valuator will letter the water power of the mill, and at the same time, as a check on such lettering, he will note his opinion of the annual value of the mill, including the building and the water power, in the state in which he finds it, and under all the local circumstances in which is placed.

When mills are worked during a part of the year by water power, and a part by steam, care should be taken to ascertain the proportion during which water is employed, as that only is to be taken in account."

We conclude our observations on the valuation of mills with the following table, which shews the per centages that are applied to the value of water power in proportion to the distance from towns or markets.

10 & upwards.

In estimating the value of mines, which no doubt requires most careful consideration and lengthened experience in the valuator, we find that Dr. Griffith has issued instructions which evidently denote how well acquainted he must be with the subject. All expenses of working and the proceeds of sales for the past three or four years, are first ascertained previous to any valuation being made, and mines that have not been worked for seven years previous, are subject to no rate whatever. In every instance the valuator must state the time when the works commenced.

Speaking of the valuation of Railways, Canals, &c., Dr. Griffith remarks that

"The rateable hereditament' in the case of railways, is the land which is to be valued in its existing state, as part of a railway, &c., at the rent it would fetch under the conditions stated in the act. The profits are not directly rateable themselves, but they enter most materially into the question of the amount of the rate upon the land, by affecting the rent which it would fetch, or which a tenant would give for the railway &c., not simply as land, but as a railway, &c. with its peculiar adaptation to the production of profit, and that rent must be ascertained by reference to the use of it (with engines, carriages, &c., the trading stock) in the same way as the rent of a farm would be calculated, by reference to uses of it with cattle, crops, &c., (likewise trading stock.) In neither cases would the rent be calculated on the dry possession of the land, without reference to the power of using it, and in both cases the profits are derived not only from the stock, but from the land so used and occupied.

It will be necessary therefore, to ascertain the gross receipts for a

year or two, taken at each station along the line, also the amount of receipts arising from the intermediate traffic between the several stations; from the total amount of such receipts the following deductions are to be made, viz.

Interest on capital,
Tenants' profits,

Depreciation of stock,
Working expenses,

Value of stations.*

It is to be observed that the valuation of Railway station-houses, &c. should be returned separately."

In estimating the value of fisheries, the following form is laid down for the guidance of valuators, which together with the preceding extracts, we have no doubt will be found of some importance just now to those entrusted with the carrying out of the valuation of Scotland.

"In estimating the value of a fishery, the following form for one year's proceeds of a salmon fishery may be found useful, as the principle according to which the estimated value is to be deduced.

nett weight.
lbs.

£ s. d.

9.15 0

s. d.

1852. February, March, and April,

180 at 1 1

May,

280 at 0 9

10 10 0

From what we have now stated, it will appear manifest that not only has the valuation of Ireland been carried on with the greatest ability, justice and prudence, but also with unparalleled economy, and has given more general satisfaction to the public than any undertaking ever attempted in Ireland, save and except the education of her people on the National System.

The valuation of Scotland we understand is now about to commence, and sincerely do we hope to find at its head such men as Dr. Griffith. Doubtless his opinion on many points will be eagerly sought for by the Legislature, who by this

See appendix, for the system pursued in valuing Railways.

time must have learned to appreciate it. Those selected by the State may well feel of what valuable assistance to thei this gentleman's experience will be found, and though we are aware that objections may be started to parts of the system adopted in carrying out the Irish Valuation from their inapplicability to such a country as Scotland, yet taking the system generally, it must be acknowledged as one of the most judicious that has ever been adopted. There were many difficulties no doubt attending the arrangements made by the Commissioner at first, but all these difficulties have been overcome by steady perseverance and prudence, and especially by the co-operation of his principal officers, with whom scarcely a day passes without a conference being held. This is as it should be, and bespeaks a man anxious for the faithful discharge not only of his own but the duties of those under him. The opinions of the practical and the experienced members of his staff, were always listened to with that attention which they deserved, and thus it was, that day after day, he was hoarding up that information on all points that bore on the undertaking in which he was engaged, and which enabled him to give as he has, ample demonstration of his extreme usefulness as a public officer.

The advantages that have resulted to Ireland by the system of Valuation adopted by Dr. Griffith are now generally admitted. Some parties, no doubt, from time to time, have been heard to allege partiality to the Commissioner in carrying out his plans, but so justly and ably have those accusations been refuted, it would serve no purpose were we to comment upon them here. The Valuation of the County of the City of Dublin affords sufficient proof of the justice observed in the carrying out of the present system.

