SELECT COMMITTEE ON FICTITIOUS VOTES, IRELAND. , ^ j / J / j ^ j / J / j Mr. D. Mea° her. . last grand jury r- Where the parties made out a story of being unfortunate in trade or having a large family, some widows and other parties, and seeing that houses of 10/., 20 / 40and 5o / of rent were exempted, on the score of poor lodgers, we took that scale and used our own discretion, and allowed to such parties as had a fair claim. r . 2So6- When was this grand jury held, to which you are alluding ?— Last assizes in August 1837. 2807. Before or after the election ?— Considerably after the election. 2808. Did you make any rule as to the amount of rent whereon you mi « ht make an allowance ?— No ; I repeatedly urged on the grand jury to fix a rule, and I addressed them repeatedly by letter in the newspaper; and I waited on various grand jurors to request them to fix a standard, not to bring me every assize before them, claiming for people, but I could not succeed ; the constables opposed it. 2809. Are there many persons upon the valuation who are persons of extreme poverty ?—' Yes ; they pleaded poverty, and made out a case ; others, that were not in poverty, got it through favouritism or from the grand juries. 2810. Do you mean to say that the valuation, upon the whole, has been too severe upon the lower classes?— I think that the valuation, as compared with the rent, is not at all a criterion of judging. 2811. Do you consider that the valuation, on the whole, is a fair valuation of the value of houses occupied by the poorer classes ?— I believe there was a certain sum first valued, and a proportion of that taken off in striking the value upon the poorer houses. There is a gentleman below who was on the valuation, Mr. Gould, and he will be able to give better information upon that than I can. 2812. What is your belief as to the real value of the houses, as compared with the city valuation of 1828 and 1833?— As compared with the rent, the valuation does not bear any proportion. 2813. What difference do you think there is between the real value, and the value as inserted in the books ?— Some 7 /., 8 /., 9 /., 10 L, or 12 I.; and in other cases, 4/. or 5/. difference between the valuation and the rent paid. 2814. Do you mean to say that there was that difference between the real value and the valuation of 1828 and 1833 ?— I do. 2815. How do you account for that discrepancy ?— The valuators put their own value, looking upon the house, and in many instances they did not go into the house, and they fixed the value upon the view of it; and I believe that they were not particular in inquiring the rents at all, and upon that occasion they fixed a scale without reference to the rents. 2816. Do you consider the rent the real criterion of value ?— For the registra- tion, I do. 2817. That is to say, where a party does not pay 10 /. yearly rent, he ought not to be upon the register?— Or at least he must have expended money, or the rent must be a ground- rent; but that the value of the house must be 10/. to a solvent tenant. 2818. Your idea is, that whenever a party does not pay 10/. a year rent, or has not laid out money, or paid a ground- rent, so as to raise the actual disburse- ment from his pocket to 10/. annual rent, that individual ought not to be upon the register?— Decidedly. 2819. Mr. Serjeant JacJiSon.~] Did you state, that the criterion acted upon at the registry was rent?— Yes. , 2820. Did you mean to say, that if it appeared that the real value of the mans were ou ^ U- LJ TV UWJ J # _ • . 11 tenement was not 10 /., but that he paid 10 I rent he was registered Decidedly there are many houses, that if you were to look at them you would say we not worth 10/.; but when we come to look at the locality and the rent, } find they have paid 12 /. or 13 /. 1 found it so in many cases, to my astomshment. 2821. Although the evidence would be, that the premises , yet immediately upon the tact appearing he was held en titled?- De aedly , I know a man, in a house leading from the north main stree tc, the bnde well a man of the name of Farnesey. He has been living the. e lhe last 20 or 25 years, and has paid 10/. a year for the house, and has accumulated a profit ot 4,000 1. in that very house. 0.46. 1 2822. And