§ Mr. J. P. FARRELLasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that at least 1,000 acres of grass, land exists in county Longford, available for the growing of wheat, oats, and potatoes, from which the people were driven in 1846 and 1847; whether he is aware that these lands are side by side with areas in which the worst form of congestion prevails; and whether, with a view to increase the food supply of the country, he will advise the Estates Commissioners to proceed to carry out their former decision to acquire the ranches on the Douglas Bond and Armstrong estates, with a view to their division amongst, and tillage by, the people living in congested areas?
§ Mr. DUKEAs regards the estates specifically referred to in the concluding part of the question, the Estates Commissioners had the lands inspected with a view to acquiring them. In the case of1660W the lands on the Douglas and Armstrong estates, they instituted proceedings for their acquisition under the Evicted Tenants Acts, but the owners lodged objections under those Acts to their acquisition, and on consideration of such objections, the Commissioners decided not to proceed further, and in the case of the Bond estate, they also had the lands inspected, but the owner stated he was not willing to sell at the price estimated by the Commissioners, and he has not instituted proceedings for sale. The Commissioners have already acquired and distributed close on 3,500 acres of untenanted land in this county under the Irish Land Acts,1903–9, which has thus been made available for the purposes mentioned in the question.