kio' ON THE LOCAL TAXATION OF THE CITY OF DUELIN7.3 ( Witness) That is the kind of report that I send in half yearly, and those are checks. A good deal has been said respecting the supply of potatoes to the prisoners, at the rate of 6 /. a ton ; and it appears in the presentment sheet, that in Easter term 680/. as. 6d. was the presentment for a supply of potatoes, and the mark in the presentment sheet for Michaelmas term in the same year, the supply of the same articles was 228/. 175. lid.-, can you inform the Committee what is the reason of the difference between those two sums in the supply of those important arti cles?— Decidedly; that the contractor was not paid in the latter case. Does not that difference arise entirely from the checks that have been adopted for preventing contractors from improperly serving their contracts?— Certainly. Were not complaints made of the quality of the potatoes that were served at that rate?— There were. Did you, as inspector, order the discontinuance of the supply by that contrac- tor ?— I did in one prison, in the Smithfield penitentiary. State the whole transaction, so far as you were concerned as inspector ?— When the grand jury advertised for potatoes, previous to Easter 1822, it was the time of the great distress, after the disturbances in the south, and there was a prospect then that potatoes would rise very much in Dublin ; consequently no offer for contract was sent in to the grand jury: the grand jury, during their sitting, advertised a second time, and in consequence of their second advertisement two offers came in, both at 6 a ton; the grand jury brought the two offers into court and submitted both or one of them to the sitting judge, stating at the same time, that they consi- dered them very unreasonable ; the judge gave it as his opinion that they could not avoid taking the contract, but stated that the money might be presented to the inspector, to buy the potatoes at market price, which I declined doing ; the contract was entered into; the man sent in the very first instance bad potatoes to the gaol; I heard so from one of the officers, and I went to the gaol and found them so. State the name of the contractor ?— A man of the name of Patrick Richardson ; I went to the gaol at Newgate, and found the report that they were bad potatoes to be true; I sent for the contractor, and informed him of it; he stated to me the difficulty of getting good potatoes at that time; I knew myself it was difficult ; I told him, with respect to good potatoes, if they are not to be got, all I want is, that you will authorize some person to go to market to buy the best potatoes; he said, he would do so ; he did not give good potatoes, and as no grand jury was sitting, I wrote a letter to the magistrates of the head office, requesting that they would direct potatoes to be purchased for the Richmond bridewell, at the market price, and likewise requesting that they would direct potatoes to be purchased for the Smithfield penitentiary, those two prisons being directly under the jurisdiction of the magistrates; they complied with my letter respecting Smithfield penitentiary, but respecting Richmond bridewell and Newgate, they told me they could not break the man's contract; I then applied to the secretary of the grand jury 011 the subject, and the secretary of the grand jury, in answer to my letter, sent me a copy of Mr. Richardson's contract, upon reading which I found a great deal of difficulty existed in breaking it, on my part; the man then went to market, and sent us in for the future, with very few exceptions, very good potatoes: I told him frequently, that I would not give him a certificate for his potatoes at 6 /. a ton, which certificate I did refuse to give him, and the man in consequence has not been paid. Is not that the reason of the difference between the sums of 620/. 5s. 6d. and 228/. 175. n</. at the respective presenting terms?— I believe it to be so. Has the money been paid since?— Not to my knowledge. What cognizance have the court of King's Bench, of the manner in which the officers discharge their duty?— At the sitting of every grand jury, there is an at- tendance book laid before the grand jury, in which the name of each officer must be entered, his particular visit, and the duty performed at that visit; and I must make quarterly returns to the inspector- general of the prisons on that subject. You exercise an official control over the officers in that respect?— I do. Do you receive official reports from the physician and surgeon ?— I do, every week. Are you enabled to state that the grand jury carefully look to that department? — I have seen a great deal of care and attention on the part of the grand juries, with respect to the medical department. Have you known the accounts of the apothecary to be strictly examined ?— I have seen them examined in the court. 549. Have Rev. P. R. Gamble. V ( 9 May.)