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 . 267L ? / 12791. Upon those principles, you feel that you did nothing improper in Rev. E. M'Gaver. taking a pledge from a man to vote for you, provided you got him a lease ? No; because the pledge was to vote as he would have voted independently of 1 June l8; j8- that pledge; if I never got such a pledge he would vote in that way, if he'did not make too great a sacrifice. I considered he would in that instance, though others considered he ought to do like his neighbours. He had 40 acres of land and was in danger of being turned out, and I told him I should not ask him to make such a sacrifice; I considered it would be too great a sacrifice to run the risk of himself and his family being turned out. 12792. Did you not press him to register ?— Certainly not, 12793. Did you not tell us he made excuses to you for not registering ?— He did not to me, but some of his neighbours told him it was a shame of him not to register, and I told them it was a shame to expect a man to make such a sacrifice. The effect is, that he is not a freeholder, though he got the land for the purpose of enabling him to register; he is a Catholic besides, and he has no motive to abstain from voting. When he had persons coming forward who felt an interest in his welfare, and who would do justice to him and his Catholic brethren, he had 110 worldly motive to induce him to do so: on the contrary, if he would go and vote for men who would oppose his religious liberties, as well as his temporal liberties, he would be acting contrary to the generality of man- kind, for a man is disposed to do what will serve the community at large, pro- vided the majority is of the same way of thinking as the person I alluded to is; in the case 1 alluded to the person was a Catholic, and if he voted for Mr. Lefroy, he must have known Mr. Lefroy's political and religious feelings were averse to his, and therefore, speaking of him as of the generality of mankind, unless he was biassed by some worldly motives he could not have voted for Mr. Lefroy or Mr. Fox, who declared himself in the manner he did, because he must have been inclined naturally, provided he had the choice, to vote for a man who would protect his religious and temporal interests. 12794. Mr. Hogg You stated you considered it morally impossible that any Roman- catholic could vote otherwise than for a candidate who would advance the interests of his religion in Parliament ?— Including both religion and politics, religion and the interests of his country. 12795. You consider them as identified?— Yes, liberty and justice to mankind is connected with morality. 12796. You have stated, as a Roman- catholic clergyman, you considered it morally impossible a person similarly circumstanced could vote for a person who would not advance the interests of his religion ?— His religion and his country. 12797. Then in voting for a candidate, the consideration which would influence you would be the consideration of which of the candidates would most advance the interests of your own religious persuasion ?— If I saw a man who would advance the interests of my religion, of course I would naturally have a feeling that way; but if I saw a man who would protect it, I should not look to see what religion he was of, but to the politics he was of, though we have seen cases on the other side where candidates would not confine themselves to politics, but would go upon the ground of religion. 12798. You said you considered it morally impossible for a Catholic clergy- man to vote for any person, save a man who would vote for the advancement of his religion; I have asked you whether you identify the person who will most advance the Roman- catholic religion with the person who is most fit to be in Parliament ?— No; but if a person were hostile to my religion, that would be prima facie evidence against him. 12799. Against his political propriety ?— Yes, his religious propriety; pro- vided he distinguished himself in that way. If his character were so hostile to the religion I profess, if in or out of Parliament he expressed opinions 01* did acts which would bring me to the conclusion that such was his hostility to my religion, that would be prima facie evidence against him if he came forward as a candidate. I do not say \ ve are bound to find the best, because people cannot come at the best; but we are bound to vote for the best we can find. 12800. You said you would select a candidate who would most advance your religion?— I may use expressions which are not intelligible 01* grammatical. I mean a candidate who is not hostile to my religion. t> 43- M M 2 12801. Then