Rajagopala Ayyangar, J.-These writ petitions raise for consideration the scope and jurisdiction of the Tribunals created under the Tanjore Tenants and Pannaiyal Protection Act (XIV of 1952) and the Madras Cultivating Tenants Protection Act (XXV of 1955) in relation to tenants on lands which are claimed to be comprised in “Estates” falling within the Madras Estates Land Act (I of 1908). These writ petitions originally came on before one of us, but in view of the importance of the questions raised and the difficult points of statutory construction involved the petitions were directed to be posted before a Bench and they were accordingly heard by us.

Before setting out or examining the precise points which are raised by these petitions we consider it useful to narrate the facts which have given rise to them.

We shall start with W.P. No. 1092 of 1956. It has been filed by tenants against whom an order for eviction was passed by the Revenue Divisional Officer, Salem, acting under section 3 (2) (a) of the Madras Cultivating Tenants Protection Act. The landlord filed a petition G.T.P. No. 30 of 1956 on the file of the Revenue Divisional Officer, Salem, for eviction of the tenants on the gro

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