§ MR. GINNELL (Westmeath, N.)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if he will ascertain, in connection with the sale of the O'Dwyer estate in the Land Judge's Court, the annual and capital value respectively of that estate, with the name of the valuer, the price which the Land Judge has sanctioned, the normal fee and the expenses ordered to be paid to Mr. Bell, I receiver for negotiating the sale, and the extra amount ordered to be paid to Mr. Bell for his action which resulted in increasing the price; whether the total is higher or lower than the average negotiating fee paid by the Estates Commissioners; and whether the Estates Commissioners will, before these payments are completed, have an opportunity of getting the estate valued and of controlling the payments.
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(Answered by Mr. Birrell.) I am informed by the Registrar of the Land Judge's Court that the annual rental of this estate was £643, and the price at which the Land Judge sold was £11,453. This price is taken to be synonymous with the capital value. No extra amount was ordered to be paid to Mr. Bell for any action of his which may have resulted in an increase of price. His remuneration was fixed upon the principles set out in my reply to the hon. Member's Question of 27th February.†The sale in this matter
†See (4) Debates., clxx., 51.
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was carried out under the provision of the Land Act of 1896, and the Estates Commissioners therefore had no concern with it.