§ MR. FETHERSTONHAUGH (Fermanagh, N.)To ask Mr. Attorney-General for Ireland who is at present discharging the duties of registrar of title for the county of Cork, and at what, if any, rate of pay; who appointed such person; will he lay upon the Table a copy of the document under which such person was appointed; are fees charged to applicants for registration; and, if so, under what authority and to whom are same paid.
(Answered by Mr. Cherry.) Mr. Henry Wright is at present discharging the duties of registrar of title for the county of Cork pending the passing of the Bill now before Parliament. He is not receiving any special salary in respect of those duties, but is in receipt of the salary appointed for the office of Clerk of the Crown and Peace for the East Riding of the County Cork and City of Cork for the performance of the duties of those offices, including local bankruptcy. The Lord Chancellor is unable to recommend the payment of any salary to Mr. Wright as local registrar of title, nor would the Treasury assent to any such payment to him. Mr. Wright was appointed in succession to Mr. Standish O'Grady, but the law officers of the late Government advised that his appointment was irregular, as Mr. Wright was not qualified under the statute regulating the performance of the duties of the office, and the present Lord Chancellor takes the same view. I have no objection to laying upon the Table a copy of the document purporting to appoint him if the hon. Member should move for it. As regards the latter portion of the hon. Member's Question, no fees are charged for first registration in respect of purchases completed through the Land Commission since the 1st January, 1892, Section 23 (1) (b), of The Local Registration of Title (Ireland) Act, 1891. With regard to purchases completed before that date, fees are charged to all such applicants as did not apply for registration before the 1st of January, 1893, Section 22 (2). Fees are charged for all subsequent dealings with registered land under Section 8 of the Act and Rule 11 of the Consolidated Rules of 21st December, 1891, 20th December 1893, and 24th August, 1896. All fees are taken in stamps, which are purchased from the Inland Revenue. The insurance 1329 fees which are payable under Section 92 of the Act are placed to the credit of the trustees of the Insurance Fund.