§ Mr. SHEEHANasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that on the estate of S. G. Wallis Adams, at Cockhill, Millstreet, county Cork, a tenant named Patrick Kelleher, and another, have been kept outside the purchase which was arranged some two years ago with the other tenants; that Kelleher was a non-judicial tenant who never had a fair rent fixed in court, whilst the owner and agent sought to compel him to purchase as a second-term tenant; whether he is aware that he has since been harassed in various ways, and served with a writ for the hanging half-gale in the early months of this year; will the circumstances of this man's case and these methods be inquired into before the purchase-money is advanced to the owner; is he aware that, since the introduction of the Land Bill, the agents, Messrs. Hussey and Townsend, Cork, wrote in reply to a request for a reasonable purchase that the second-term tenants on the estate had purchased at 22 years, and that as Patrick Kelleher did not agree to these terms he will now have to pay 24 years' purchase to make up for the loss of £9 per cent. bonus; and, seeing that on various estates tenants have been excluded from the general purchase on unreasonable or unjust grounds, will he introduce a clause into his Land Bill providing that in all such cases of exclusion the tenants shall have the benefit of a special inspection and valuation by the Estates Commissioners?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners inform me that no purchase agreement has been lodged for the sale of this holding, and when the estate is being dealt with in its order of priority due inquiry will be made as to the circumstances under which the tenant has refused to purchase.