§ MR. SHEEHAN (Cork County, Mid)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he will state the general nature of the communications which have passed between Mr. H. G. A. Beamish and the Estates Commissioners for the purchase of the estate of the former at Gortrae, county Cork; is he aware that the agents for this estate, Messrs. Hussey and Townsend, wrote at one time offering to leave the settlement of the dispute with the tenants to the arbitration of the Estates Commissioners; were the lands inspected by Mr. Gerald McElligott, one of their inspectors, in May last; can he disclose the nature of the Report made by that gentleman, and whether there is any immediate hope of a sale to the tenants; and whether any lands have been evicted on this estate, and the present position of the evicted tenants.
MR. CHEERYThe Estates Commissioners presume that this Question is intended to refer to the property of Mr. H. G. A. Beamish at Gortrae. This property has been offered for sale to the Commissioners, who have had it inspected and have made a formal offer for purchase. The question of price is now the subject of negotiation between them and the owner. The Commissioners cannot make any arrangements for the re-sale of the lands until the purchase has been agreed upon. It would be contrary to the Commissioners' practice to state details of the negotiations, or the purport of their inspector's report in such cases. There are two evicted holdings on the estate and the cases of evicted tenants will be dealt with if the Commissioners should acquire the property. The Commissioners have no knowledge of any dispute between the landlord and tenants in this case, or of any communications such as are alleged to have been made by the agents.