SELECT COMMITTEE ON FICTITIOUS VOTES, IRELAND. > 2.5 6498. Did they say by whom they were obliged ?— That they were obliged by T. Courtemy, Esq, the priests. 1 1— 6499. That they were unwillingly forced ; that they knew they were injuring 23 March themselves, but they were obliged by the priests ?— Yes ; and upon the table, when they came up to register, in some instances, upon seeing me, I asked them how they came there to register, and they said that they knew they had no right to come; that they had not value, but that they were forced and obliged to come forward. 6500. Mr. Emerson Tennent.] Are you aware of any cases in which persons who had a bondjide right to register, have expressed their unwillingness, but have attributed their coming forward to the influence of the priests ?— Yes, I am. 6501. That they would have preferred foregoing their right to be upon the register ?— That they would have preferred foregoing- their right to be put on the register, having a bondJide qualification. 6502. But that they were compelled to come forward by the influence of the priests ?— That they were compelled to come forward by the influence of the priests. In the case of this Dufliey, there was no questioning his qualification ; he is a perfectly solvent man. 6503. Mr. Curiy. j Does he hold under a lease?— He does. G504. Mr. Lejroy. J Had you any opportunity of seeing that, under those various influences, many came forward to register, who had no sufficient qualification ? — Many came forward within my own knowledge who had no qualification. 6505. You were present at the examination of those claimants ?— I was. 6506. What course was taken in the first instance, in order to dispute their want of qualification ?— We, on the Conservative side, adopted a line of examination, that of sifting the man as to the acreable rent that he could procure from a solvent tenant, if about to set his farm, over and above the rent that he himself paid, dividing the land into shillings; not taking it in the bulk of a 10/. qualification, but endeavouring to get from him the shillings that the land would let for by the acre, if out of lease, or if in the market. 6507. By that course of cross- examination, were you able, in many instances, to expose the insufficiency of the claimant's right?— We found it worked very well for a short time. 6507*. Chairman.] You are now speaking of the register of 1832 ?— Yes. 6508. Were any measures taken to defeat that line of cross- examination, by those who brought forward those fictitious voters ?— I observed in the court- house, before the claimant was called up, that a calculation was made, as it appeared to me, of what acreable rent would bring 10/. 6509. Was the claimant prepared with that calculation beforehand ?— So much so that he generally came to a few shillings over what the 10/. qualification would require. 6510. So that claimants were brought forward with ready prepared calculations, so as to make out a claim of 10/. value ?— So it appeared to me. 6511. After that were any considerable number of persons, not having a bond fide qualification of 10/., entered upon the register?— I conceived many. 6512. The question refers now to the registration of 1832?— Yes. 6513. Had you any opportunity of having that registry sifted, and the qualifica- tion of the voters upon it examined into upon oath ?— There was " a petition pre- sented against the return of Mr. Luke White and Mr. Roarke. 6514. Did that return take place upon the first election after the Reform Act? — Yes ; the Reform Act constituency alone were eligible to vote at that time. 6515. Then you gave in before the Committee a list of objections ?— Several lists of objections on the several heads. 6516. Of those registered under the Reform Bill?— Yes. 6517. What did those heads of objection consist of?— There were 31 cases registered by one of the registering barristers who were sent down by the Govern- ment, Mr. James Dogherty ; that was one class of objections ; voters admitted by him after the sessions had closed ; we conceived that he had no right to do so. 6518. Mr. 0' Connell.~\ That was a mere formal objection?— Precisely so. 6519. Mr. Lefroy.] Were there other classes?— Many other classes. 6520. Had you * many objections to qualifications in point of value?— The largest class upon the objected list were as to value. 6521. To what amount did that list go?— About 150 votes. 6522. Had you a class of objections for want of title?— I had, and they were taken off by that Committee; tenants registered as freeholders by the landlord, 643. » 3 vvho