§ Mr. SANDYSasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that Mr. Justice Ross, in the Land. Judges Court, Dublin, on 1st May, stated that the Congested Districts Board appeared to him to have entered into a conspiracy with the agitators in this district until, by intimidation and boycotting of the vilest description, no one would touch the lands in question in Mayo unless at the risk of their lives, and that it was incomprehensible to him how a public board like the Congested Districts Board could lend itself to this nefarious system, and that he felt bound to direct public attention to the state of affairs: and whether he will take the necessary steps to prevent the Congested Districts Board assisting in intimidation and boycotting?
§ Mr. BIRRELLAs regards the case mentioned in the question, I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Enfield Division on the 6th instant. So far from encouraging intimidation and boycotting, the Congested Districts Board have publicly stated that illegal combinations against the payment of rent to a landlord pending the valuation of his estate by the Board, or the prevalence of intimidation in any form, will inevitably have the effect of delaying indefinitely, instead of hastening, the purchase of any estate on which these illegal practices prevail.
§ Mr. SANDYSIs it not a fact that Mr. Justice Ross had all the facts of the case before him when he made this definite statement?
§ Mr. BIRRELLAll I can say is that Mr. Justice Ross's extra-judicial statement is not a fact as anybody will find by reference to my answers already printed.
§ Viscount HELMSLEYDoes the right hon. Gentleman, having made this aspersion upon the judge, intend to secure his removal from the bench?
§ Mr. BIRRELLNo, Sir. The hon. and learned judge, speaking no doubt upon misinformation, made an attack upon the Congested District Board. If anybody refers to my answer to questions upon this subject he will find undoubtedly that the learned judge was misinformed.
§ Mr. SANDYSArising out of that answer—
§ Mr. SPEAKEROrder, order. The hon. Member seems to forget that there are 125 questions down on the Paper.
§ Mr. MOOREIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Judge made his statement in Court upon sworn evidence before him?
§ Mr. BIRRELLAll I can say is that a fact is not always a fact simply because a Judge finds it to be so. With reference to the statement of the hon. Member so far as the Congested Districts Board is concerned, I have already fully answered that point.