s58 MINUTES OF EVIDENCE TAKEN BEFORE THE Mr. Henry Barry. _ Not by any particular process; by my intellect, as far as I could go, and my 8 March 1838. jUdfris the value of houses and premises very much the same indifferent localities in the city of Cork?— 1 should think they differ very much as to SltlSnHad you been able to make inquiry as to the effect of different localities upon the value of different tenements before you began that investigation ?— Not immediately before; because I went upon my own acquirements, such as they were. 566- But before you began that investigation you felt yourself lully equal to set a value, or at least an approximating value, upon most houses and premises in the city of Cork ?— I did. 5668. From experience ?— Not from experience.^ 5669. But merely from general power of reasoning ?— from general power of ''^ 670" Your line of business was more connected with shipping than with anything else?— It was. . 5671 ." Have you lived all your life in the country.'— 1 he greater part in the country. . . 5672. How long had you lived in Cork before you began this investigation ?— I suppose about twelve years. 5673. Had you been much connected during that time with transactions re- lating to the value of houses and tenements ?— Not particularly relating to that; it was my own general knowledge that I acted upon in the first instance. 5674. Had you any knowledge of what it would cost to build a house, say of the value of 10 I. a year, in different parts of the city of Cork ?— I think I may make a rough guess. ; 5675. Did you make a rough guess, as part of your knowledge, for the pur- pose of this investigation?— I did not go into figures. 5676. In what way did you proceed to set a value upon a house or tenement ? — I have mentioned before, from general knowledge. ,5677. You went into no particulars?— I went into no particulars. 5678. You never thought, either of what the value of the ground was upon which the house stood, nor what the cost of the building of the house might be ?— In my mind, I should calculate those to ascertain the value. 5679. But as you never went into figures, liowr could you form a calculation? — A mental. 5680. You went mentally into figures, but not with pen and ink ?— Yes, in a general way. 5681. Will you state the foundation of those mental calculations?— I took the ground that the building may occupy, and the value of that ground, and the appearance of the house, and the accommodation inside, and the situation, which varies very much in Cork. 5682. In taking the value of the ground, you considered one spot of ground more valuable than another ?— Decidedly. 5683. And you felt yourself competent to state what were the relative values of spots of ground for building upon in different parts of Cork ?— Yes. 5684. Having mentally laid that down, did you take it by the foot in front and the space backwards ?— I never went into measurement, it was from mere common observation. 568,5. In the same way you proceeded mentally to ascertain what the expense of building such a house might be ?— Naturally that would lead to a conclusion. 5086. But you had not been much conversant with building matters ?— No. 5687. About how much did you considerthat the expense of building a house, value 10/. a year, would be?— I suppose about 40/. 5688. That, you conceive, would be the average expense of building a house, value 10/. a year, in the city of Cork ?— I shouldlhink it would doit. 5089. W hat number of rooms should you generally consider necessary to raise a house to that value ?— If the district were mentioned, 1 could better state that, because it varies with the situation. 5690. Take Great Britain- street ?— I suppose two rooms up, or three rooms up, and two below, with a yard attached to it, would give the value in Great Britain- street. 5691. But you never ascertained, either mentally or otherwise, what was the principle upon which the valuators, either in 1828 or 1833, proceeded to set the rate