3M VFO ON THE LOCAL TAXATION OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN. 135 Did you ever apply at the town clerk's office ?— I did ask in the town clerk's office, and they appeared to know nothing about it; but it certainly was a clerk I asked. Do you understand it to be the duty of the town clerk to furnish you or any other person that chooses to ask for it, with a copy of the charter?— I do not understand that to be the case. Then in what capacity or in what expectation was it, that you made that appli- cation to Mr. Allen ?— As a householder of Dublin, in order to ascertain whether I was perfectly correct or not, the difficulty of obtaining information being so great. Are you a freeman of the city of Dublin?— No; that is, I am not a member of the corporation of Dublin. Do you conceive that by being a householder of Dublin you have any right to apply to the corporation for access to their charter?— I wished to know, as an individual paying taxes, what are the duties to be performed. What was the request that you made to Mr. Allen ?— To inform me as to the charter of the city of Dublin. Did you ask him for a copy of the charter?— No. Did you ask him for extracts from it, or what was the request you made to him ? — I went to him for the purpose of ascertaining whether I was perfectly right in fixing on this charter, inasmuch as the difficulty of obtaining information in Dublin is so great. Now, that I am perfectly right, I am satisfied, from the circumstance that the history of Dublin written by Warburton, Dr. Whitelaw, and Dr. Welshall, quote the charter of James the 2d before- mentioned, as being the charter under which the corporation this moment derive, as it makes them a new corporation. Mr. Isaac Stewart, again called in; and Examined. WHAT is your situation in the city of Dublin?— I am a merchant. How long have you resided in the city of Dublin ?— Nearly twenty- seven years. Are you a member of the chamber of commerce of the city of Dublin ?— I am; I am one of the council of twenty- one of the chamber of commerce. Have you of late paid any particular attention to the subject of the local taxation of the city of Dublin?— I have. What circumstances have led you to pay particular attention to the subject?— The declining state of the trade of Dublin; the depression in house property, and also the increase of direct and indirect charges. Has the increase of those charges been considerable ?— Very considerable. Are you able to give the Committee any general view of the total amount of the local taxation in the city of Dublin for one year?— Yes, lean; I have here a paper which I made out with as much care as I possibly could, from the documents that were within my reach. What documents were those ?— Parliamentary reports and returns made to orders of the House of Commons. What other documents?— Some of them I had an opportunity of knowing from my particular line of trade, and others were obtained from individuals, conversant with the several subjects. [ The witness delivered in the same, which is as follows:} 549-