188 MlNXJTES OF EVIDENCE TAKEN BEFORE THE Mr S Nicholls. was made to persons coming up on the Liberal side?- There was not, except in Mr. & NM ^ glaringPcases. where there was any appearance at all ot reality there was no 13 Ma>' l8' 53' ToTsT Mr^ Serjeant Jackson.] You do not mean to say, I suppose, that Mr. Colquhoun discouraged making objections, where they were valid and tenable objec- tions''— No : I staled that, except in glaring cases, objections were not made; Mr. Colquhoun's view was, that the more extensive the registry was on all sides thei0386." Mr. Curry.'] Did you attend any of the registries after that first registry of 1832?— I did not. 10387. Did you attend any of the elections for the county of Longford?— I did every election since. . 10388. Did you act as deputy- sheriff at any of these elections?—! did for two days at one election. 10389. Which election was that?— The election of 1836. 10390. Do you know of any persons being brought forward to vote at that election who had lost their qualification?— Yes, there were two persons whose qualifications depended 011 the life of Lord Forbes; one was Peter Maher, of Lis- farrell, and he came forward to vote j and, on the qualification- oath being put to him as to his title still existing, he declined taking the oath ; he said he would not take it, as the life in his lease was dead. Immediately after a person of the name of Samuel Murphy was brought up to vote for Mr. Fox, and the agent for Mr. White objected that he could not vote as his lease also depended upon Lord Forbes's life; Murphy said he knew nothing at all about Lord Forbes's death, and White's agent said, " Sure, we would not have this election if he were not dead, for it is to elect a representative in his place the election is had." Murphy said, " 1 know nothing about it; I come here to vote, and here is my certificate." I was required to put the oath; I put the oath to Samuel Murphy, and he swore his rights still existed, and he was put upon the poll as a good vote, I understood after that, Samuel Murphy having respectable friends, it was the means of having any prosecution quashed for taking the oath without having the interest. I was not aware of any cases but these two; but, I dare say, in some of the other booths it occurred. 10391. Maher refused to take the qualification oath, and did not vote, and Murphy did take the qualification oath, and did vote ?— Yes. 10392. Mr. Serjeant Jackson.] Were you present on that occasion when you say the man's skull was fractured ?— I was going to the door of the court- house when I saw the occurrence. 10393. You saw the policeman strike him with the end of his musket?— Yes ; and he fell down these steps. 10394. What was the man doing when he was struck?— He was going into the court. 10395- Doing nothing at all; going peaceably?— Yes; as any other elector might go who wanted to register. 10396. Merely walking up the steps of the court to register, and this police- man struck him with the butt- end of his piece, and knocked him down flat ?— Yes; he struck him on the chest, and with the fall he came on the edge of the stone steps. 10397. Did you lay any information upon that?— No, I did not. 10398. Did you complain to any magistrate ?— I cannot say I did, in that instance; I did in several other instances. 10399. Did you make any complaint to the magistrates in that instance ?— I did not, because I considered it would be useless to do so. 10400. Did you think none of the magistrates in the county of Longford would entertain a complaint of that description ?— There might be one or two magistrates would, but the generality of them would not. 10401. I ask whether there were any there who would ?— I do not know whether there were any there or not. 10402. Was it not worth your while to inquire ?— I did not consider it so ; such acts of outrage were so common; and the magistrates, in fact, would promote a policeman who did so. 10403. Were there any stipendiary magistrates there?— No, I believe not. 10404. Y ou think the magistrates of the county of Longford would promote a policeman who fractured a man's skull for doing nothing ?— Yes. 10405. That