§ Mr. FRANCIS MEEHANasked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that a number of the tenants on the Southwell estate, in the parish of Roscunnish, county Leitrim, who had purchased their holdings under the Land Act of 1903, had signed agreements and paid interest on the purchase money, were now called upon by the agent to sign new purchase agreements at a higher rate of interest; and whether he would state how the original sale had fallen through, seeing that all the tenants had signed within the statutory time and the agreements had been lodged with the Commissioners?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI am informed by the Estates Commissioners that in the case of this estate ninety-one purchase agreements under the Irish Land Act, 1903, at 3¼ per cent, annuity, were lodged after 15th September last, the date mentioned in Section 13 of the Irish Land Act, 1909, and were returned in order that they might be amended in accordance with the provisions of that Act, or replaced by new agreements.