S E L E C T C O M M I T T E E ON F I C T I T I O U S VOTES, I R E L A N D . ; 537C 13780. Was there any other process attempted, in order to get at the bene ficial interest of 10/. for him, the produce or the number of cattle3— Yes • he said, in his evidence, he had 20 barrels of oats the year preceding off five acres of land, worth 8.?. a barrel; and he had also, off the same five acres 70 barrels of potatoes, worth, he said, 4 s. a barrel. 13781. Then the 20 barrels of oats, at 8s., would be 20/., and the 70 bar rels of potatoes, at 4 s., would be 14/.?— Yes. He said the grass was worth about 61. 13782. That would have made 28/., then ?— Yes. 13783. What do you deduct from that?— I produced witnesses to provewhat the usual expense of tilling a farm for the oats and potatoes would be and they swore it would be 2/. 15s. an acre, the five acres; and then the seed would be five barrels and a half; and I suppose I went into other evidence, but 1 do not recollect; but to that extent I went. 13784. Mr. French.] What do you mean by seed ?— The seed which is sown in the ground to produce the crop of oats. 13785. The seed of the whole five acres?— Yes. 13786. Mr. Serjeant Jackson.'] What were your deductions then for the crops of oats and potatoes ?— There was 2 /. 15 s. an acre for the tillage, 13 /. 15 s.; rent, 12 /. ; tithes, 1 /. 10 s.; seed 5 J barrels, 2 /. 15 s., at 10 s. a barrel. 13787. Mr. O'Connell] Was there a house upon the premises ?— I have no recollection ; but there generally is a house. 13788. He must have been a resident ?— I have no doubt he was. 13789. But you did not estimate the value of the house ?— No. 13790. Mr. Serjeant Jackson.] What kind of houses do the tenants generally occupy ?— Very bad. 13791. Mud walls ?— Yes. 13792. Thatched ?— Yes ; and sometimes covered with sods. 13793. Mr. O'Connell.] But you do not speak of the house upon that farm? — No ; neither side said anything about the house. 13794. Mr. Serjeant Jackson.] As I calculate the items you have given, it appears this man, so far from having a beneficial interest of 10 /., actually sus- tained a loss ?— Yes, he would; but he did not allow anything for the labour ; and generally speaking, indeed universally, they consider if they expend 10/. worth of labour upon it, and get 10/. receipt from it, they have a good franchise. 13795. Mr Curry.] In calculating the profit of Michael Cassell's farm, did you make any allowance for the four collops of grazing ?— That I cannot with certainty say, because the witness's answer, as 1 have it on my note, was that the grass was worth 6 /., and I gave him credit for the 6 I. as I recollect; but whether he intended to convey by that, that it was the grass upon the collop, or whatever grass he had for his cattle, I cannot say. 13796. According to your answers to the previous questions, it would appear that only five acres and a half of land were under cultivation?— Yes. 13797. Then he must have had 10 acres of land occupied as grazing ground, besides the four collops of grazing upon the common ?— He must. 13798. Now, in your judgment, at the very lowest computation, must not those 10 acres of land and the grazing of the four collops have been worth more than 6 /. a year ?— I did not see the land ; I do not know it. If the land be good land, it must be worth a great deal more ; if it was such land as fre- quently happens adjoining a bog, it might not be worth so much. ^ The farms of small farmers in that part of the country, are composed of a small portion of upland and a portion of cut- away bog, which in this district is universally of the very worst description; if the grass grows upon it one year, if it continues under grass, the grass will recede from the turf surface until it is tilled again, so that there is hardly anything obtained from it. 13799. But do you conceive, from the evidence you have given as to the produce of the land he had under cultivation, that the 10 acres of land he had under grazing and the grazing of the four collops, would only be worth 6 /. a year ?— I conclude, from the small produce, the land was all bad land; but whether the grass was worth more or less, I am really unable to say. 13800. Then, in saying the grass was worth 61., you cannot say whether he meant to confine himself to the quantity of grazing upon the collops, or to 643. T T 2 include Mr. G. Battersby. 19 Junei838.