36 PARLIAMENTARY Fictitious Votes, Reports, 1837- 8— continued. FORTY SHILLING FREEHOLDERS: Cork.— This class of electors are diminishing daily, Lane 822- 824 Great decrease in their number since the election of 1812: they cannot be revived, Meagher 3805- 3807. 4610- 4614 Bribery was carried on amongst them formerly, Meagher 3805- 3807 Impossibility of valuing the forty- shilling freeholders, from the difficulty of ascertaining the amounts of their rents, Young 2547 They are not confined to the rural districts; there are as many forty- shilling freeholders in the city as in the liberties of Cork, Besnard 6340 The present class of forty- shilling free- holders are an improved class to what they were previous to the Reform Bill, Meagher 4620- 4623. 4628. 4641- 4644 They were admitted on the production of affidavits of their former registry, without any questions as to value ; reasons assigned for this rule, Barber 6075- 6081. 6088- 6092 Inquiry was not permitted to be made into the qualification of forty- shilling freeholders as to the value, Barber 6102- 6104. See also Marksmen. Fosbery, John Francis. ( Analysis of his Evidence.)— Barrister- at- law and revising barrister under the Irish Reform Act in 1832, for Longford, and acted as counsel and assessor at elections since that period, 12940- 12946 Statement that witness registered those on the Conservative side who had not half the value of those rejected on the Liberal side, is unfounded, 12948- 12950 Circumstances connected with the charge made against witness by Mr. Colquhoun, of partiality, 12951- 12953 Particulars respecting the plan adopted by witness in registering the tenants of M'Evoy ; the leases produced were new leases : witness was informed that he had granted those leases for the purpose of creating freeholds ; he seemed to be not a strong- minded person, 12957- 12965 In all cases of new leases, witness regarded them with suspicion, 12966- 12968 There were quite as many objections taken on the Liberal as on the Conservative side, 1 2969- 12971 The Court- house at Ballymahon is very small, and very bad accommodation in it, 12972, 12973. Witness did not register persons out of their turn, except by consent of the respective agents; cases of the Dean of Ardagh and Mr. Jessop, 12974- 12978 Extract from the Repealer newspaper, as respects the opening and conducting of the registry court at Longford ; the same system as regards the conduct of the business was pursued 011 all the court days, 12978- 12983 Witness ordered the police to remove a table with some cut words upon it, and animadverted in strong terms upon such a display of party spirit, 12984- 12986 No complaint ever made to witness of a man having his skull fractured in trying to get into the court, 12987- 12996 Assertion made by Mr. Nicholls, that witness interfered to get particular people in, and keep others out, is with- out foundation, 12998- 13002 The police did not act partially in the discharge of their duty, 13003 Memorial forwarded to the Government complaining of witness's decisions, was sent to him, and he answered each charge seriatim, 13004*- I30i6. 13018, 13019- 13026- 13029. 13121, 13122 Number of appeals against the decisions of witness, only one of which the judges reversed, 13019,13020. 13117- 13120 Great many of the votes admitted by witness on the Liberal side, have since been struck out by a Committee of the House of Commons; some of them very good votes, 13023- 13025.13131,13132. Means taken to intimidate witness in the discharge of his duty, 13030- 13036 Wit- ness in no manner connected with the political parties in the county; circumstances attending the appointment of witness as revising barrister, 13037- 13056 Mr. Curran did not make use of the words attributed to him by Mr. Nicholls ; he used some harsh expressions respecting the police, 13059- 13063 Witness never ordered the police to draw their bayonets and clear the court, 13059 Never caused the court to be cleared when there was neither noise or disturbance, to give either party advantage over the other, 13064- 13066- Mr. Colquhoun did not throw up his brief; he left the registry court at Ballymahon for a day or two ; he was very strong in his language on one or two occasions, 13067- 13070. 13127- 13129 No truth in the statement that witness and the Conservative counsel were in the habit of living together during the registration ; on the contrary, 13071- 13073. Extract of a letter from Mr. Berwick, the counsel on the Liberal side, complimentary of the impartial manner in which he had discharged his duties, 13074- 1 3085 The claimants on the Liberal side displayed great dexterity and address in shaping then- evidence so as to enable them to register ; instances of the manner in which it was arranged, 13088- 13101- Witness inspected some lands, Stc. out of which parties wished to register; it was like a piece of waste mountain ; it was valued at 15 s. or 20 s. an acre; it was more like a place for snipes than arable land, 13090- 13094 The Liberal party attempted to register a great many voters who had 110 qualification, 13097- 13101. Gr eat many produced as evidence of their title, their certificate as forty- shilling freeholders, previous to handing up their lease, 13099- 13101 Some other test of value besides the oath of the claimant and others, very necessarv ; it would be preferable to take the payment of the county cess as a test, than the ten- pound value, 13106- 13110. More attempts made by the Liberal party than the Conservative, to place bad votes on the registry, 13112- 13115 Great anxiety evinced on both sides to bring up voters and