: ' - • - •- 201 SELECT COMMITTEE ON FICTITIOUS VOTES, IRELAND. in like manner that he should be at liberty to appeal if he 6307. Then, giving that right of appeal to any party who considered that h » ought to be rated for the purpose of the relief of the poor or the location to T ™ really^ was entitled to the fran- 90S more proper, and was overvalued. Mr. J. C. Batumi. 13 March 1838. 6308 You have stated that you would have ' the lists made out parochial lv furmshed to the different chstricts, for the purpose of enabling the inhab an s to have a more effectual check ; would you malle any change ig the ift of putting upon the register '- Decidedly; I would recommend that they should register parochially. At present a person who only sees what goes on in England, can hardly have an idea of the confusion that occurred in the city of Cork at the first registration ; persons residing in the most distant parts from each other were called, one after another, according to the accident of the initial letter of the name. 6309 Would you have any corresponding alteration in the mode of taking the poll at elections .— Yes, the very same ; there are a number of advantages attending a district arrangement. The barrister may fix to bring on a district or a parish at one time, and the people of that parish only, and the witnesses of that parish only, have then to attend; whilst, at present, the parties from all the city of Cork, and the witnesses from every parish in the city of Cork, must be present at the same moment, for no man can tell who will be called next, whether it will be a resident of the liberties, or of this or that parish ; and in like manner, when the polling comes to be taken, there is just the same confusion. The voters are classed merely by the accident of the initial of their names. 6310. Chairman.] It has been said there are as many as 2f0 voters of the name of Murphy upon the poll at this moment. Under those circumstances, is it not exceedingly difficult to prevent persons, if they shall so think fit, from voting, who really are not the individuals supposed to be voting ?— So it appears to me ; I have no doubt it must be very difficult. I think that any check by detection of the individual, and a prosecution under the Act, would be quite out of the question, unless by the merest accident some person happened to be present who knew both the individual and the facts. 6311. Mr. Serjeant Jackson.} It appears from your former evidence, that although in the counties at large, and counties of cities, and also in towns which have applied to be placed under the. operation of the 9tli Geo. 4, there are officers who might furnish lists of persons that pay rates, yet there are some few places in Ireland in which there are no officers who might be made avail- able for that purpose. What could you suggest with regard to those places ?— WTith respect to those, I think the registering barrister must determine it accord- ing to the evidence; but there, and indeed with respect generally to value, I think it would be w ell to take the mode of valuation that is proposed by the 60th section of the Poor Law Bill, which runs thus: " That every such rate shall be made upon an estimate of the net annual value of the several hereditaments rated thereunto; that is to say, of the rent at which, one year with another, the same might in their actual state be easily expected to be let from year to year, all rates, taxes, and public charges, if any, and the probable average annual cost of the repairs, insurance, and other expenses, if any neces- sary to maintain the hereditaments in their actual state, being paid by the tenant." „ M ,, 6312 Then in those cases where the former means were not available, you would have the registering or reforming hamster act with reference to that 60th section, and ascertain the value upon that .'— Y es. 6313. With regard to the object of parochial notices of registenng, hem would vou provide for the inconvenience and loss of time of persons who would W to'slay'in court till their parish was called, which. night happen in a very extensive district like Cork to be several days r- I think the ^ ter seemg a number of persons to be registered, and the number , rf pers ns ob ^ to nrul beiuo- limited then in his operations to those who should be objected to, ^ T^^ l calculation of the time at which a particidar^ stnc or parish should come on; he might fix particular days or portions of da5& for ea<?- 14 chairman 1 Is it not the custom now with the revising hamsters in countS in England to state beforehand the different days upon which the> c p r 2 0.46. 4