Mr. DUNDAS WHITEasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland, in view of the restriction imposed by Section 54 of the Irish Land Act, 1903, on the mortgaging of holdings in process of purchase under the Irish Land Purchase Acts and of the requirement that the instruments of mortgage shall be registered, whether a statistical record is kept of the registered mortgages on these holdings; and, if so, what was the amount of them at the latest date for which figures are available?
§ Mr. DUKEThe restrictions on charging imposed by Section 54 of the Irish Land Act, 1903, do not come into operation until a purchased holding has been vested by the Land Commission. The title to all such vested holdings is registered in the Land Registry, and all mortgages (or, more correctly, charges) affecting such registered land are entered in the Register as "dealings" with registered land. Where it appears to the Registrar of Titles that a charge to be entered contravenes the limits of charging a note is appended to the entry in the register. A record is kept of every charge affecting registered land together with a record of all other dealings. The particulars noted include the area of each portion of land charged and the amount of the charge. There is no record of the total amount of the charges, and the particulars could only be ascertained by a laborious investigation.