SELECT COMMITTEE ON FICTITIOUS VOTES, IRELAND. 39 778. But you know nothing- of the evidence that was given to entitle them to that admission - Nothing whatever. It is done in the county; it is uot done in the city of Cork, except once in the year. 779. But you do not attend the registry?— No. 780. Then of course, for anything that you can tell, there may have been sufficient evidence given of the right of those parties to be registered » — I have no doubt, from the character of Mr. Martley, that he would not admit any one that he was not in his own mind convinced was entitled. 781. You were not present at the first registry?— I was at some of if at a great deal of it I was not present. 782. Then evidence may have been given on occasions when you were not present to sustain the rights of the parties admitted to register, although in your opinion, from seeing their names, they are not entitled ?— Exactly, evidence on oath ; but I fear that in several instances the obligation of an oath is not thought of so much as it ought to be by those that take it. 783. You mean at the registry?— At the registry. I do not wish to criminate any person ; but I think that people are often persuaded to take an oath without consideration enough of the real obligation of it. 784. You have a general impression against the validity of the claims of many persons who have been admitted to register ?— I have an" impression against the validity of the claims of several from my own knowledge. 785. And founded, in part at least, upon that general impression you have got of the non- observance of an oath ?— It may elucidate the matter in some measure if I state, that all the persons that I have referred to as having appealed were sworn upon their oath that the places were not worth what they were valued at, and they had previously sworn that the places were worth 10 /. 786. Mr. Litton.] You have mentioned that, from your own knowledge, ficti- tious votes have been admitted, that is, persons who were not entitled ?— Yes; what I conceive to be fictitious votes. 787. Mr. Serjeant Ball.] When you say " of your own knowledge," do you mean that you were present when it occurred ?— No; but there are on this book persons who I do not conceive ought to have been registered. 788. Mr. Litton.] Do you not know persons whose names are upon the regis- ter, who, from your knowledge of the city of Cork, and the places out of which they registered, have not a qualification ?— Yes. 789. Many?— I would not say many. 790. Some, at all events.— Some. 791. You have said that certain persons were registered as having a value of 10/! who afterwards swore that they had not, out of the same premises, a value of 5 I.— Yes. 792. And yet they remained upon the register after having so sworn?— They did.' 793. And do now remain upon the register, after an oath made by them re- spectively that they have not to the value of 5 /. ?— Yes. ' 794. Did any of those vote at the last election ?— I could not answer that now, but I could answer next day. . 795. If they were to vote at a future election without re- registration, or it they had voted at any former election, they must have voted as persons entitled as 10/. householders ?— Yes. . , 7q6. Therefore if they have voted, or if upon a future occasion they should go forward to vote, they must do so as 10/. householders, contrary to their own sworn statement that their premises are only of the value 01 5 /. .'— Indeed, 1 think so. . , , ,, 797. Mr. Serjeant Ball.] You said, that from your own knowledge there were persons admitted to the register who had not a qualification ; do you mean any- thing more than this, that in your judgment they had not a sufficient qualifica- tion?-! think 1 ought to go further, but I think it must be very convincing without anything more, if the man himself swears that his premises are not worth 5 /. and then he is registered as of 10 L, that he was not qualified. 708. That is to say if it be the fact not only that he has sworn that they are not worth 5 /., but that the premises were not worth 5 7 at the time lie swoie — I know he swore to their not being worth 5 I., because 1 was present^ 790. And if he swore truly that they were not worth F 4 Mr. James Lane. 9 February 1838. 5 /., your inference is, J that