ON THE LOCAL TAXATION OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN. 39 Does he hold any other office besides that of gaoler of Newgate?— I am not Mr. aware of any other; he was an officer in the army; but whether now 011 half pay John McMullen. • or not, I have never heard. v ^ Are you aware how often the present recorder sits for the trial of prisoners ?— ( 1 May.) Once a week. How often did his predecessor sit ?— Once a fortnight. What would you imagine to be the effect of this alteration of practice upon the expense of maintaining prisoners in Newgate ?— It would appear to be very con- siderable ; it must operate as a considerable reduction, inasmuch as the prisoners committed for trial are kept in prison on an average only half the time they formerly were. Therefore, the Committee ought not to estimate the increased expense of the prisons of Dublin merely by the increased number of committals during any given number of years?— I certainly think so. The alteration of the practice by the recorder must operate as a reduction to that expense ?— It must reduce the expense one- half, as far as relates to the maintenance of persons committed for trial. Can you give the Committee any view of the comparative expense of the adminis- tration of the criminal law in the county of Dublin, as compared with the expenses of a similar nature in the city?— I have prepared a statement of the expense of the administration of the criminal law in the county of Dublin for the year 1820, as raised by grand jury presentments; it amounts in that year to 3,860/. gs. 8d. In the same year the grand jury presentments for the parish of Saint Mary, in the city of Dublin, amounted to 3,835/. js. exclusive of the arrears demanded by the treasurer, 1,289/. 10s- Can you distinguish what portion of that parochial assessment related to criminal law ?— Of that parochial assessment of 3,860/. about one- tenth part was applicable to purposes distinct from the criminal law. Can you state what was the total amount of the grand jury presentments for the administration of the criminal law of the city?— In the year 1771, the amount was in the year 1781, 3,278/. 195. \ od.; in 1790, 4,784/. 135.; in 1801, 7,262/. 65.; in 1811, 13,851/. 17s. 4*/.; in 1821, 25,053/. 95. 1 d. What heads of expenditure do you include, when you state the expenses of the administration of the criminal law?— The safe keeping and maintenance of prisoners, the prosecution of nuisances, and all offences which the law regards as criminal, and the punishment of offenders. Will you state more specifically, the heads of expenditure which you include ? — The clerks of the peace and of the crown, the sheriffs, the treasurer to the grand jury, the secretary to the grand jury, inspector of prisons, medical officers and medicines, chaplains, collector of the public money, building, repairs and mainte- nance of gaols; the proportion of public money which passes through the public officers for any other purpose than that of administering the criminal law, is so very small, that it is impossible to make any distinction. You include the expenses of the sessions house?— Yes. And of the sheriffs prison ?— Yes; they are so mixed up with the other expenses, that it is impossible to distinguish them ; a principal use too of the sheriffs prison at present is, for the confinement of insolvent debtors remanded for fraud, who cannot be looked upon otherwise than as criminals; the law would certainly seem to consider them as such. Referring to the expenses under the heads of roads and bridges, are you aware of any parish in the city of Dublin, within the jurisdiction of the grand jury, which has not contributed for some time past to the grand jury cess ?— The parish of Saint Mary's, Donnybrook, which is especially benefitted by the expenditure of public money, under this head has, from some cause unexplained to me, contributed in ? no degree for more than a year towards the grand jury cess. How are the roads on the south side of the city of Dublin repaired ?— There are no turnpikes on the south side of the city of Dublin ; the roads are in part repaired by the produce of a house tax of 2 s. in the pound on the value of each house, levied under Acts of Parliament, procured by the inhabitants of those baronies at their own expense, as a voluntary commutation for turnpikes. Are you aware of any memorial being presented from the parish of Saint Mary's," to which you belong, in the year 1819, on the subject of the grand jury taxes of the city of Dublin ?— I am aware that such a memorial was presented to the Lord Lieutenant. 549- D o es