3ET MO111 2/ J ON THE LOCAL TAXATION OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN. 137 further, that it requires little arithmetical knowledge to show, that were the security good, the interest of the present debt might be greatly reduced by means of bor- rowing at 4 or 5 per cent, as much money as would pay off the 6 per cent debt; this being done, the saving would be equal to one- sixth or two- sixths of the interest of that part of the out- standing debt, being 130,206 /. Is not government security for all the debt?— Yes, I believe so ; this would pro- duce from the lowest calculation, if borrowed at 5 per cent, a saving of 1,302 /. per year, and on the greatest, a saving of 2,604/. per year; and were the old debt sub- jected to the operation of a sinking fund, which might be confidently looked to, provided government would give up the claim for the balance of 38,985/. which I rather think was granted under some peculiar circumstances, and for some specific purpose for improvements about the castle, more for the accommodation of government, than for any permanent utility afforded to the city by this particular expenditure. What course would you suggest for providing for the ultimate extinction of the debt itself; where does the debt due to government appear?— I observe it in a return to Parliament for 1816; I cannot now particularly mention where to find it; I found it somewhere in a printed paper as a return to Parliament, where they state their debt to be 245,622/. 18 s. 10 d. ; and I observe in their accounts returned to Parliament in 1822, that they owe several sums in addition to that just men- tioned namely, 11,000 /. to the ballast office ; 10,597 /. to William Sweetman ; and 7,000/. to the assignees of Coote and Carrol. Does any mode occur to you by which the ultimate payment of the debt might be provided for?— I have a plan which I intended to suggest to the Committee on the subject of paying off this debt; but that was on the supposition of all those taxes continuing upon the citizens, and that government would not interfere, to take off the duties on coals ; in the event of government not interfering, and that this plan was adopted, there would be a sinking fund of about 4,400 /. a year. Of what sums is that sinking fund composed ?— Composed of the surplus after paying the interest. Do you take credit in that for the continuance of the annual Parliamentary grant ?— No, I do not. If the Parliamentary grant were continued, and the saving that you have sug- gested made in the interest of the debt, and the rents which you have alluded to con- verted into cash, would there not be an ample provision made for the extinction of the debt ?— Very ample; as by means of the saving of 4,400 /. commencing in 1824, it would be reduced in the year 1832 about 46,000/. Supposing there were a cessation of the duties of the Wide- street commissioners altogether, do you think that any public inconvenience would arise to the citizens of Dubin, from the cessation of those duties, and the application of the whole sum to the extinction of the debt?— I do not think there would be any. Are you acquainted with the sums which have been levied from the merchants, under the authority of the ballast board, for the quay walls, west of Carlisle bridge?— I know there have been sums levied by the ballast office. What is the name by which that tax has been designated ?— The Anna Liffey house tax and foot tax, commonly called the Quay Wall tax. Has that tax ceased ?— No ; it is continued upon all houses, waste grounds and gateways fronting the quays ; but on houses not fronting the quays it is discontinued. For what objects is that tax levied?— I cannot understand at present for what object it is levied, because it appears to me that there is no expenditure of any con sequence, and still the tax is very considerable. Are you aware of any balance being struck on the foot of this tax and transferred to any other account?— Yes, I am. Will you inform the Committee of the particulars of that transaction ?— The balance in favour of the public, in the last account furnished, was 3,249/. 17 s. id. and the expenditure for works in that year was only 467/. 4 s. and salaries, an- nuities, contingencies, interest and tax collectors, comes to 577 /. To what account was that balance transferred?—' There appears to have been in the bank of Ireland, on account of the Anna Liffey cess, 254/. 18 s. 6f d.; ditto, account of Ballast office Foot tax, that is the Quay Wall tax, 68 I. 185. 4id.; due by the late Alderman Howison, 248/. 7 s. 4 d.; advanced on account Whitworth Bridge, 50/.; ditto ditto repairs of bridges, 1,266/. 135. 6d.; ditto, account of Queen's bridge, 1,360/. 19$. 3 d.; making a total of 3,249/. 17 s. 2 d. 549. What