The Commissioners of Valuation in Scotland have an example before them in the Valuation of Ireland, of which they will, no doubt, avail themselves; for, to give our Scotch neighbours their merit, we must say that a good example, or a sound practical suggestion, has always its due influence with them. Like John Bull, they are a matter-of-fact people, and, consequently, can appreciate the facts given throughout our paper, among which the least important are not that the Valuation of the Irish Metropolis has been effected at 32 per cent. and, out of 26,000 tenements, the valuation of but two were appealed against, and the appeliants defeated.*

*And this, be it remembered, in the face of an increase of £70,000 over the former Poor Law Valuation.

These are facts that must carry with them their own importance, and therefore require no comments from us to give them weight or effect. The moderate amount of expense incurred in carrying on the Valuation of the Counties, given by us in the extract from the Parliamentary Return, is equally worthy of notice, and which, no doubt, has before now called forth the approbation of the Legislature. These are things that afford the best illustration of the effects of having the "right man in the right place," and how far Scotland will follow the example set her is yet to be seen.

We have now before us a copy of the Act passed to regu late the Valuation of Scotland; and though it embodies much that may be desired, yet to us it appears as merely provisional. Many clauses of the Act must appear to the experienced Valuator and a thinking public more or less objectionable. Of course we do not pretend to assume so competent a knowledge of the state of affairs between landlord and tenant in Scotland as those gentlemen who have introduced the Bill, or the government who have proclaimed it law. Nevertheless, our experience of the state of things in Ireland enables us to offer an opinion on the subject of Valuation. We therefore hold that the grand and fundamental principle that should pervade every system of Valuation purporting to be fair and impartial, should be to effect in every district of a country what has been effected in Ireland, namely, a relative scale based upon the letting value of property from year to year, and not upon the rent that a tenant may be obligated to pay. How far the act before us provides for the former we shall now examine.

The Preamble set forth in the Act is unquestionably sound, and if acted upon is well calculated to effect the object in view, namely a uniform valuation. But the details to be observed by valuators in attaining this object we fear, when brought to practice, will be found defective. For instance, on perusing the act we find that "the Commissioners of Supply of each county, and the magistrates of each Burgh, shall, as occasion requires, appoint one or more fit and proper persons to be assessors or assessor for the purposes of the act." Is it not reasonable to infer from this that the valuation, or rather the "Rent Roll," of each district will be quite independent in themselves, and conducted on quite different principles, for those appointed must be more or less influenced by those

parties in carrying out their plans of valuation? So far, therefore, it appears to us that a uniform valuation under such circumstances is untenable. Again, we find that the Court of Appeal is to consist of those very persons who have appointed the assessors or assessor of property in each district. Now we consider this rather an unwise provision, for we hold that such a tribunal must, under the very nature of things, be somewhat inclined to favor those they have employed, and therefore not sufficiently impartial to fairly test the ability and disinterestedness of those men delegated by them to act as valuators. In the 5th Clause the following passage occurs: "In estimating the yearly value of Land and Heritages under this act, the same shall be taken to be the rent at which one year with another such Lands and Heritages might in their actual state be reasonably expected to let from year to year, and where such Lands and Heritages are bona fidé let for a yearly rent conditioned as the fair annual value thereof without Grassum or consideration other than the rent, shall be deemed and taken to be the yearly rent or value of such Lands and Heritages in terms of this Act." Now if the Rent Roll is to be taken for the actual valuation as here stated, we would ask, where is the necessity for another valuation to be made? Lands of the same quality and yielding the same amount of produce when similarly husbanded, may be let from year to year in adjoining estates or townlands on very different terms, as the valuators in such cases are to be guided only by terms agreed on by the landlord and tenant in returning the valuation of those lands, a valuation, be it remembered, that is to form the basis of future taxation. Such a system we hold to he defective, since it has been considered by those fully competent to judge of such matters, that no valuation should be affected by any private contract made between landlord and

tenant.

There are many other clauses in the "Act" which we fear, when they come to be acted upon, will be found objectionable. Among them we notice Clause E. which says

"In order to the making up of Valuations and Valuation Rolls of Lands and Heritages in Scotland, belonging to or leased by Railway or Canal Companies, and forming part of the undertakings of such Companies, it shall be lawful for Her Majesty to appoint, as occasion requires, a fit and proper person to be Assessor of Railways and Canals for the purposes of this Act; and the remuneration or salary to be paid to such Assessor of Railways or Canals, in respect