ON THE LOCAL TAXATION OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN. 141 IS THERE ANY ALTERATION IN THE PRICE OF LABOUR AND HORSE- WORK ?— THERE MUST BE, BECAUSE CORN IS A GREAT DEAL CHEAPER ; THE WHOLE COMMISSION IS MANAGED BY MAJOR TAYLOR. HAVING STATED THAT YOU CONSIDER A CONSIDERABLE PORTION OF THOSE FUNDS TO HAVE BEEN EXPENDED IN IMPROPER OR ILL ADVISED LITIGATION, CAN YOU GIVE ANY INSTANCE TO THE COMMITTEE ?— WHEN THE PAVING BOARD REMOVED TO MARY'S- STREET THEY WANTED TO PUT UP ASHED FOR CARTS, AND MADE A SMALL APERTURE INTO THE HOUSE ADJOINING; THE LADY WHO OWNED THE HOUSE MADE A COMPLAINT ABOUT THIS, AND SHE COULD GET NO REDRESS; SHE DESIRED HER ATTORNEY, MR. WALKER, TO APPLY TO THE BOARD TO GET SOME COMPENSATION, AND MR. WALKER, AFTER SOME PROCEEDINGS HAD GONE ON, PROPOSED TO TAKE 50/. OR TO LEAVE THE BUSINESS TO ARBITRATION. MAJOR TAYLOR SAID HE HAD A RIGHT TO MAKE THE APERTURE, AND THEY WENT TO LAW; AN ISSUE WAS ORDERED, AND THERE WAS 3.50 /. DAMAGES AND COSTS TO PAY; SO THAT THOUGH IT WAS FIRST A SMALL HOLE IN THE WALL, IT COST ABOUT 700/. BEFORE IT WAS CLOSED. CAN YOU STATE WHAT HAVE BEEN THE TOTAL EXPENSES OF LITIGATION ?— ABOUT 6,600/. DOES THAT INCLUDE THE EXPENSE OF PROCURING THE ACT?— NO. CAN YOU STATE ANY INSTANCE IN WHICH YOU CONSIDER THE CONDUCT OF THE PAVING BOARD TO HAVE BEEN OPPRESSIVE TO THE CITIZENS AT LARGE ?— THERE WAS AN INSTANCE WITH REGARD TO THE GAS COMPANY ; THE GAS- PIPE BURST, AND THERE WAS A VERY GENERAL COMPLAINT, AND THEY TOOK UP ABOUT EIGHTEEN INCHES SQUARE, AND MAJOR TAYLOR FINED THEM 5 L AND THEY WOULD NOT PAY IT, AND THERE WAS A LAW SUIT. MAY NOT THOSE INSTANCES BE CONSIDERED AS CASUAL, AND NOT LEADING TO ANY GENERAL CONCLUSION AGAINST THE BOARD ?— I CAN ONLY DRAW THIS CONCLUSION, THAT IT IS THE OPINION OF THE PUBLIC THAT 6,600/. IS A GREAT DEAL TO BE SPENT IN LAW- SUITS. ARE YOU AWARE THAT THERE ARE POLICE POWERS WHICH THEY MUST ADMINISTER, AND WHICH MUST NECESSARILY LEAD TO GREAT EXPENSE?— I AM NOT AWARE OF THEM. EXCLUSIVE OF THE AMOUNT WHICH YOU STATE TO HAVE BEEN EXPENDED IN LITIGATION, ARE THERE ANY OTHER MATTERS OF CHARGE INTRODUCED INTO THE ACCOUNT WHICH YOU CONSIDER OBJECTIONABLE?— I THINK THERE ARE; THERE IS A PAYMENT MADE TO SIR CHARLES COOTE DURING HIS ABSENCE ON GENERAL POST- OFFICE BUSINESS; I BELIEVE RATHER A PARTIAL PAYMENT. WHY DO YOU CONSIDER IT A PARTIAL PAYMENT?— IT IS. CHARGED POST- OFFICE ACCOUNT FROM JANUARY 1811 TO THE 5TH JANUARY 1817. THAT SIR CHARLES COOTE RECEIVED 13,447/. 15 s. i d. FROM THAT ESTABLISHMENT FOR SURVEYING ROADS; DURING THE SAME PERIOD HE WAS PAID OUT OF THE LOCAL TAXES OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN, 400 /. A YEAR, WITHOUT ANY DEDUCTION WHATEVER; IN ADDITION TO WHICH, HE WAS ALSO PAID THREE GUINEAS A DAY FOR 103 DAYS, OUT OF THE PAVING- TAX, FOR ATTENDING IN LONDON ABOUT AN ACT OF PARLIAMENT; THOSE CHARGES COMING TOGETHER, AND BEING BOTH PAID TO A PERSON WHO WAS NOT ON DUTY FOR THE PUBLIC. ARE YOU NOT AWARE, THAT A CONSIDERABLE PART OF THE PAYMENT TO SIR CHARLES COOTE BY THE POST- OFFICE WAS NOT MADE INDIVIDUALLY TO HIM, BUT WAS MADE TO OTHER PERSONS BESIDES ?—' THERE WERE THREE OTHER PERSONS EMPLOYED IN THE SAME BUSINESS, BUT HIS INDIVIDUAL SHARE WAS AS I HAVE STATED ; THE ONLY REMARK I PRESUME TO MAKE IS THIS, THAT HE BEING ABSENT, AND EARNING MONEY FROM THE GOVERNMENT OF THE COUNTRY, IT WAS NOT, IN MY MIND, JUST, TO PAY HIM ALSO FROM THE PAVING BOARD. CAN YOU STATE THE AMOUNT PAID FOR RENT AND TAXES DURING ANY OF THE YEARS LAST PAST? — THE RENT IN THE year ENDING 5TH JANUARY 1813, WAS 1,273/. l3s- ld• CHARGED AND PAID, HOWEVER THE WHOLE AMOUNT RETURNED, PURSUANT TO AN ORDER OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS, 10TH MARCH 1823, WAS 617 /. 3s. 10 d. BEING AN INCORRECT RETURN OF 6.56 /. 9 s. 9 d. IN ONE YEAR. FROM WHAT DOCUMENTS ARE YOU ENABLED TO STATE, THAT THE RENT AND TAXES ARE MORE THAN WHAT IS CONTAINED IN THIS RETURN ?— FROM THE ACCOUNTS AS SETTLED BEFORE THE COMMISSIONERS OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS IN IRELAND. CAN YOU STATE WHAT THE RENT AND TAXES APPEAR TO BE FOR THE YEAR ENDING THE 5TH OF JANUARY 1812?— FOR THE YEAR ENDING 5TH JANUARY 1812, THE AMOUNT PAID WAS 645/. 9 s. 10 Id. WHAT WAS IT IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR?— FOR THE YEAR ENDING THE 5TH JANUARY 1814, THE RENT CHARGED WAS 6311, IOJ. • . CAN YOU STATE THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF RENT AND TAXES PAID FROM THE FORMATION OL THE PAVING BOARD UP TO THE PRESENT TIME ?— UP TO THE YEAR 1821, 8,009/. HOW MUCH DOES THAT AVERAGE ?— 616 /. ANNUALLY. ARE YOU AWARE OF ANY PROVISION IN THE ACT WHICH LIMITS THE AMOUNT?— IN THE 47th GEO. ILL. IT IS LIMITED TO 250/. A YEAR, AND OUGHT TO HAVE CONTINUED THE ACT PASSED OF 54 GEO. Ill, 549. N N so Mr. Michael Maley. V ^ J ( 15 May.)