2jf> MINUTES QV EVTDENCE BEFORE SELECT COMMITTEE J. C. Beresford. service was considered by him, as he stated in his evidence, to have been done Esq. under the directions of the charter by which we enjoy the toils and customs of the v— pg » city of Dublin ; and it appeared, upon the average of a certain number of years, the ( 28 May.) expense of that came to a sum of something between two thousand and two thousand one hundred pounds; the committee then reported, that they considered that the corporation ought to be relieved from that duty upon paying the paving board, that was then to be established, the annual sum of 2,200/. a year, ami accordingly an Act of Parliament passed, in a subsequent session, grounded upoa that report, that service was taken off the city of Dublin, and from that time forth they continued to pay, out of the tolls and customs as was directed by the Act, the sum of 2,200/. a year. Some years ago, about the year 1815 or 1816, some men, mostly attornies in the city of Dublin, took upon them to go to the different toll- houses and urge the country people not to pay the tolls, stating that they were illegal, and tendered themselves to carry 011 suits against; the consequence of which was, that several suits were instituted against the corporation. A man, sign- ing by some feigned signature, published letters in the newspaper, advising the country people to resist the payment of the tolls by force, and a resistance took place in consequence of his letters and interference, and the corporation were unable to collect those tolls; they then refused to pay the paving board, as the funds out of which the payment was to be made were no longer productive, and the arrear was thereby incurred. Is the Committee to understand from you, that the legal and only fund from which you might be called upon to pay that 2,200/. a year. to the paving board, was to be found in the proceeds of the tolls and customs?— Certainly, the Act recites it. flow many years is it since the corporation of Dublin has been deprived of the means arising out of that fund?— They were partially deprived of it between seven and eight years ago, as appeared by the event of a suit in which there was a verdict against the corporation for money that appeared to have been collected during the year, which I think was 1,700/.; the paving board sued the corporation for the money. They sued you for the arrear of 2,200/.?— They did ; and we pleaded that we had only so much in our hands, arising out of the tolls. They got a verdict for that sum?— They got a verdict for that sum in our hands, and no more. They got the exact balance arising out of the collection of the tolls in your hands ?— The sum collected from the tolls since the last payment made to them m full. Under what authority was it that the corporation of Dublin was obliged to pro- vide for the paving and scavenging of the city of Dublin?— The charter of the 28th of Charles the Second. Besides the scavenging and paving of the city of Dublin, were there any other duties directed to be performed by the corporation of Dublin out of the proceeds of the tolls and customs ?— Yes, others; very considerable. Will you mention the first of those duties that occurs to your mind; the public works that they were bound to execute out of the proceeds of those tolls and customs ?— The charter directs, that the entire proceeds should be expended, for the first seven years, in such way as the King shall point out; after that, it orders us to provide for the different works appointed, one was the building of the Tholsel. What is that for?— It was for a town- house and courts of law; another object was for the Blue school, the market- house, and corn market, in Thomas- street, were then ordered under it. What is the market- house, in Thomas- street, used for?— It was used as a corn market; another object was, establishing the market in Smithfield. Any thing else?— Making quays, and roads, and streets, leading up to the market in Smithfield ; building bridges across the river Liffey, the Red Mills River, leading to Smithfield. What bridges?— One was a wooden bridge, across the Red Mills River. Was the Tholsel built by the corporation ?— It was. Was the Blue school also built by the corporation?— I mean the old school, it was built at that time. W as the market- house and corn market, in Thomas- street?— It was. Is