. ,46 MINUTES OF EVIDENCE TAKEN BEFORE THE M 40- 6 What do you mean by a proportionate value ?— That one house should Richard Gould. notl/ c valued higher than another in proportion. It one house was valued at 5/. and the next house was worth 7 /., we put on a pound or two more. 28 February 1838. . Were vou to value any house under 5/. ?— No; no dwelling- house. 4038 Under'those circumstances, were you not bound to ascertain the value of a house before vou could say whether it was worth 5/. or not ?— 1 he houses let to poor tenants, we were not at all particular in valuing. We did not wish to encumber the valuation- book with premises that we conceived would never be made available; and giving the most liberal construction to the Local Acts, which was always given. >• 4030. Whose duty was it to give relief in cases of poor tenants ; was it yours, or the grand jury's?— It was the duty of both, I conceived; it was always given by both ; by'not valuing, and also by grand juries in relieving any that they thought fit of those that were valued. 4040. You did not conceive it to be part of your duty, under your oath, to ascer- tain the real value of any house whatever?— We ascertained, to the best of our knowledge, the relative value of the different houses. 4041. You did not consider it to be your duty, under your oath, to ascertain the real value of any house whatever?— I dare say that in the different districts we got some idea as to the value of the houses, and then we kept a scale ; but our object was to have a conscientious and fair valuation. 4042. You conceived that a conscientious valuation under this Act of Parlia- ment meant a relative, not a positive, valuation ?— Certainly. 4043. By what particular house did you begin that relative valuation?— The first house we valued was a house in North Main- street, and we put a value upon that. We endeavoured to ascertain the value of the houses there, and we put a value upon them. 4044. What was the real value of that house in North Main- street with whicli vou be » an?— I cannot state that; we ascertained the value of it, and then we took o ' off some per- centage. 4045. What per- centage did you strike off?— I cannot state that now; it is so long ago. 4046. How long ago is it?— It is nearly 10 years. 4047. Did you, or did you not, ascertain the real value of any one house durim? that valuation?— We certainly did ; we took every means in our power to find out the value, and the relative value. 4048. What difference did you make between the value and the relative value ? — We had 110 fixed difference ; our object was to keep up the same scale of rela- tive value. 4049. You mean to say, that having taken a solemn oath to ascertain the value of each house, that was the way you proceeded with your work ?— Certainly ; to keep up the scale without any partiality. 4.050. But whether the scale was right or wrong did not enter into your consi- deration ?— Our object was more to keep up the scale. 4051. In what way could you keep up the scale, unless you ascertained in the first instance the real value of certain premises?— We certainly must have ascer tained that in the first instance. 4052. Then what abatement did you consider proper from the real value ? We had no fixed abatement. 40,53- That is to say, you sometimes abated 10 per cent., sometimes 20, some- times 30, and sometimes 40?— We had no fixed abatement whatever. 4054. Then you did not conceive that your oath bound you to ascertain the value in any way whatever?— I do not conceive that our oath bound us to ascertain the rent. 4055. Did you in any instance ascertain the rent?— We did, certainly. 4050. from that ascertained rent what abatement did you make?— We had no fixed abatement to make. In the middle part of the town, where we commenced, Ave ascertained the rent I presume, of the house, and we took off something; I dare say we ascertained the rent in the North Main- street when we valued the first Douse at 30/., and we endeavoured to keep the scalc. 4057. What did you ascertain to be the rent of that house ?— I cannot tell. 4058. What was the real value of that house which vou valued at 30 I ?— * kJ I should