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 . 261L ? / to a determination to support this or that person, and no person will succeed Rev- for himself individually. 12701. Do you mean to say, though you act in union with what you call the liberal Protestants, that the Roman- catholic clergy have no more influence than the liberal Protestant laity ?— Yes; I believe they have more influence with those who immediately belong to themselves. 12702. They have an influence which guides the judgment of their people very much ?— Yes ; they are very much guided by it. 1 2703. Then, so far as it goes, you do not leave the judgment of who would be proper representatives to the unbiassed opinion of your own flock, but you take upon you to judge for them?— No; we do leave' it to their opinion, for their opinion is the same as ours; but when we see that a person is likely to be warped or changed by being promised rewards or by the expectation of a reward, we then think it our duty to interpose and explain how far it is danger- ous to societ}^. 12704. Then do you mean to tell this Committee that you never interfere to exercise any influence you possess as a Roman- catholic clergyman, except simply in a case where you think a man is likely to be biased by an undue and corrupt motive ?— Yes. 12705. You never address the people generally as to who are or who are not good representatives ?— Yes, at the coming on of elections. 12706. Have you not usually at the approach of an election addressed the people in very strong language against some representatives, and in favour of others ?— I have as strong as I could make use of. 12707. Were all the people whom you so addressed, in your judgment, under the influence of bribes, or did you suppose them to be under the influence of expecting bribes ?— I could not suppose all of them to be so bad, but there might be some; I sometimes did even in Longford at the approach of an elec- tion, on a market- day, when there was a mixture of all sorts of persons, address them regarding elections. 12708. Directing their judgment with respect to the representatives they should choose ?— They might adopt my view 01* not; I gave them my view. 12709. You left them to adopt your view or not, but you gave them your view ?— Yes. 12710. Did not all the Roman- catholic clergymen act upon the same prin- ciple and in the same way ?— They acted upon the same principle, but not in the same way. 12711. Did not a great many address the people in the same way?— Not a great many ; I think a few did. 12712. At fairs and markets ?— Yes. 12713. And from their altars ?— I think a great many did from their altars at the coming on of elections, before or after service. 12714. And in point of fact, their flocks generally go with them at elections ? — In point of fact, they generally go with them ; there may be some instances in which they do not. Upon Lord Forbes' property, the greater portion went with Lord Forbes in his lifetime. 12715. Have they since?— No, not so much; they were left to themselves more. 12716. Did not the Roman- catholic priests give a dinner to Lord Forbes' tenants on a late occasion ?— I am not aware of that. 12717. Would it be possible for any candidate to succeed in the county of Longford, whom the whole body of the Roman- catholic clergy are against ?— I may say it would, because they did succeed against the wish of the Catholic clergy. I believe you will recollect that it was in the year 1835, the second election after the Reform Act, that Mr. Lefroy and Lord Forbes succeeded, con- trary to the wish of the Catholic clergy. 12718. Were they not seated upon a petition ?— They were seated, in the year 1833, on a petition ; the next election after the Reform Act they were returned. Mr. White opposed them, and he was defeated. That was contrary to the will of the Catholic clergy, but still they could not prevent it. 12719. Were the same exertions made previous to that year, at the registry or the election, or generally speaking, in the county, that have been since made ? — No, the registry was not so perfect then, and they got damped in their spirits, 644. * L L 3 from