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 . 297L ? / evidently shaping his evidence by the evidence of the former witness. Again when I asked them what the land was let for to persons in the neighbourhood or the adjoining farm, they always referred to some one farm that was the best land in their part of the county ; and others came up afterwards, referring to the same farm as a test of the value, showing they were extremely well dnlled, in fact. 13089. Then, in fact, it appeared to you, in the discharge of your duty, there was a system by which the claimants were drilled and prepared ?— Yes/ l think there was a very regular system. 13090. By which they were prepared to make out their claims r— Yes. I had the curiosity 111 one place to go and look at the land myself; it was near Sir George Featherstone's; there was a trial which lasted two or three hours about a mountain, and the place they referred to was a place called the Telegraph, at the top of the hill. In three or four days they came back, and brouglit me to the same place ; I distinctly remembered the name of the townland, Lisluff Montgomery ; I asked the man how near is your land to the Telegraph; he instantly saw I knew the nature of his farm, and I saw evidently it was their dexterity in bringing the men up. I went myself to see the land, and I never saw so wild a place ; it was valued at 15 5. or 20 s. an acre, and the mountain was more like a place for snipes than arable land. 13091. Mr. Lefroy.] And that land was valued by those persons, upon oath, as of the value you have stated?— Yes, I think it was valued at from 15 . y. to 20 s. an acre. 13092. You had an opportunity of seeing that land yourself ?— Yes, I went there; I went to several places, where I had an opportunity to see the land. 13093. What appeared to you to be the value of it?— It appeared to me to be a piece of waste mountain; the heath was taken off the mountain, and they got what they could from it. The adjacent land was close to the mountain, and the heath was merely taken off and cultivated. 13094. Then it appears from that, that attempts were made to get upon the registry persons not having a bona fide qualification in point of value?— They attempted to get every person they could upon the registry; I can tell you exactly the number of persons who were admitted and the number rejected, and the number of notices served. 13095. Had you an opportunity of knowing on which side those persons were brought up ?— They were brought up in that case, certainly, on the Liberal side, for it lasted a long time, and Mr. Lendrick cross- examined them most severely. That trial could not have lasted less than one hour and a half. 13096. But then they shifted their ground from one place to another as they perceived you had established any test of value, or detected their erroneous test ?— Exactly ; they did so. 13097. Then it would not be true, the representation that on the Liberal side they did not attempt to register any voters but those that were qualified ?—• I have no hesitation in saying they attempted to register a great many voters that I could not believe to be qualified ; it was incredible their testimony. 13098. I think you said the Roman- catholic clergy attended very much in your court?— I saw a good many of the ltoman- catholic clergy; I saw them at Longford, several. 13099. Were they ever present when the men were swearing, in the manner you have last described, to a fictitious value ?— I cannot say ; I remember one of them being examined before me as to one vote, Mr. M'Gaver, and I admitted the vote upon his testimony. He registered himself also. There were other cases which make me think that they came up a good many times on fictitious claims; one was, that a great many persons produced this evidence of their title, their certificate as a 40 s. freeholder, previous to handing up their lease. 13100. So that some of those who came up to register as 10 l. freeholders handed you that certificate ?— Yes, with the lease as evidence of title in a great many instances. . . 13101. And that was calculated to impress you with the conviction that these men were led to understand that if they had a 405. qualification that would entitle them ?— Yes; I suppose they thought they had a beneficial interest under the statute; I do not know, but they certainly produced it to me. In other cases, there were a great number of wills produced, or other 5.., P P testamentary