Y14 LEGAL. [Mar. 



EGAL. 



RATING OF FOREST LANDS. 



DELAY AND EXPENSE OF THE LAW. 



AT a recent meeting of the Bromyard Board of Guardians, tlie 

 Assessment Committee reported upon proceedings in connec- 

 tion with Mr. J. H. Barneby Lutley's appeals against the poor rates 

 in respect of his woodlands for the parishes of Linton, Lower Brock- 

 hampton, Norton-with-Brockhampton, and Whithourne. The first 

 appeal was heard before the Bromyard Petty Sessions, on the 19th 

 January 1885,* when the assessment on upwards of 410 acres of 

 land belonging to Mr. Lutley was reduced from £150, Is. 6d. gross 

 to £57, 14s. 3d., being an average gross rental of 2s. lOd. per acre. 

 The Assessment Committee decided to appeal to the Herefordshire 

 Quarter Sessions ; but the chairman, Sir B. Harington, advised that 

 the consent of the Guardians was necessary, and on a division the 

 numbers for and against were equal. The Assessment Committee 

 laid the case before ]\Ir. A. T. Lawrence, who advised that the 

 Committee had power to appeal to Quarter Sessions without consent 

 of the Guardians. On 19th March the Committee applied to the 

 Guardians for consent to proceed in their appeal, but were refused 

 by 12 votes to 10. The majority included Mr. Lutley and his 

 steward, Mr. Wyndham. In consequence of this decision, the 

 Committee abandoned the appeal, and in May 1885 directed that a 

 new valuation should be made on the whole of the woods in ques- 

 tion. On the 23rd September Mr. Lutley gave notice of appeal to 

 Quarter Sessions against the new valuation in respect of 418 acres 

 29 poles of woodland, assessed at £154, 10s. The appeal was 

 respited from the October to the January Quarter Sessions. The 

 Committee meanwhile consulted valuers, but owing to circumstances 

 were advised to ask for further respite of the appeal. The applica- 

 tion was made, but refused ; and the appeals were heard and decided 

 upon the evidence of the appellant's witnesses alone. The Court 

 reduced the assessment of the 418 acres from £154, 10s. to 

 £79, 16s. 6d., being an average of about 3s. 9fd. per acre. The 

 Committee were ordered to pay the appellant's costs, which, after 

 taxation, amounted to £91, 19s. 8d., while their own were estimated 

 at about £1G0. The Committee gave a schedule of the assessments 

 that had been made, which they said showed that the assessment 

 of 410 acres at £57, 14s. 9d. gross made by the Bromyard Special 

 * Reported in Forestry for Murch 1885. 



