§ Mr. HAVILAND-BURKEasked the Chief Secretary whether the prolonged negotiations between the tenants and the 1867W landlord of the Bailey estate, near Clara, King's County, still remain fruitless; and whether, having regard to the fact that all but a few of the tenancies on this estate are only of £7 valuation or under, the Estates Commissioners will use the powers vested in them to compulsorily acquire the Bailey estate as a congested district?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThis estate is the subject of proceedings for sale direct by the owner to the tenants under the Irish Land Act, 1903, and purchase agreements have been lodged in respect of some of the holdings. The question of declaring the lands included in the proceedings for sale "an estate" for the purposes of sale will be considered in due course by the Estates Commissioners, who are not prepared at this stage of the proceedings to express any opinion on the matter referred to in the concluding portion of the question.
§ Mr. HAYDENasked the Chief Secretary whether the Congested Districts Board has yet concluded negotiations for the purchase of the Murphy estate at Castleplunkett, county Roscommon; and, if not, whether he will state the reason for the delay?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board have not yet made an offer for the purchase of this estate, but hope to do so shortly.
§ Mr. LUNDONasked the Chief Secretary if any untenanted land has been purchased by the Estates Commissioners from Lord Massy, at Castleconnell, county Limerick; if so, how much; and when will it be distributed?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to his question on this subject on the 3lst October to which I have nothing to add at present.
§ Mr. LUNDONasked whether the Estates Commissioners have yet completed the sale of untenanted land on the estate of Captain Gubbins, at Griston, Glenbro-hane, county Limerick; and, if not, how far have negotiations gone?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe reply to the first paragraph of the question is in the negative. The lands are not the subject of proceedings for sale to the Estates Commissioners, who are not yet in a position to furnish the owner with their preliminary estimate of the amount which they would1868W be prepared to advance for the purchase of the lands if formal proceedings for sale are instituted by him.
§ Mr. LUNDONasked the Chief Secretary when the vesting orders will be issued in the Cooke v. Lady Dyer estate at Ballybricken, county Limerick, and also in Bruff; have the Estates Commissioners purchased any untenanted land on the estate, and, if so, will it be distributed early next year; and will steps be taken to see that the fifteen acres which is situate at Kyle, Bruff, county Limerick, and which is seven miles distant from the major portion of the untenanted land, will be given to John Raleigh, whose father was evicted from these lands, and who has a small farm adjoining it on the same property?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe majority of the holdings on this estate have been vested in the purchasing tenants, and the Estates Commissioners hope that those outstanding cases in which they have sanctioned advances will be vested at an early date. The owners have accepted the Commissioners' preliminary estimate of the amount which they would be prepared to advance for the untenanted land which is included in the proceedings, and which the owners offer for sale to the Commissioners, but the land has not yet been acquired, and the Commissioners are not at present in a position to make any statement as to its distribution.