MINUTES OF EVIDENCE. BEFORE SELECT COMMITTEE Can YOU form any opinion as to the amount of reduction in value ; is it 20 per- cent ?— It is about 30 per- cent. . What appears to be the annual increase of taxation upon those premises which are reduced 30 per- cent in value ?— In comparison to what I now pay 231. 4 s. 10d. Do you mean to suggest that the former rate of taxation to which your house was subject would be sufficient to meet the increased necessities of the times, and the demands upon the public?— Certainly not, but a large reduction from the present assessment might be made. Have you any reason to imagine that under any improved system of manage- ment the affairs of the Paving Board might be more economically administered ?— Certainly; I think that if the work had been done by contract as it was provided by Parliament, there is no doubt many thousands would have been saved to the citizens of Dublin; I will venture to assert 10,000 /. a year the last ten years. Do you know what were the expenses of the Paving Board formerly ?— About 25,000/. a year. _ How was that 25,000/. a year met?— 10,000/. by parliamentary grant, the rest was levied on the citizens. Was not there any proportion contributed by the corporation of the city of Dublin?— About 2,300/. per annum. Out of what fund ?— Under their charter, I believe, they are bound to do it. Have the expenses of the Paving Board considerably increased by reason of the improved lighting and the improved paving?— I think the pavement has fallen into a very dilapidated state latterly, and the lighting is very bad. Under the new act do not the lights extend farther than they did under the old act ?— They do ; they extend to the circular road. And that consequently must account for increase ?— To meet that there has been a decrease in the number of lamps in the city ; formerly we had a lamp every forty feet, now we have one only every sixty- five feet. Do you consider from your knowledge of the city of Dublin that the ability on the part of the city to contribute to those taxes is at all reduced in these times ?— I believe there are not six members of the House of Commons that have houses in Dublin, and there are but twelve peers who have houses in Dublin; there were at one period immediately before the Union ninety- eight peers inhabited houses. In what state was the pavement when the present Paving Board was established ? — In a very wretched state. Do you know what were the grounds of the re- modelling of the Board ?— The neg- ligence of the former Board. Do you know how those commissioners were appointed ?— The former Board was managed by directors and commissioners. Who were the directors, and how were they managed ?— Lord De Blaquiere was one, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the Chief Justice, and other public officers. Was there any misapplication of the public money by the late Board ?— They got greatly in debt; I never saw their report, but I believe they did not misapply it, because the treasurer afterwards got a pension. How are the rates of the Paving Board levied ?— By the collector. By whom is he appointed ?— By the Commissioners. Do you conceive that it would be an improvement in the administration of the local aftaus of Dublin to establish one central office for the collection of the whole ot the local taxes ?— I think it would ; 1 think it could not be worse managed than it is at present. Are you aware what was the maximum allowance to the Paving Board by law ?— 4*.. orf. in the pound, and it never has been reduced. Have they always, in point of fact, charged the utmost they were by law allowed ? — I hey have, and expended a great deal of money in recovering it in very unne- cessary litigation. The state of the pavement being very bad at the time of the passing of the Act ot the 47th ot the late king, can you inform the Committee whether it was put in repair by them?— The expenditure of the first four years was upwards of 54,000/. a- year; it was then considered that for ever afterwards repairing would do, and 1 arliament in order to enable the Commissioners to enter into contract, appointed two inspectors at 400/. a- year ; supervisors, they were called. Are you acquainted with the rates of labour in the city of Dublin?— I am. Have the rates of labour fallen ?- They have fallen latterly. Is • Mr. Michael Maley. v ^^ - ( 15 Way.)