4o 8 MINUTES OF EVIDENCE TAKEN BEFORE THE Richard Daly, Esq. his ancestors, perhaps for a century or more; on that account lands in the generality of cases are let under the marketable value. In answer to Mr. 17 July 1838. Lefroy, I hope it will be understood that my meaning is this, that I in a rough and casual manner, in some cases, not in the majority of cases, asked the tenant what he might get for his land, and his answer was so and so. 1 • 5327. I understand you to say, that competition for land is so great that those desirous to possess it bid for it in a reckless manner without reference to its absolute value ?— That is matter of opinion, founded on a practice prevalent throughout almost every county in Ireland. 15328. Is that statement accurate ?— That statement is only matter of general opinion. 15329. Then allow me to ask you whether the landlords in the King's County at present, when their lands are out of lease, let them at a high rent or at a low rent with reference to the intrinsic value of the land ?— I consider they let them at a fair and moderate rent, giving a preference to the old occu- pants and their descendants. 15330. But they do not let them at anything like the value or the rent which they might receive if they pleased to avail themselves of that spirit of competition ?— They do not. 15331. They let them, in point of fact, under what might be termed, and what you term, the marketable value ?— Yes, what I may term the factitious value arising out of the extrinsic circumstance of competition. 15332. I do not, in the notes you have handed in, see any claimant rejected for want of value by Mr. Gibson ; they are all rejected upon some point of form, either for want of title, or something in reference to the lease or notice ?— I think in the printed list there are some cases. 15333- I am limiting my observation to your memoranda?— I do not recol- lect any case but upon the face of those memoranda. 15334. These memoranda you have handed in form all the notes you have taken ?— Yes. 1533. i- At any period during which you have been attending on behalf of the Liberal party ?— Yes. 15336. Then I am correct in stating this, that it does not appear upon those notes taken by you, that any person has been rejected for want of value, and all the rejections have been in some point connected with a matter of form ?— If you will allow me to look over the notes I will give you an answer. [ The Witness referred to the papers which he had previously delivered in.~\ In none of those cases were they rejected for want of value. 35337- Was I eorrect in my observation?— Yes. 15338. Those papers comprise all the notes you ever took ?— Those comprise all the notes I ever took, except mere slips of paper during the registration, which I threw away as perfectly useless. 15339- Then applying yourself not to your notes, but to your recollection I ask was any person rejected for want of value ?— I must tell you, with regard to the notes, if I were to count the number of persons whose names appear on the face of the notes, they are very trifling in comparison with the number that appeared on this very occasion. 15340- Mr. O'Connell How many do appear upon the notes?— About 40. 15341 • Mr. Hogg Now, not very accurately or precisely, but without acting rigidly upon any prescribed system, I presume I am right in supposing you would naturally, in taking your notes, select two or three of the most prominent instances of each of the most numerous classes that were rejected. You would naturally take a few leading instances of each ground of objection, or of what was the most prevalent ground of objection. " I have taken the liberty of assuming you would do that; take the leading cases, and select a few of the most prevailing grounds of objection ?— In these cases, as you may observe, the persons who came forward are occupiers of what may be termed large portions of land, 18 and 20 acres generally speaking, and these persons might be deemed very good claimants as to value, and^ their rejection under the circumstances must have been founded upon defects of notice or defects of title; but if I tax my memory I must say that in cases in which I took no notes, many persons were rejected by Mr. Gibson for want of value, persons holding five, six, or seven acres. 15342. Can