hi SELECT COMMITTEE ON FICTITIOUS VOTES, IRELAND. 65 ^ Mr. James Lane. reason of poverty, being poor houses, and those occupied by poor tenants?— No Some of the constables return the word « poor " without putting lodgers, and others returned " poor lodgers." ° 3 l6 February * 838. 1000. Ought not there to be a distinction made, because the head of exemption is a separate head ?- Yes. In fact they are not entitled to return poor people under the Act of Parliament. V P 1 1061. When they return " poor," does it mean that they are under 5/. ?— No • they put the word " poor " indiscriminately to poor lodgers, or poor people. 1062. When they think they ought to be exempted by reason of either beino- poor lodgers or poor people ?— Yes. 1063. Will you turn to the printed list of registered voters, and see if you can find Patrick Foohey, at No. 1488 ?— Patrick Foohey, shopkeeper, Francis- street; house and yard at Francis- street; a 10/. householder; registered the 12th November 1832. 1064. H° w is he valued in the valuation of 1828 ?—£. 5. 1065. Now turn to St. Paul's parish, and see whether you find a person there named John Sullivan, No. 99 ?— Yes. 1066. How is he described ?— A dwelling- house, valued in 1828 at 12 I. 1067. Did be pay rates in spring 1829?— He was returned '' poor" in spring 1829, m summer 1829 " half poor;" he would only be rated at 61. instead of 12/. 1068. Mr. Beamish.] It was not that they reduced his value, but that thev took half the rate from him ?— 1 should rather suppose that the upper part of the house was occupied as poor tenements, and the lower part by himself, and that they charged only the portion he occupied. 1069. Were they entitled to do that under the Act of Parliament?— No, thev were not. 1070. Mr. Serjeant Jackson.] But you do not know that that is what was done ?— No ; about that time it was very customary for the constables to do so, and I put a stop to it. 1071. The result of his being returned " half poor" was, that instead of being rated as a person who held a house worth 12 L, he was rated as a person having a house worth 61. ?— Yes. 1072. And he paid his rates accordingly for the summer of 1829 ?— Yes. 1073. Beamish.] Do you mean 10 say that lie was returned by reason of paying half- rates, as if the house was valued only at 6 I. ?— I mean to say that he was charged as for 6 I. 1074." Were they not doing an illegal act by making any such a return as " half poor;" is there any clause in the Local Act empowering them to make a return of " half poor"?— There is not. 1075. Mr. Serjeant Jacltson.] Do you conceive that the meaning of the return might have been, that in the judgment of the parish officers his tenement, instead of being rated as a house worth 12 /., ought at that time to have been charged as a house only of the value of 6 I. ?— No ; I should think the meaning of the return of the parish constable at that time was, that the upper part of the house was occupied as poor tenements, and not liable to rates; but that the man living below, and occupying part of the house himself, ought to be made liable to half the rates. . „ 1076. How does he stand in spring 1830 ?—" Poor,' and in summer' poor again. In spring 1831 " poor," in summer 1831 " poor," in spring 1832 "" poor," and in summer 1832 he was returned " rateable." *] 077 Will vou turn to the printed register, No. 3987,- and see whether you find him registered r- John Sulivan, nailer, Coal Quay ; house and shop at the Coal Quay ; registered as a 10 I householder the 8th ot November 1830. 1078 Will vou now refer back again to the rate- book, and see if he was rated in the spring of 1833?— He was returned " poor" in the spring ot 1833 and sum- mer 1833, and in spring 1834 and summer 1834, all poor. 1079. Mr. Beamish.] How is he in 1S37 ?— He is returned " poor" still. 1080. Mr. Serjeant Jackson.] Were you the person that made the applotments all through, from 1828 to the present time?— Yes. 10S1 Mr. Hogg.] Was the person or persons that made those returns which caused those persons to be exempted the same person or persons all tins time <- They were not; they were made by different persons. ^ 0.46. 1