§ MR. LENG (Dundee)I beg to ask the Lord Advocate whether, from March 1179 1873 to the 1st April, 1891, the fees for the registration of deeds at the General Register Office discriminated in favour of persons acquiring properties under £500 in value, being a large majority of those registering deeds from the small towns and villages in Scotland; whether, since the 1st April last, a new table of fees has been adopted, under which the charges have been raised on properties under £500 and up to £2,000, while beyond £2,000 a saving is effected; why the charges on small properties have been increased while they have been reduced on large properties; and whether he will recommend that the charge made on properties under £500 be restored as it was prior to the 1st April?
§ A LORD OF THE TREASURY (Sir H. MAXWELL,) (for The LORD ADVOCATE) WigtonYes, Sir; a new Table of Fees came into force on the 1st April last, in conformity with the recommendations of a Committee, who made special inquiry into the subject. So far as it has been yet tested the Table is believed to give general satisfaction. The principle on which it is based is to establish a fixed fee for registration, instead of a sliding scale, thus doing away with the necessity of a certificate of value, which, under the old system, necessitated an expense of 6s. to the applicant. The lowest scale of registration fees has now been adopted for all properties alike.