. ,46 MINUTES OF EVIDENCE TAKEN BEFORE THE A- oo ( To Mr Colburn: Will you state to the Committee when the last Richard Gould, summer assizes at Cork commenced ?- The 22d of July 4 5! 0# When did the last election commence ?— 1 he / th ot August. 2 March ,838- Mr Daniel Meagher, called in ; and further Examined. Mr. D. Meagher. 45". Mr. Beamish.] HAVE you read Mr. Colburn's evidence relative to 1- marksmen ?— I have. . r , ,, . j -, 2. You are aware that he returned the number of marksmen as something ab4^ i 3 ° Can you give the Committee any information as to the number of those persons who appear as marksmen who were able to write:— There were a great number at the first registration of 1832 ; parties coming to register were kept and delayed so long, that it was an object to get through as quickly as possible. Manv of them could write their names, and many of them read slowly; there were very few that did not read and write, but, to save time, I in many instances read it, reading it quicker than they could read it, and I signed my name to it, saying,' that I had read the above truly to the deponent, and I was sworn that I had read it truly, and the tedious process of their reading and writing it was got rid of by that means; and many that would otherwise have been kept four or five days, were let go to their business, without being detained long; but the circumstance of their appearing as marksmen is no criterion of their being illite- rate, because a great majority of them could write that I asked. 4.314. Did you yourself facilitate any of those persons in that manner?— A great number; and my name will be found to a great number of affidavits of men that could read, as having read the affidavit truly, and explained it, and I did so with the greatest care. 4.515. Can you give the Committee any idea of the number of those persons who appear as marksmen, and yet able to write ?— A great majority of those that my name appears to could write. 4.516. Can you state whether the greater majority of those appearing as marksmen were of the old class of voters, freemen, and 40 s. freeholders ?— I think the greater portion of the marksmen were 40, S'. freeholders; the greater portion of the 10/. householders could write. 4517. Mr. Serjeant Jackson?^ Do not you know that if a party appears to have been a deponent in an affidavit, and to have had a memorandum put at the foot of his affidavit that this affidavit has been truly read to the deponent by another person, and he appears to subscribe by a mere mark, a cross, that con- veys to every person looking at that document that this is an illiterate person that cannot read or write ?— It would have the effect if they were not aware of the fact. 4518. Is not it the universal understanding in Ireland, in courts of justice, that it is so ?— Or a natural defect of the party, such as gout in his hand, and a variety of circumstances. 4519. Supposing a man took a false oath in his affidavit, made for the purpose of registry, if he subscribed with his own handwriting the document, may he not be much more easily and effectually prosecuted for perjury than if he appears merely to have signed by a mark ?— It would be as easy to make out the men upon my signature as their own, because I am better known. 4520. Would it be as easy to identify a man by his cross as it would be by the character of his handwriting ?— It would be much easier to identify the men by my signature than their own. 4521. You having been the person to register him, would hardly indict him? — But they would bring me as a witness. 4.522. Supposing that you happened to be dead?— My handwriting would be evidence that I had read it to him. 4523. How would that identify the deponent ?— It would require two witnesses instead of one. 1 Supposing you were away from Cork, or not possible to be had, by what process would it be possible to identify the individual voter as the man that regis- and did not his name ?- I think the bar- nster s signature to the certificate would show that the man was produced. neriurv'; Tl' W0Uld/ w lden^ the man tbat ™ put to the bar to answer for appear to^ The ^ ? Ut ^ ^ the man that read * him, should 4526. But