kio' ON THE LOCAL TAXATION OF THE CITY OF DUELIN7. 3 * the power of employing certain sums of money for the maintenance of prisoners, when grand juries have not made contracts for that purpose ?— I have discretion. Do you not conceive under that law, that you are entitled to purchase from any other individuals you please, and that you are required to inspect, to oversee and regulate the procuring and providing of bread, meal, potatoes or such other food as you shall judge most proper, for every peison confined under your inspection, who shall stand in need of such assistance?— Yes, for such articles as have not been provided for by contract. Do not you conceive that the law allows you to exercise your discretion in pur- chasing such articles, provided you do not purchase them from a grand juror, from yourself, from a chaplain, from the physician, from the surgeon or apothecary, or • from the keeper of the prison ?— It does. Do you not conceive, that you are therefore entitled by law to purchase those articles from any other person at the usual market price, without any disadvan- tage to the public ?— Certainly. It has been stated that your mother- in- law had a farm in the neighbourhood of Dublin, and that you had a certain quantity of potatoes from her ; that those pota- toes were sent into Newgate in a very improper state, unfit to be given to the pri- soners ; that it is supposed, though not directly charged, that they were bought at a greater price than those purchased in the market, and that your mother- in- law had the direct advantage of such a sale ; is that true ?— It is certainly true, that I did pur- chase potatoes from my mother- in- law, to the amount in quantity ( I can decidedly speak to the quantity in the course of three years) I think about fifteen ton in three years, indeed not so much. Had you any interest, either directly or indirectly in the produce of that farm ?— Most undoubtedly not, in any one way. In what quantities did you usually get potatoes for the prison ?— About three tons once a week. From your experience of the markets of Dublin, do you not find it difficult to get so large a quantity at one time ?— I have frequently found it very difficult to pur- chase potatoes in the market: because I could not get the large quantity I wanted, from any one person ; therefore I had to buy a quarter of a ton or half a ton from one person, and a quarter of a ton from another person,; and therefore I made it a rule when I purchased, to buy the quantity I wanted from any one person, who could supply the whole of that quantity. Did you not conceive yourself justified by law, in making that purchase from your mother- in- law ?— Certainly. Did you purchase them at the market price?— My mode of acting, when I pur- chased them from a private person, was to go to market and get the highest ani4 the lowest price, and take the medium. Did you furnish the best potatoes at the medium price?— I did decidedly. Were the potatoes supplied by your mother- in- law of that description, and at the same price ?— Yes. Did you conceive yourself as inspector, doing any thing more improper in buy- ing those potatoes of your mother- in- law, than in buying them of any other indivi- dual ?— I did not, certainly. Were the prisoners equally well supplied by that purchase, and was the interest of the public equally well consulted ?— I never heard a complaint from the prisoners on the subject, and I think the public were rather served by it than otherwise. Then the Committee are to understand, that the statement that has been made, as to your purchasing potatoes from your mother- in- law's farm, is perfectly true, but that you had no interest, directly or indirectly, in that farm ?— I had no interest directly or indirectly in my mother- in- law's farm. Are the Committee to understand, that those potatoes were sent into the prison in a proper condition ?—' Decidedly. Were they picked potatoes ?— Most undoubtedly. The small were selected from the large?— The small were selected, and none but the large sent in. Was the clay washed from them ?— I cannot say ; in Ireland they never are; the gaoler, however, can answer that question; and I have sent for a certificate, which I shall lay before the Committee when it arrives. ( Copy.) We certity, that during the period the prison of Newgate was supplied with pota- toes by the Rev. Piers Gamble, uo complaints whatever existed, or could be made of 549. T the Rev. P. R. Gamble. -( 9 May.)