2/ SELECT COMMITTEE ON FICTITIOUS VOTES. IRELAND. I? 1 Ji IIw lat^ onhf^ feSS^ f th6y bea1' t0 eaCU ° ther i0 the Seneral P° P- 296. h, not the ratio a good deal the other way ?— Yes. 7 February 1838 297. I here are many very respectable Roman- catholic merchants in Cork?— A great many. 298 The governing body is particularly exclusive, is not it?— I do not know that it is A freeman to be admitted without right by special favour must be appointed by the common council, and then be confirmed by the general bodv of freemen. J 299. The number admitted by favour are diminished very much since the Reform Bill ?— Since I became town- clerk there has been 110 man admitted by favour, except a few great men who visited us, such as my Lord Mulgrave and Sir Edward Codrington. 300. But before that there were a great number admitted by favour ?— Yes. 301. It is 110 longer such an object to be admitted a freeman by favour as it was before, in consequence of the elective franchise having been taken away ?— I consider that it is not interesting in the same degree. 302. The grand juries of whom you have spoken are, of course, nominated by the sheriff?— They are. J _ 3° 3- There has been no instance of a Roman- catholic being sheriff?— No; till 1829 I do not think they were eligible; but there have been none since. ^ 304. Do not the sheriffs owe their nomination to a particular club, called the Friendly Club?— Yes, practically speaking, 1 think they do. 305. Are you a member of that club ?— 1 am; I am not a very good attending member, but I am a member. 306. About how many does that Friendly Club consist of?— Between 300 and 400, I think. 307. Your family have a good deal of influence in that Friendly Club ?— I do not think they have. 308. Had they not?— Nor do I think they had. 309. But they have been members of it?— They have. 310. And that Friendly Club, in fact, has the nomination to almost every office in Cork ?— I do not think so. 311. What offices do they nominate to ?— They nominate to the shrievalty in this wray; they have an influence in the election of mayors; the mayor is, under the bye- laws of the corporation, appointed from five burgesses; that is to say, persons who have gone through the office of sheriff; the names are drawn out of a hat. The Friendly Club came to a determination that they would sup- port the senior burgess. 312. No man then can be mayor according to that bye- law but a man that has been sheriff?— None. That question was asked whether the Friendly Club do not appoint to almost every office; I can give an instance to the contrary; since I was a member of the Friendly Club, I was a candidate for the office of town- clerk, and yet a great many of the Friendly Club voted against me, for a candi- date that was not a member of the Friendly Club. 313. But you beat?— I did. 314. But there is an understanding among them that the sheriff is to be nominated by them ? — They vote for the person that has most votes amongst themselves ; but I do not think their number would be sufficient to determine it, unless the body of freemen were willing to support them. . 315. Have you known any sheriff' appointed who was not first voted for in the Friendly Club?— No. 316. Then the process is this : the Friendly Club meets, and holds an election amongst themselves for the candidate for the office of sheriff ?— Yes. 317. And the candidates whom they have elected have been, within your experience, uniformly returned as sheriffs ?— They have. 318. And no man can be mayor but a man that lias been so returned as sheriff7 Yes 310.' Does not the charter give the election of the mayor to the citizens at large?— I do not think it does. That is a question that the Court of King s Bench had before it more than once. , ™ HrHHr 320. Was not the question which the King's Bench had before it the validity of the bye- law ?- Yes. The charter, according to my construction o it ^ efers to previously existing usages, which I have read a good deal about, foi the pi* 0.46. D 1