§ Mr. DEVLINasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland what progress has been made with the sale of Colonel Clarke's estate near Maghera, county Derry; have the Estates Commissioners yet declared that the holdings in respect of which purchase agreements have been entered into constitute a separate estate for the purpose of a sale under the Act of 1903; are the Commissioners aware that the bulk of the tenants in the townlands of Slaghtneil and Tirkane, occupying, as they do, small bad farms high up on a mountain-side, have refused to purchase at the terms demanded by the landlord in respect of their holdings; will the Commissioners, before declaring the residue of the estate a separate estate, take into consideration the grievances of the tenants in these townlands and inspect their holdings; are the Commissioners aware of the means that the landlord is taking to try and break up the tenants' 1070W combination by attempting to induce individuals amongst them to go behind the backs of the other tenants and sign purchase agreements in return for favours; and, when the Commissioners come to deal with the estate, will they inquire into this allegation and endeavour to discover if any of the purchase agreements with which they are called upon to deal have been improperly or unfairly obtained?
§ Mr. BIRRELLProceedings for the sale of this estate were not instituted until April, 1908, and, having regard to its place in the priority list, it cannot yet be dealt with by the Estates Commissioners. No portion of the estate has been declared to be a separate estate for the purposes of sale. When the estate is being inspected the inspector will inquire and report as to the circumstances in which certain of the tenants have not signed purchase agreements and also as to the other matters referred to by the hon. Member.