February 1838. 120 Mr. D. Meagher. MINUTES OF EVIDENCE TAKEN BEFORE THE exactly in the same state that it has been in for many years ? - No. 2744. Is his iiouse exe — I fancy that it is. 2741. No improvement whatever ?• . , 2746. And the value of houses in that street has not improved since 1S28?— No, it is the same. r . , 2747. You do not know whether he pays rates upon the 6 /., or upon a larger sum?-— He can only pay upon what appears in Mr. Lane's books, though his house may be worth a hundred. 3748. Mr. Serjeant Jackson.] Did you see the lease upon which he held ?— No ;• he may not have a lease at all. 2749. Was it he that informed you of the rent he pays r- own view, and my own knowledge. - Yes, connected with my 2750 When did he tell you that?— Within the last two months ; because since I received the summons from the Committee, I have gone through a couple of hundred houses which I thought were likely to be questioned, that I might be ready to answer, and I have them here, alphabetically arranged, 111 this book. 2751. Inconsequence of your having been summoned, you went to Timothy Buckley, and other persons, " to make inquiries ?— Yes ; when I found that Mr. Young had been going about, I thought it necessary, in order to be able to meet him, and to state the real fact to his face. Mr. Young went round with a man, and he happened to precede me in many of my visits, in company with a man of the name of Sullivan. 2752. Had you any particular reason to be suspicious of this particular case?— In cases where* the houses might be disputed, and where the parties had voted at the last election, I went to see them, where the rents were likely to be small or dis- puted ; in doing so, I happened to hit upon many cases that he did also. 2753. Then you thought this was a house that was likely to be disputed ?— By no means ; but I did it when the houses were at the lowest value in Mr. Lane's rate- books : I have a copy of Mr. Lane's rate- books, in which I have every house and every street. 2754. Did you not say that you went to visit those houses that you thought were most likely to be called in question ?— When they were set down at a low figure in this valuation- book, I went to visit them, thinking they were likely to be dis- puted ; but when I saw them set down at 20 /. or 30 /., I did not visit them. 2755. Have you any other evidence of this man's rent than his own telling vou ? — My own senses and view. 2756. Would your own senses and view tell you the rent he paid ?— It would tell me the value ; and I may draw my conclusion that the man was telling me the fact, by my own view of the house. 2757- Mr. Lefroy.] Did you visit every house that was put down 011 the regis- ter, and that you did not find in Mr. Lane's valuation ?— Not every house, because there were many that were not registered, and many that did not vote. 2758. Did you visit every house valued at no more than 61., that was registered ? — Every house that is in this book I did. 2759. Did you visit every house valued at 61. in Mr. Lane's book, that registered ?— No, I did not. 2760. Then by what criterion did you distinguish between the houses that did visit and those you did not?— By referring to the poll- books, and seeino- those that voted, because those that did not vote I did not go near them; I supposed that this inquiry would only be as to such as had voted at the elections, or regis- tered their votes ; there are manv upon these books that never register at all; but the columns of reputed tenants are as different from the tenants now occupying as east is from west. J b 2761 You were understood to say that vou visited those houses that you thought were likely to be questioned as to the value ?— Yes. 2702. Then that was the reason you visited this house'?— Yes von had i„^ Serjeant Jac0^ i.] Did you tell the man in the house the you had in view m going ?_ Some I did and some I did not; I can'not ZwnlS ' tb ° r T m t! liS inSt? nCe ; but SOme 1 did » ot; but I am so well ^ in thl cl^ Sk ^ ° bjeCt; 1 am kn° Wn t0 alm° 3t ^ that re8' s~ was- vou object bring to- 2705. lour own observation could not tell you that he paid 13/. a year rent ?- No; » E