SELECT COMMITTEE ON FICTITIOUS VOTES, IRELAND. 175 / 11246. What amount of the produce do you think he ought to exact?— Mr. E. Rooney. I would say he ought to exact none, for it is my opinion that he is not entitled —— to any. 22 May 1838. 11247. Supposing the tithe to belong to a lay impropriator, what amount would he have a legal right to exact of the produce of the land as the law stands ?— As the law stands, I believe about 2 an acre. 11248. Do you mean to say that whatever the character of the land is, he has only a right to exact 2 s. an acre?— In the first place they proceeded to applot the land of different qualities, for the purpose of assessing the exact amount agreed upon by the clergyman and the people, and then they proceed to class the land. 11249. Supposing a lay impropriator of tithe came to you, and desired you to value the land of a particular farm to its utmost legal amount, what propor- tion of the produce would you report to him he ought to have as his legal value, without reference to any compensation ?— I could not take upon me to answer that question. During the years that I was holding land I paid no tithe, and therefore I did not study the question at all. 11250. Therefore, practically, you know nothing about it ?— No. 11251. Mr. O'Connell.] Why did not you pay tithe?— I considered that I had no right to pay them as I got no value. 11252. Chairman.] As you have been in the habit of valuing land, to what extent do you consider the legal right of the tithe proprietor to go ?— I never considered the question of the value of tithe; it was always out of the question at the time I valued land in that way, or when I paid rent myself. 11253. You have no idea what the legal right of a tithe proprietor is?— I never studied the question at all. 11254. You say that for the tithe in this case you have allowed 2 s. an acre ? — I think about 2 s. an acre is what was applotted in that neighbourhood. 11255. You do not know that the legal right might be one- tenth of the pro- duce ?— No. 11256. Or one- fiftieth ?— I do not know at all; in general, in Ireland, they are all under tithe composition. 11257. Mr. Lefroy.~] You said that you thought there could not be any ficti- tious votes put upon the registry upon the Liberal side; what is your notion of a fictitious vote ?— My notion of a fictitious vote is a man that would not have a real value. 11258. How is that value to be estimated, according to your understanding of the Reform Act ?— The evidence that came before the barrister in all the cases I was present at, led me to suppose that, even with regard to the solvent tenant test, each person proved that he was qualified by the solvent tenant test before he was registered, leaving the beneficial interest altogether out of the question. They fully proved it to the satisfaction of Mr. French before he registered them. Veneris, 25° die Maii, 1838. Mr. Curry. Mr. F. French. Mr. Hogg. Mr. Serjeant Jackson. MEMBERS PRESENT. Mr. Lefroy. Mr. M. J. O'Connell. Lord G. Somerset. LORD GRANVILLE SOMERSET, IN THE CHAIR. Mr. Edward Rooney, called in ; and further Examined. 11259. Mr. Curry.] DID you prepare a list of persons struck off by the Long- Mr. E. Rooney. ford Election Committee in 1837, as not having the proper qualifications, whose — farms you at any time valued ?— I did. 25 May l8s8* 11260. When did you value those farms ?— I think in January or February 1837, previous to the petition before the last; I do not recollect exactly the month. 643. c c 3 11261. Did