29. Captain CRAIGasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether his attention has been called to proceedings at Petty Sessions in Athlone on the 24th instant in a case brought by the Congested Districts Board to take possession of a farm now in possession of Mr. P. J. Fallon; whether he is aware that this farm has been boycotted for some time because the owner refused to surrender it at the bidding of the United Irish League, and that 100 tons of hay were burned on the farm; whether it is the intention of the Congested Districts Board to evict the legal owner of the farm and hand it over to the people in whose interest the boycotting was established; and, if so, will the Board pay the owner the price at 1487 which the farm has been valued by an independent valuer, or will they compel the owner to accept a price settled by the official valuer, which is only one-fourth of the market value if the land had not been boycotted?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe case referred to by the hon. and gallant Member was not before the Athlone Petty Sessions on the 24th instant, but was for hearing before a sub-commission of the Irish Land Commission on that date, when proceedings were being taken for the resumption of Fallon's holding under Section 5 (6) of the Land Law (Ireland) Act, 1881, and Section 83 of the Irish Land Act, 1903. The case is still sub judice, and I cannot therefore make any statement in regard to it.