§ MR.O'SHEEI beg to ask Mr. Attorney-General for Ireland whether he is aware that on the sale of a farm, purchased under the Land Purchase (Ireland) Acts by the tenant purchaser, the stamp duty impressed on the conveyance or transfer is assessed, not only on the purchase price given to the tenant purchaser of the farm, but also on the entire amount outstanding of the advance which had been made by the Land Commission to the landlord at the time of the sale by him to his tenants whether he is aware that during the Committee stage of the Land Act of 1903, when passing through Parliament, the late Attorney-General for Ireland undertook to consider an Amendment moved on this matter before the Report stage of the Bill, but that no decision was announced at that stage;. and whether, in view of the burden which: this assessment will inflict in connection with the sale and transfer of land in Ireland, the stamp duty on such sales and transfers will be limited to the amount payable in respect of the actual consideration.
§ MR. MCKENNAStamp duty is. properly charged, by reference to Section 57 of the Stamp Act, 1891, not only on the money consideration paid by the transferee but also on the outstanding portion of any advance made to the purchasing tenant. This provision of the law is not peculiar to Ireland, but is of general application and affects any property conveyed to any person subject to the payment of any money. There is no ground for changing either the law or the settled practice in such cases.
§ MR. O'SHEEIs not this a burden, which was never contemplated when the Act was passed?
§ MR. MCKENNAI will look into the matter.