Page:Irish Emigration and The Tenure of Land in Ireland.djvu/274

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probably far exceed even the competition rent, yet no other one could be equitably adopted in any compulsory valuation.^[1] Judge Longfield has effectually

issuing instructions to his solicitor to evict the moment his rent was a shilling in arrear. Whether the result would diminish or encourage landlords to live on their estates, I leave to the consideration of those who may be inclined to pursue the investigation further.

↑ Of the difficulties in the way of such subtle valuations, the subjoined extracts will give an idea.

"It seems hard to discover any sound general principle- adopted by the ordinary valuators for rent ; some merely 'jump at their conclusions,' others seem to imagine that a certain uniform proportion of the gross produce ought to be set apart as rent, and this proportion has been variously esti- mated by different witnesses as one-fifth, one fourth, one-third, and two-fifths." —Dig. Dev. Com. p. 705.

" The general tendency of the evidence given by professional valuators, as shown by the above analysis, goes to prove that a lamentable deficiency exists in this very important profession, and that there is no sound, uniform principle adopted by the members of that profession to regulate the practice pursued by them.

" The most general opinion amongst them appears to be, that some uniform proportion of the gross produce may be set apart for rent, when a full consideration of the subject must prove that no uniform proportion can possibly be fixed, but that every variety in the quality of the land, and in the circumstances attending its position, cultivation, and taxation, must neces- sarily modify the share or proportion of the gross produce which the cultivator can afford to pay to the proprietor for its use.

" Rich and well-circumstanced meadow and first qualities of pasture, for example, might be well worth a rent equal to two- thirds or more of the gross produce, while very inferior ill- circumstanced tracts are to be found that would not pay for the labour requisite to till them, and therefore could not

[p240-2] Of the difficulties in the way of such subtle valuations, the subjoined extracts will give an idea.

"It seems hard to discover any sound general principle- adopted by the ordinary valuators for rent ; some merely 'jump at their conclusions,' others seem to imagine that a certain uniform proportion of the gross produce ought to be set apart as rent, and this proportion has been variously esti- mated by different witnesses as one-fifth, one fourth, one-third, and two-fifths." —Dig. Dev. Com. p. 705.

" The general tendency of the evidence given by professional valuators, as shown by the above analysis, goes to prove that a lamentable deficiency exists in this very important profession, and that there is no sound, uniform principle adopted by the members of that profession to regulate the practice pursued by them.

" The most general opinion amongst them appears to be, that some uniform proportion of the gross produce may be set apart for rent, when a full consideration of the subject must prove that no uniform proportion can possibly be fixed, but that every variety in the quality of the land, and in the circumstances attending its position, cultivation, and taxation, must neces- sarily modify the share or proportion of the gross produce which the cultivator can afford to pay to the proprietor for its use.

" Rich and well-circumstanced meadow and first qualities of pasture, for example, might be well worth a rent equal to two- thirds or more of the gross produce, while very inferior ill- circumstanced tracts are to be found that would not pay for the labour requisite to till them, and therefore could not

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