S E L E C T C O M M I T T E E ON F I C T I T I O U S VOTES, IRELAND. 36, ' SLS ,4289. Now, is it not very hard to say, that that man would not give the G. Battersby, Esq. 10 J. a year if he was offered the land for it ?— It is hard and difficult to ascer — tam the truth; a chairman who is a lawyer, and understands the value of land 2< 3 1838. must find great difficulty in ascertaining what the truth is, but a chairman who is not a valuer of land, and is not a man of talent, must find it impossible to ascertain what the truth is. 14290. Then the habit is to call witnesses who swear the land is not worth so much ?— It is. 14291. You know there is no point upon which surveyors differ so much ( we have it m the opinions of our own profession) as in valuing land?— No doubt of it; and more than that, a surveyor brought up generally goes further than he ought to do for the party producing him. 14292. Whichever side produces him?— Yes, and it is the natural tendency in all countries. 14293. You are aware in this country it is so; the equity suits show it; the reports over and over again show it; the judges treat the evidence given by surveyors, without imputing perjury to them, as very contradictory?— Everybody who has any experience in the profession must say it is. 14294. In all the branches of the profession that relate to the valuation of land and houses that is an impediment that we find in the administration of justice, namely, the most direct contradictory swearing?— Certainly, it fre- quently happens. 14295. What check would you apply to that contradictory swearing, or in what way would you estimate its value ?— Any investigation of value must be open more or less to that difficulty, but the least objectionable test is, what it would let for in the market between landlord and tenant; that is the test the judges, I understand, approved of. 14296. Mr. Serjeant Jackson.] Do you not think the rating standard would be the best ?— The rating standard unquestionably would be the best. 14297. Chairman.] Why?— Because there can be no mistake; the rate is in writing by a public officer, showing the amount of rent at which he fixes it. 14298. Mr. O'Connell.] May not the rate be upon too high a scale or too low a scale ?— It may; but, as these rates are usually imposed, if they are too high the party has the power of appealing and having them lowered; if it is too low, and the party thinks so, he can very easily have a higher rate imposed upon himself. 14299. Chairman.] Has not a third party a right of appeal?— Yes, my neigh- bour has an appeal if I am rated too low. 14300. Then has he not a personal interest in setting it right ?— Yes, to take it from himself, and put it upon me. 14301. Mr. O'Connell.] If the scale is the same upon which you and he are rated, you have no interest in increasing the scale, as it would apply equally to yourself ?— I have this interest: the scale of rating for the police, for instance, is the same, or is supposed to be the same, and yet people are very unequally rated, and if one man is rated too high, and another too low, the man who is rated too high has the power of appeal, in order to have it transferred from himself and placed upon the man who is rated too low. 14302. But if a false test be applied to the rating, you are as uncertain as ever you were .?— Yes, but in every county the same test is applied. 14303. Have you heard the evidence given before this Committee as to Belfast?— No. 14304. You are not aware, then, that valuators, upon oath, valued houses at 81, in Belfast for rating, which they admit to be worth 10/. really ?— Yes, that is the scale, I suppose, in Belfast. 14305. Then no man has an interest in raising that scale to make his neigh- bour pay more ?— No, if they are all rated alike; or if one man is rated too high there may be an appeal to transfer it from him. In the tithe composition throughout Ireland there is a scale which is supposed to be right and fair throughout, and if any man is unfairly rated he has the power of transferring it from himself if he is too highly rated, and putting it upon the man who is rated too low, and I have been concerned myself in cases of that sort. 14306. Mr. Serjeant Jackson.] But I understand your evidence to be this, not meaning to impute any blame to the people so much as finding fault with 643. y Y 4 ttie w. M Mil! HI11 ill IV: • 111 HHilEll mMt Ipflii Mrail Ml icIMlIl M l jftl, ||;' i:|| J