ON THE LOCAL TAXATION OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN. COULD YOU PROCURE FOR THE COMMITTEE, THE CASE AND OPINION WHICH WERE LAID MR. BEFORE THE LATE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF IRELAND, OR A COPY OF IT?— IT IS LOCKED UP AMONG MoLEsworth Greene. MY PAPERS IN DUBLIN, THAT I COULD NOT OBTAIN IT UNLESS I WAS TO GO OVER MYSELF; BUT " ^ I WILL PLEDGE MYSELF, THAT THE COMMITTEE SHALL HAVE IT; AND I KNOW THAT THE LATE (> 4 MAY.) RECORDER, AND THE PRESENT RECORDER, ARE BOTH EXCEEDINGLY SCRUPULOUS ABOUT PASSING ANY PRESENTMENTS WHICH WE ARE NOT ENTITLED TO; AND WHEN THE COMMITTEE TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE DUTIES THAT WE PERFORM FOR IT, I THINK THEY WILL CONSIDER THAT WE ARE ENTITLED TO IT. ARE YOU AWARE, THAT THE FEES UNDER THE 49TH OF GEORGE 3, ARE ALSO PRESENTED TO THE OTHER OFFICERS IN THE CITY OF DUBLIN ; THE CLERKS OF THE CROWN, FOR INSTANCE ?— NO DOUBT. ARE YOU AWARE, WHETHER THEY ARE PRESENTED TO THE SHERIFFS IN THE SAME WAY ?— I AM SURE THEY ARE. YOU SAY, THAT YOU TOOK THE OPINION OF THE LATE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND ?— IF THE COMMITTEE WILL ALLOW ME, I WILL STATE THE CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH GAVE RISE TO IT. THERE WAS A MAGISTRATE, WHO IS SINCE DEAD, WHO WAS APPOINTED FOREMAN OF THE SESSIONS GRAND JURY SOON AFTER HE HAD SERVED THE OFFICE OF SHERIFF, AS THE CUSTOM IS TO APPOINT THE SHERIFFS PEERS THE FOREMEN OF THOSE JURIES. HE WAS A MAN WHO EXA- MINED AS NARROWLY INTO OUR VARIOUS PRESENTMENTS AS HE COULD, AND MADE SOME OBJECTIONS; IN CONSEQUENCE OF WHICH, WE FELT IT OUR DUTY TO GET THE OPINION OF THE FIRST LAW OFFICER; AND WE LAID A CASE BEFORE THE LATE ATTORNEY GENERAL, STATING THE DIFFERENT PRESENTMENTS WE CLAIMED ; AND HE GAVE IT AS HIS OPINION, THAT WE WERE LEGALLY ENTITLED TO THEM, AND BY THAT THE GRAND JURIES HAVE SINCE BEEN GOVERNED. DO YOU RECOLLECT WHETHER YOU STATED, THAT THERE WAS ANY DOUBT AS TO THE APPLICATION OF THAT ACT TO THE COUNTY OR THE CITY OF DUBLIN ?— I EXPRESSED NO SUCH DOUBT. DID IT STRIKE YOU, THAT THIS ACT REFERRED ALMOST ENTIRELY TO THE COUNTIES?— NO, SO FAR AS MY HUMBLE JUDGMENT GOES, IT IS A GENERAL ACT. UNDER WHAT ACT ARE YOU ENTITLED TO A PRESENTMENT OF 401, FOR ATTENDING THE SEVERAL GRAND JURIES?— THE 26TH OF GEORGE 3. IN THE PARLIAMENTARY RETURN TO WHICH YOU HAVE REFERRED, SETTING OUT THE EMOLU- MENTS THAT YOU DERIVE FROM YOUR OFFICE AS CLERKS OF THE PEACE, YOU REFER TO THE 50TH OF GEORGE 3, AS THE AUTHORITY UNDER WHICH YOU RECEIVE THEM ; WHAT STATUTE OF THE 50TH OF THE LATE KING IS IT THAT YOU REFER TO?— I SEE IN THE ACCOUNT OF OUR LAST PRE- SENTMENTS, THERE IS A PRESENTMENT MADE PURSUANT TO AN ACT PASSED IN THE 49TH AND 50TH YEARS OF HIS LATE MAJESTY'S REIGN. WHAT ACT OF THE 50TH IS IT THAT EXTENDS THE POWERS OF THE 49TH OF THE KING TO THE CITY OF DUBLIN?— CHAPTER 103, SECTION 8,5. THE ACT OF THE 49TH OF THE LATE KING, BEING BY VIRTUE OF THAT STATUTE, EXTENDED TO THE CITY OF DUBLIN, HOW CAN YOU ACCOUNT FOR PRESENTMENTS STILL REMAINING DUE UNDER THE 23D AND 24TH OF GEORGE 3 ?— BECAUSE THAT IS FOR PRISONERS TRIED AND AC- QUITTED ; AND THE OTHER, I BELIEVE, IS FOR PRISONERS CONVICTED. THEN PREVIOUSLY TO THE , R, OTH OF GEORGE 3, YOU HAD NO PRESENTMENT ON PRISONERS TRIED AND DISCHARGED, EXCEPT THAT WHICH WAS UNDER THE 23D AND 24TH OF GEORGE 3 :— UNDER THAT ACT WE WERE NOT INTERDICTED FROM CHARGING THE FEES, WHEREAS UNDER THIS, I BELIEVE WE ARE. ARE NOT THE VERY SAME PRISONERS, FOR WHOM FEES ARE INCLUDED, UNDER THE 23D AND 24TH OF GEORGE THE 3D, ALSO INCLUDED UNDER THE 49TH OF GEORGE 3 ?— YES ; BUT THEN IT ONLY GIVES UNDER THAT ACT A PROPORTION OF 50 I. TO THE SHERIFFS AND GAOLER AND OTHER PERSONS WHO WERE PREOENTED TO BEFORE, AND LEAVES US A SUM OF 39 /. 12 s. 8</. UNDER THAT ACT. BUT ALL THAT WAS REPEALED ; IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO GET UNDER BOTH ACTS?— CERTAINLY. THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER STATUTES REFERRED TO BY YOU IN THE RETURN, UNDER WHICH VARIOUS EMOLUMENTS ARE RECEIVED BY YOU AS CLERK OF THE PEACE ?— THEY ARE FOR SPECIFIC BU- SINESS DONE ; FOR INSTANCE, DRAWING ALL THE PRESENTMENTS, AND ATTENDING GRAND JURIES, AND PROSECUTING NUISANCES. WILL YOU TURN TO THE AUTHORITY UNDER WHICH YOU RECEIVE 40/. A YEAR FOR ATTENDING THE GRAND JURIES ?— THAT IS THE 26TH OF GEORGE THE 3D. IS THE CLERK OF THE PEACE APPOINTED SECRETARY UNDER THAT ACT?— WE ACT AS SECRE- TARIES TO THE SESSIONS GRAND JURY. IS THERE ANY OTHER OFFICER WHO IS ALSO APPOINTED SECRETARY TO THE GRAND JURY .- THERE IS A SECRETARY TO THE TERM GRAND JURY, AND WE HAVE EVER SINCE I CAME IN OFFICE, ACTED AS SECRETARY TO THE GRAND JURY AT SESSIONS. . WILL YOU TURN TO THAT CLAUSE OF THE 26TH OF GEORGE 3, THAT AUTHORIZES THE PRESENT- MENT FOR PROSECUTING NUISANCES ?— [ The witness read the clause from the Act.] That 549- p INTO