3ET MO111 2/ J ON THE LOCAL TAXATION OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN. 137 Debt of Wide- street Commissioners. £. s. d. 76.400 - - 130,236 19 3f 38,985 19 7 11,000 - - 10,579 12 7 7,000 - - 274,202 10 5f Four per cent Six d° - Government Ballast office W. Sweetman Assignees of Carrol £. s. d. 3,056 - - 7,814 - - 13,960 9 6 Mr. Isaac Stewarf. ( 22 May.) Their powers are 24 G. 3. c. 31. sec. 2. power to borrow; and by 47 G. 3. c. 74. 30 D°; they had also a power by latter Act to mortgage the tax upon houses, as also their rents of ground. It is generally understood that government is bound to the debenture holders for the payment of the interest of the two first sums of 76,400/. and 130,236/. 1 g s. 2>\ d. but whether this really is the case or not, I am unable to give the Committee any positive information. There is in that account, a sum, to which I think it right to draw the attention of the Committee, namely, 38,985/. 19 s. y d. which appears returned as due to the Treasury; we have been unable to get any satisfactory account from those commissioners; in the course of our exertions on the subject of the local taxation, I wrote a letter to Messrs. Sherrards the secretaries, for the purpose of knowing the amount of their debt, and whether there were any, and if any, what sinking fund; they returned me an answer, which I will take the liberty of reading to the Committee, which will enable the Committee to judge, whether the acts of this board are kept secret or not. [ The witness delivered in the same, which was read, as follows;] " Sir, Blessington- street, 29th December 1822. " We have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 27th instant, requesting as one of the committee of St. Mary's parish, on the local taxation, certain information on the debt and funds of the commissioners of Wide streets. " And in reply, we beg to acquaint you, we do not consider we would be warranted in complying with your request without a special order of the board, to whom, if you please, you can apply by letter; their next meeting will be on Friday the 3d January, meanwhile permit us to inform you, we conceive you will find all the information you require, particularly detailed in Parliamentary reports of the last session. " We have the honour to be, Sir, " Your most obedient humble servants, " To Isaac Stewart, Esq." " Thos &• D. H. Sherrard" Witness.— I afterwards wrote to the commissioners, requesting they would fur- nish me with this information, and I have not since obtained an answer. Are you acquainted with the objects upon which this expenditure under the control of the Wide- street commissioners is made ?— Yes; it is intended for making improvements in the city by widening the streets ; part of the money is expended in the purchase of houses that have been valued ; the principal part of the money levied from the public, is now expended in the payment of the interest of the debt ; and from the statement that is now before the Committee, it shows that the whole tax ( very likely) ere long, will not be sufficient to pay that interest. Are you aware of a projected improvement under the sanction of the Wide- street commissioners for the opening of Dame- street?—- The opening of Dame- street was spoken of a long time ago, but I am not able to give the Committee any information what is now doing about it. The question referred to future improvements in Dame- street ?— It is mentioned in their accounts, " to open the north side of Dame- street, 36,000/." Are you acquainted with the part of the city to which that improvement refers?— I am. Do you think there is any public object connected with that improvement, which is equal to an expense of 36,000/. ?— None whatever. Do you- think the health of the inhabitants of Dublin would be advanced, by 549. S s such I 4 I