Mr. Richard Purdy. ( 16 May.) 14S MINUTES OF EVIDENCE BEFORE SELECT COMMITTEE djl". Can vou state at what rate the Commissioners charge the Pipe Water Committee and the Gas Companies for pavement ?— 2 per square yard. _ ' is that the maximum which they are allowed by law to charge ?— It is. Have you ever heard of any instances in which they have charged less than that maximum? Never; I have heard many complaints of the excessive rate of those charges, as well as of those for making sewers; 25/. per perch with ledges, and 186'. per perch for plain sewers. Do those rates which are imposed under the authority of the Paving Board press peculiarly upon any description of property ?— Yes; the rate given by the Acts of 1809 and 1814, the latter in particular, press particularly on mercantile and manufacturing establishments; for instance, a concern in James's Street paid for paving and lighting, 61. 13 s. 4 d. in i8oo; 8/. gs. 4 d. in 1809; and 22/. 4 s. since 1814; yet the value of the concern at present is not one fourth of what it was in 1800.' The rates payable 011 a concern of my own were advanced by those Acts upwards of fifty per- cent. Are the Commissioners of Paving also intrusted with the duty of lighting the city ?— They are. Has any part of the city been lighted with gas ?— Not by the Commissioners ; individuals, and some of the public offices, have at their own expense lighted with gas. Have you known any tenders made to the Commissioners to light the city with gas upon terms not exceeding the present charge for lighting?— Yes; I have been told by a member of a respectable coal- gas company that they have made several attempts to make contracts for lighting the city with gas at the same rate at which it is now lighted ; and an oil- gas company have made similar attempts with no better success, although the application was supported by many respectable inhabitants. Do you know whether the lighting department is clone by contract, or done under the individual control of the Paving Board ?— Under the individual control of the Paving Board, and not by contract. Do you conceive that by the introduction of the contract system, both with regard to paving and lighting, that a more economical arrangement might be made for the public?— I do. Have you any doubt of that ?— I am perfectly satisfied, that under a Board pro- perly constituted, under which a contractor would have fair competition, that such would be the effect. Have you any reason to think that the present constitution of the Board opposes any difficulty in the way of fair and honourable contract?— I have no charge to make against the present Board, further than the expense of the establishment; they do not make contracts. Then you conceive that under the direction of the present Paving Board, the contract system being introduced, and honestly administered, would produce very considerable economy to the public ?— I do, particularly if the expense of the establishment can be reduced ; but I conceive, and it is the general opinion in Dublin, that the most effectual remedy for the excessive expenditure would be to give to such Board as may be established the control of this as well as all other levies for local purposes and that the accounts, contracts, and rejected offers for contracts, should be open to inspection. Much complaint arises from the excessive powers vested in the present Board, and by the occasional arbitrary conduct of the Com- missioners, who are frequently accusers, judges and executive, in cases of alleged violation of the Paving Act. Upon one occasion thev refused to permit the attend- ance of counsel on behalf of a citizen, a Mr. Coyne, who was cited before them. I hey desired a fine against Mr. Coyne, who appealed, and succeeded in quashing the proceedings. The jurisdiction of the Commissioners extends to those parts of the city which being in the county are out of the jurisdiction of the city grand jury and other boards of TL. . - . . . J 0 J. J. r city taxation. The inhabitants of those districts are exempted irom the general road presentments of the county grand jury, by the 79th section ot the 1 aving Act of 1807, which is a precedent tor the relief sought by the citizens relative to the grand jury tax. Can you state the present expense of lighting each lamp ?— I believe the number ot amps to be about 6,000 ; the expense of the lighting department in 1821 was l^ i*? to be 9,326/. 5*. 7^-, to which should be added tuo tilths of the expense of the establishment, two fifths being chargeable to the paving, and one fifth to the scavenging department; the rate would thus exceed not exceelT W. a 5 v preSeat iow Price of oil the charge by contract should What reason have you for saying that the chargc should not exceed 1 I. 5s. ?- The