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 . 289L ? / tions on one side as the other; every claim was contested, and most obstinately / A r v , contested too. both as to value and as to title. Whenever an objection could E. a be taken, I think it was taken by both sides. 12972. Do you recollect attending the registry at Ballymahon ?— Perfectly 8 18,8. 12973. Was there any difficulty created on your part to claimants on either side coming m or having access to the court ?— Not the slightest; the court was quite crowded ; I knew nothing whatever of who came in. It was a very small court- house, and very bad accommodation in it. It was crowded to excess, and I did not know who came in, or anything relating to it, until the claimant was brought upon the table. 12974. Was there any such practice, as applying to you, to get a preference for the claimants on one side or the other having access to the court ?— When first I registered, I took one or two persons out of the order who had come a considerable distance; the counsel on the opposite side objected ; I told them I would then take one on each side, and towards the evening, perhaps, it would accommodate all parties to have those examined who had come from a distance; but in no case in which parties objected would I travel out of the list. When a party was brought up, and the opposite party consented, I examined him. I never deviated from that rule. I remember the case of the Dean of Ardagh coming up and being excessively angry that I would not register him; I told him that I never deviated from the rule; he was very angry, and after some time the opposite party consented, and I registered him. I never deviated from that rule, but I remained a considerable time in the court to register parties who ' d come a considerable distance, on both sides. 12975. Chairman.] Was Mr. Jessop one of the gentlemen you so registered ?— I remember the circumstance of Mr. Jessop; he was a very young man, he came forward at Ballymahon ; I was told he had to attend his examination at college, and it would be a great convenience to register him ; I told them in open court I wished to register him, and to the best of my knowledge both parties assented to it, and I registered him in consequence of that. 12976. Was that previous to your making that regulation, or subsequently ?— Subsequently; I had never seen Mr. Jessop before, but on the statement that it was necessary for him to attend in college I registered him. 12977. Mr. Simon Nicholls, in answer to question 103/ 8, says, " the people would not be allowed to go up, they were kept out in the street; the gentlemen who had the care of the court, they could get their friends in, and could get them accommodation, while the people who had served notices to register were kept out in the street;" was that so ?— Certainly not. 12978. Have you any observation to make as to that, or can you make out who lie meant by the gentlemen who had the ear of the court?— I cannot imagine who he meant, unless he supposes I was more partial to one side than the other; but I have fortunately something here which will rather throw a light upon that. I do not know whether I am permitted to give this in evidence. I hold in my hand a newspaper, called " The Repealer," which I suppose is a Liberal paper, which contains a report, extracted from the " Freeman's Journal," of what took place before me at Longford. I think this newspaper was given to me by some of the Liberal party in court; it is dated 20th October 1832. 12979. Mr. Curry.'] Was that pending the registry ?— Yes. 12980. Mr. Lefroy.] Read it if you please. " Thursday night. This day the court was opened at 10 o'clock. Standing at the entrance of the court house previous to its being opened, I was surprised to hear the voices of a number of persons inside. Upon proceeding to a private entrance with some of the spirited inhabitants of Longford, who are taking a most active part in forwarding the registry of the Liberal constituency, I was surprised to find the court- house already occupied by a crowd of persons admitted by the sheriff through a private entrance. The professional advisers and the Liberal con- stituency took their seats upon one side of the table ; opposite to them was the Conservative directory. Upon the doors having been thrown open, the body of the court- house was filled, and the seats behind the professional gentlemen were occupied with the friends of each party. Before the barrister had taken his seat, the sub- sheriff and the liveried preservers of the peace, the police, com- menced their gambols by attempting to clear that side of the court- house acknowledgedly occupied by the Liberal constituency. Dr. Nicholls, to whose exertions on this, as on every other occasion, the independence of Longford is 643. 00 SO