§ Mr. MURNAGHANasked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that Patrick M' Bride lodged with the Estates Commissioners in October, 1907, a claim for reinstatement to a farm on the estate of G. C. Lendrum, Moorefield, Kilskeery, county Tyrone, from which his father was evicted in January, 1881, receiving the reply that the application had been received, but that, having regard to its date and the very large number of pending cases, the Commissioners were unable to say when the matter could be considered; is he aware that it was not until June of this year that a decision was communicated to M' Bride that the application was lodged too late; can he say why it took the Commissioners 18 months to send the information that the application was late; and will he make inquiries into the cause of such delay with the view of having M' Bride's case considered?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners tell me that M' Bride, who lives in Glasgow, was informed on 2nd June last, in reply to a letter received from him in May, that his application for reinstatement had not been lodged within the time prescribed by the Evicted Tenants Act, 1907, and could not be dealt with under that Act. He had been previously informed of this fact. The case is not one for reconsideration.