t made the Court laugh. Mr. Biggar did not appreciate the humour. He
returned to the charge viciously:--

'Did not some of your sympathisers light a bonfire in 1878 at
Castleisland on account of the triumphs of your buying the Harenc
estate? and did not the population of Castleisland, who knew your
character, scatter that bonfire, and put it out?'

'I heard they had a row over it. There were nine bonfires lighted in
Kerry after I succeeded. I was fairly popular until you held up my name
as a subject for murder in Castleisland. You said Hussey might be a very
bad man, but you would take care of one thing--that if any person was
charged with shooting him, or any other agent, they would be defended,
which meant they would be paid.'

Mr. Biggar did not appear to relish the line he was on, and shunted to
another topic; but he could not shake my view that the rents of 1880
were, on the average, twenty-five per cent. lower than in 1840.

'You bought the Harenc estate over the heads of the tenants?'

'No, I did not.'

'You spoke about an address which you received from the tenants when you
were a candidate for Tralee?'

'Yes.'

Then, with the snarl of a wild beast, Mr. Biggar blurted out:--

'Have you any idea whether this was got up by the bailiffs on your
property?'

'I am quite certain it was not, because I had no bailiffs on the
property. I gave an immense deal of employment, and I believe that had
something to do with it.'

Mr. Biggar presently sat down, having made less of me than he and his
friends hoped.

On re-examination, the Attorney-General observed:--

'You say one of the bonfires, lighted when you succeeded, was put out. I
suppose the Irish people are not very averse to a row at times?'

'Oh no.'

'And bonfires do produce rows at times?'

'Certainly.'

'Your popularity did not depend on one bonfire?'

'No.'

Nor did my life, fortunately, depend on the good will of Messrs.
Parnell, Biggar, and their associates.

With reference to my freedom in telling the truth, an application was
made against me, in July 1891, for an attachment of the Land Court. It
ended abortively, and permitted me to continue with perfect impunity to
give in letters to the _Times_ evidence I was debarred from giving in
Court.

I certainly did not miss a chance of pointing out the proper path to the
Commissioners, and I have taken an even affectionate interest in every
department of the Land Commission. Sarcastically