§ MR. LONSDALETo ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that the appli- 900 cation for the reinstatement of Samuel Rainey, an evicted tenant on the Manchester estate, county Armagh, has been before the Estates Commissioners for five years; whether two inspectors have reported that the case is a suitable one for reinstatement; whether there is any obstacle, except the opinion of the Estates Commissioners that the price asked by the present tenant of the holding is excessive; whether the Estates Commissioners are aware that the present tenant bought the farm at auction with the object of assisting Rainey to regain possession, and is willing to give it up if he is recouped the price he paid, although the farm would fetch considerably more in the market; whether the Estates Commissioners would be warranted in taking the whole or part of the purchase money from the reserve fund, in accordance with Mr. Justice Wylie's judgment of 25th February last in a similar case on the Clanricarde estate; and whether the Estates Commissioners will either restore Rainey to his former holding or provide him with a new holding of equal extent.
(Answered by Mr. Cherry.) I beg to refer the hon. Member to the Answers given to his Questions on this subject on 10th and l7th July last, to which the Estates Commissioners have practically nothing to add. The Commissioners understand that the reserve fund can be applied to assist in the restoration of evicted tenants, but they must exercise their own discretion as to the amount which can reasonably be expended in effecting the restoration of any particular evicted tenant.