |
| March Quarter, 1908 | 170 | 7,480 | 16 |