Captain CRAIGasked the Chief Secretary whether he will instruct the Con- 608W gested Districts Board to withhold the pending ejectment of Robert Bell, of Knocklaur, Bodyke, county Clare, in view of the facts that he has committed no wrong, that he was a most trustworthy, respectable man with a family of small children, that he has faithfully served the O'Callaghan-Westropp estate for fifteen years, that he is the victim of spite by one man, named Patrick Wall, of Knockbrack, adjoining Knocklaur, secretary of an unaffiliated branch of the United Irish League, who has been convicted of offences in connection with turbary rights and brought to justice by Robert Bell; that the bogus offer of Crotty's farm, near Blackweir, West Clare, by the Congested Districts Board could not possibly be accepted by Robert Bell as an alternative, as the former tenant lost his whole life's savings, accumulated in Australia, in endeavouring to work it; that the better class Nationalists in the district are ashamed of the treatment meted by the Board to this man, whose only fault in the eyes of the Board, influenced by Wall, is that he happens to be a loyalist; and whether he will personally call for a special Report on the whole circumstances of the case?
§ Mr. BIRRELLRobert Bell's case has already been specially considered by the Congested Districts Board and they see no reason for delaying the proceedings for taking possession of the house and land which he occupied as herd on the O'Callaghan-Westropp estate. There is no imputation against Bell's character, nor is there any foundation whatever for the allegation that he has been unjustly dealt with owing to improper influences. The untenanted land which the Board acquired on this estate is needed for the relief of congestion, but the Board recognised Bell's claim and offered him a farm elsewhere in the county. They do not at all agree with the description of the farm given in the question and consider that they have dealt quite fairly with Bell.