§ Mr. DELANYasked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that Mr. Sydney Smyth, Derryvale, Roscrea, the inspector appointed by the Estates Commissioners to inspect the untenanted land on the Hamilton Stubber estate, Queen's County, resides in the same townland as Mr. H. P. Bridge, land agent to Mr. Stubber; was it on the decision of Mr. Smyth that Mrs. Ellen Davin, Eglish, Ballybrophy, was refused a farm, although evicted within the statutory period; whether the Estates Commissioners are in the habit of appointing local men to act as inspectors in their own neighbourhood; and, if so, will the practice be discontinued?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners inform me that their inspector, Mr. Smyth, lives in the same locality as the agent for the Hamilton Stubber estate. The estate itself is, however, some miles away in another county. The Commissioners themselves decided to refuse Mrs. Ellen Davin's application for a parcel of untenanted land on the ground that she had enough land already. They exercise their discretion in regard to the allocation of districts to inspectors. As a general rule inspectors are not sent to the districts in which they live, but it is sometimes necessary to depart from this practice.