14S MINUTES OF EVIDENCE BEFORE SELECT COMMITTEE djl". Mr. Richard Oulton. J m ( 16 May.) Mr. Howard's emolument for the year 1820 is 532/. 4, v. 5{- d.; my emolument was 294/. os. 4d. for the year 1821. Mr. Howard's situation was worth 432/. i6, y. i{ d.; and mine 290/. 19s. 8d.: there are some small sums, the parti- culars of which I before mentioned, that increase it a little, and which are payable by the coal- meters, under the order of the Guild, as I have already stated, out of which we have to pay for the rent of an office, and for coals, candles, stationery, & c. By what authorities are those fees exacted from the different ships?— The fee of 1 s. 1 d. from the captains on signing the ship's landing- order, has been time imme- morial; the half crown that has been paid to Mr. Howard originated under the following circumstances: there were quay- officers appointed to the coal ships, and those quay- officers put the captains to the expense of probably two guineas, or more, and they were of no manner of use; the captains applied to Mr. Howard, who was then and still is the inspector over the coals, to get them removed, and he applied to Government. Mr. Abbot, who is now, I believe, Lord Colchester, was secretary of state at the time; he applied to him, and Mr. Abbot referred him to the Commissioners of Customs, and they made their report to him ; and he was so perfectly satisfied with it, that he ordered the quay- officers to be done away with from the coal- ships, and the Guild in consequcnce ordered the inspector, Mr. Ploward, to be paid half a crown per ship; and that has existed nearly twenty- four years. Do not you and the inspector out of your fees pay for the rent of an office ; and provide coals, candles, and stationery?— We do. By what measure are coals sold out of the ship to the public?— In half- barrel tubs ; sixteen of them go to a ton. That is by Act of Parliament ?— Yes. Just mention the Act?— The istof Geo. 2. c. 22. s. 2. Who provides the captains of the coal- ships with the use of those tubs?— The water- bailiffs. Arc the water- bailiffs elected bythcGuild of Merchants, or by whom ?— TheGuild of Merchants have nothing to do with it; they are elected by the Lord Mayor, alder- men, sheriffs, and commons of the city. Have they any fees for the use of their tubs?— They have fees, which I believe amount to about 3 f < 7. for the use of their tubs on each ship. Neither I nor Mr. Howard have any fee whatever on tubs. By whom are such fees collected?— By Mr. Hamerton, in the Custom House. Are the tubs sealed ?— They arc. Who seals the tubs?— The clerk of the market. Who appoints the clerk of the market?— The Lord Mayor for the time being, but they seldom remove him. Then the Corporation of Dublin having the right of appointing the water- bailiffs, and the Lord Mayor for the time being having the right of appointing the clerk of the market, has the Guild of Merchants any control over those officers ?— Not the smallest; the water- bailiffs are amenable to the Corporation, and the clerk of the market to the Lord Mayor. Then it is your opinion that the citizens of Dublin are fully protected in the purchase of coals by having the measurers appointed by one public body, and the persons appointed to control the measures by another?— Perfectly so; lor if they have any complaints against an officer of one of those establishments, there are proper authorities for redressing them, and without any expense attending it. What number of coal- ships were discharged in the Port of Dublin in each of the years 1819, 1820 and 1821 ?— It is contained in the return which I have delivered in, as well as the number of tons, and the amount of the coal- meters wages. Are not the coal- factors in the habit of yarding or storing coals direct from the ship ?— They are. State the number of tons of coal so stored, on an average, in the years 1 819,1820, and 1821 ?— I suppose 011 an average not less than from 10 to 15,000 tons. How many tons of coals so stored were measured out to the public in each of those years in the presence of coal- meters, and out of what number of coal- yards ? •— It will appear by the return that there were 36 yards attended to iti one year, and five or six in the other.; in the year 1821 there was no return ; there were some coals sold out of one yard, and the master porter was to be settled with for his metage, which has not yet been done, and therefore I did not get an account of it. hen it does not appear that the coal- meters were allowed to attend in those coal- yards?— The owners of coal- yards prevent them, though they are particularly anxious li u