SELECT COMMITTEE ON FICTITIOUS VOTES, IRELAND. , ^ j / J / j - Mr. Richard Gould. • 2 March 1838. register more than 40 or 50 in a day, sitting there from nine to four or five 4452. You mean to say the agents ?— Certainly. 4453- How many days were you registering the first registry ?— A vast num ber; it commenced on the I Oth of October, and it ended about the 29th of November, that is 42 working days. u 4454. What was the total number registered ?— The total number appears by Mr. Colburn's return, 4,322. 4455- Have you any idea what the number of persons was that had given notice to register ?— I cannot say. There were three barristers registering every day in separate courts; it was very vexatious. 4456. Do you mean that there continued to be vexatious delay caused to the registry ?— No, I would not say that there is vexatious delay in the city of Cork now, because the barrister gets through it quickly; it is the first business he must do. 4457- And the barrister has been in the habit, since he has had the duty, of getting through it quickly ?— We cannot accuse him of delay. 44.58. He is a very efficient man ?— Apart from this, there is no better. 44.59. Do you mean to say that he gives delay ?— We have 110 reason to be thankful to him. 4460. Do you mean to say that he gives any delay to one party more than another in the registration ?— I believe not. 4461. Does not he hold the scales evenly between both parties ?— I believe he does, as far as regards delay ; he gets through the registry very quickly. 4462. Then your complaint of delay applies to the registry before the three gentlemen who were sent down in 1832 ?— Yes, there was tremendous delay then; indeed the inconvenience of registering our people is really vexatious, and it is only surprising, notwithstanding all, how we could have so large a number of good substantial voters. 4463. Supposing this annual checking of the registry to go forward before the chairman of the county, the same gentleman who now registers for you, do not you think it would be of advantage to have every year those who are proved to have died struck off the register ?— I am afraid the Liberal party could not do that with as much facility as the other party. They have not money in the first place; their funds are very trifling, and their men are not of so good a description as the men on the other side, and really I am afraid that their patience would be spent. 4464. Suppose that, instead of having to go to Canturk or Fermoy, this was to take place in the city of Cork?— If it was to take place every week before the Recorder, I would subscribe to it most cheerfully. 4465. Suppose that once a year, before the Recorder, you were to have the names of parties that were dead struck off the register ?— I am afraid that would be too often; I am anxious to have it done, but I am afraid our people would get sick of it. . . v 4466. By " your people," you mean those in the Liberal interest ?— Yes; at the same time I would like to have every bad vote expunged. . 4467. You would like to have it done if your people did not lose their patience r Do not you think it would be a public advantage to. all parties con- cerned in the registry, and in the elections, to have removed from the agister those persons who had lost their qualifications /- There ^ no doubto t 4469. Always supposing that this was done m the city of Cork before the Recorder-- Certainly; have it done before the Recorder weeUy^ as it was ^ ways clone before le Reform Bill, and we will f^^^ J^ not our wish to have fictitious voters on the book; we have them, and it is not our wish to have a man upon the book that lias not fide qualification of 10/. 4470. You attended the first registry in c c 3 1832 ?— I attended to it in some measure; y