12 MINUTES OF EVIDENCE BEFORE SELECT COMMITTEE Have you any thing more to add ?— I also perceived that there were a number of Richard Purdy. additional cells in progress of being built; 1 inquired who the contractor for those i- J cells was, and I was told a person of the name of O'Brien was doing the work; ( 29 April.) not knowing any respectable person of that name in the trade, I made inquiry, and was informed that this O'Brien was foreman in the concern of an alderman, usually upon the grand juries ; I thought it my duty to inquire whether the person was there or not, and a person of the name of O'Brien appeared to have the manage- ment of the works; I also made inquiry respecting the contractor for some iron work or metal work that was going forward at the prison, and I was told that the contractor was a Mr. Mallett, whom I have never known to conduct any iron works or metal works; he was a plumber; I do not know whether he is in the corpora- tion or not, but it was stated as the general opinion in Dublin, that there was a partnership between him and an alderman of the corporation. With regard to the contract for clothing, you stated that you went to the prison in order to ascertain the comparative expense?— I asked the deputy governor the cost of clothing convicts in the prison, and he stated, that in the Richmond prison, the clothing cost eight shillings per suit; that they made the clothing in the prison ; I saw in the list of contracts, one for convicts clothing, at twenty- two shillings per suit, and I thought this a little extraordinary ; it was for the prisoners at Newgate ; and I proposed to send a competent person to the prison to inspect this clothing ; a merchant tailor, a respectable man, was sent to the prison for the purpose of making the inquiry, he stated that the clothing at Newgate was different from that at Richmond bridewell, but that he could very well afford to supply such as was charged at twenty- two shillings, at the rate of seventeen shillings per suit, and have a fair profit. Did you see the pattern blanket?— I asked for the pattern blanket, and could not see it, at the Richmond bridewell. Did you see the pattern linen?— No, none of the patterns; this merchant tailor also stated, that he could have supplied bed ticks which he saw at Newgate, at twenty- live per cent lower than the rates charged in the contract. Who is this merchant tailor?— His name is Uffington, of Batchelor's- walk. Is he a man of eminence ?— He is. What year was this in?— 1822. Have you any thing more to add with respect to the contracts?— I do not recollect any thing more 011 the subject. Did you converse with Mr. Uffington on this subject freely ; do you suppose that he will offer for the next contract to supply the prisoners?— I rather think not. Why do you think not?— The feeling is very general in the city, that it is useless to make proposals for contracts, without ( to use a familiar term) having a friend at court. Has Mr. Uffington, or any other gentleman of your acquaintance, put that feeling to the test?— One person stated that he had several times made proposals for contracts, and he was surprised that he seldom or never could obtain one ; he made it his business to inquire particularly into the subject, and he ascertained that a pattern of a prime article was frequently sent to the grand jury at a moderate rate, and that after the contract was made, an article of inferior value would be substituted.- Have you heard, and do you believe, that every contract of every sort, kind and description, is published in the public papers, calling upon bidders to propose ?— I do. Did Mr. Saul assert that he had ever proposed for a contract, and that the con- tract was given to a person who bid higher than he?— He did not. In point of fact. Mr. Saul's complaint is, that he did not get the contract, but not that he bid less than the person who did get it ? - » - His complaint was, that his offer was as low as any person could fairly supplv the article, and that he did not obtain the contract. Did he offer it lower than the person who got the contract; do you believe that in any one instance, in all the supplies that are furnished to the grand jury by contract, you ever knew of one single instance of a person getting it, when there was a person proposing at a lower rate ?— I do not know of any such instance. Do you believe any such instance ever existed ?— I have no reason to believe or disbelieve it. Then in point of fact, you are satisfied that the lowest bidder has, without a single