The Gazette 1955-58

(6) The Stamp duty chargeable by virtue of the Stamp Act 1891 on the annual certificate to be taken out by a notary public is abolished. Notaries who have taken out such a certificate since the 26th March, 1955 may apply for a refund by making a claim. (Section 16). (7) Credit-sale agreements within the Hire- Purchase Act, 1946 or any agreement made relating to the sale of any goods, ware or merchandise, if under hand or under seal shall be hereby exempt from' stamp duty if coming under the heading " bond, covenant or instrument" under the Stamp Act, 1891. (Section 17). FACTORIES BILL, 1954. ON the Committee stage of the Bill, Senator Cox obtained the Ministers agreement to the amendment of section 77, which provides that any party at an inquest may be represented by Counsel, Solicitor, or Agent, by the deletion of the words " or agent." The Minister stipulated that section 77 (2) should be amended to provide that a relative or friend of the deceased should have a right of audience. In the subsections as drafted the words " or friend " did not appear. STATE PROPERTY ACT, 1954. THE main purpose of the State Property Act, 1954 which repeals the State Land Acts, 1924 is to make provision, as contemplated by Article 10 of the Constitution, for the management of and the control of the alienation of certain State lands comprising, in the main, lands which belonged to the British Crown and British Departments in this country immediately prior to the 6th December, 1922, a few pre-Truce Dail properties and lands acquired By the State since 1922. The Bill also provides for various other matters relating to State property of which the more important are : (a) Administration of former crown rents. (b) Disposition of moneys standing to the credit of the Woods, Forests and Land Revenues Account. (i) Exercise of rights and prerogatives belonging to the People in relation to property, escheat and bona vacantia. Such legislative provision is contemplated by Article 49a2 of the Constitution. (d) Acceptance of gifts of property by State authorities, the State, the Nation or the People. The principal provisions of this Act are : (i) The powers given in the Bill are declared to be in addition to and not in substitution for any existing statutory powers. (Sect. 3)

J. C. Griffin (16 Dundalk) and C. R. McAlester (10 Dundalk). At the Dinner in the Clubhouse the Captain, Mr. Desmond J. Collins, presided and the guests included Mr. T. A. O'Reilly, President of the Incor– porated Law Society of Ireland. The toast of the Captain was proposed by Mr. Joseph Barrett and Mr. Collins replied. Mr. T. A. O'Reilly proposed the toast of the Baltray Golf Club and Mr. M. S. Matthews replied on behalf of the Club. Communi– cations with reference to the Golfing Society should be addressed to the Hon. Secretary, Mr. L. K. Branigan, Central Office, Four Courts. FINANCE BILL, 1955. THE attention of members is drawn to the following provisions of the Finance Bill 1955 : (1) The agreement between the Governments of Ireland and Canada for the avoidance of double taxation with respect to duties on the estates of deceased persons signed at Ottawa on the 28th October, 1954 is confirmed. (Section 10). (2) If Trustees of a settlement become accountable for estate duty payable by virtue of Section 30 of the Finance Act, 1941 they may obtain from the Revenue Commissioners a certificate of the amount which in the opinion of the Commissioners may be properly treated as the prospective amount of the duty; in such case if the Commissioners have obtained all the information required by them the trustees shall not be liable for the amount of duty in,excess of the amount certified. (Section n). (3) On or after the passing of the Finance Act, 1955, if the property which passes on a death, but in which the deceased never had an interest includes any policies of life assurance or moneys received under such a policy or interests in such a policy all the policies, moneys and interests so included shall for determining the rate of the estate duty to be paid thereon, be aggregated so as to form one estate, and the duty shall be levied at the proper graduated level thereof. (Section 12). (4) On or after the passing of this Act where the net value of the property of the deceased to which he was absolutely entitled does not exceed £10,000 that property shall not be aggregated with other property in respect of which estate duty was payable in connection with the death of the deceased but shall form an estate by itself. (Section 13) (5) The agreement between the Governments of Ireland and Canada for the avoidance of double taxation in respect of income signed at Ottawa on the 28th October, 1954 is confirmed. (Section 14).