S E L E C T C O M M I T T E E O N F I C T I T I O U S V O T E S , I R E L A N D . 111 c the agent directed, the rent would not have been demanded?— I say that they ]\ ir Patrick flood would not have been pressed for the rent in the manner that they were pressed. - T 8928. Do you believe that if the tenants had voted as the agent desired] u May 1838. they would still have been forced to pay their rents?— They would have had to pay the rent, but they would not have been forced to pay up a heavy arrear of rent. 8929. Whether they voted as the agent desired or not, the rents would have been paid?— They would have been paid, but not the heavy arrear of rent j the remainder of that would still have been a hanging arrear upon the estate. 8930. The agent you stated was a new one ?— Yes, he came in about 1831. 8931. And just coming in upon the estate, he did not like to commence pro- ceeding by pressing the tenants, and after he had been occupied as agent for about a year and a half, and recovered none of the rent, he insisted upon the payment of the arrears ?— He was still receiving on account. 8932. After he had been acting as agent for about a year and a half, he insisted upon the payment of the arrears ?— After about two years. 8933. Mr. O'Connell ] There having intervened an election, and votes having been given against his wish ?— Yes ; but I believe not against the wish of the landlord. 8934. Then this arrear had been for a great number of years an arrear of about the same amount pending upon the estate, and it had continued till the election?— Decidedly ; a man going in always calculated to have two crops off the land before he would be asked for any rent. 8935. And then, for the first time after the election, the agent insisted upon the arrears being paid up ?— After the petition of 1833. 8936. Mr. Hogg.] Is the usage throughout the country to allow two years' arrears ?— No, it is not the usage of the country. 8937. Is it the usage of the country for landlords to recover the rent when due ; that is to say, after six months?— No ; the general usage is, when there is a year's rent due, the landlord expects to get half a year's rent. 8938. Then the general usage is to give six months ?— Yes; and when there is a year's rent due, the tenant goes and pays half a year; sometimes there is more due. 8939. This was the only estate where tenants, hitherto, have been allowed to run long in arrear ?— Yes, just so. 8940. The gentleman changed his agent, who had been in the habit of allowing those arrears, and the new agent forced them to pay up ?— Yes ; but not till after the election and the petition. 8941. Mr. Serjeant Jackson.] Do you know Mr. Kift ?— I do. 8942. Is it Mr. Kift who is the agent?— I believe Mr. Davis is now the agent. 8943. Mr. Kift, of whom you have been speaking, is the father of John James Kift?— Yes. 8944. A gentleman who lives in Dublin ?— Yes. 8945. What is the son's name?— I believe it is Thomas. 8946. In 110 instance you have been speaking of have you meant to say, that Mr. Kift, the father, persecuted these tenants?— I did not allude to the father. 8947. Then all the evidence you have been giving, as to what you call perse- cution, has had reference to his son ?— The son, I think, would not act without the father's consent. 8948. But the evidence you have given, do you mean to apply to the father or to the son ?— To the son principally. 8949. Do you mean it to apply to the father at all?— I do; because I do not know that the son is an attorney at all yet. 8950. Did any of those freeholders tell you that Mr. Kift, the father, had persecuted them ?— Yes, Sheridan and Flood too ; Flood went to Dublin to pay his year's rent, and he would not receive it. 8951. Was the reason the rent was refused to be received because the man did not pay up the whole arrear that was due, or was it any other reason ?— The man offered to pay up every shilling that was due; but they said that he had voted at the election, and told him that they would break his lease. 8052. You were not present at that?— I was not present. D 1 P 2 8953- Were