• V . I 1 ] J MINUTES OF EVIDENCE. Veneris, 23° die Martii, 1838. Mr. Beamish. Mr. Curry. Mr. Lefroy. Mr. Litton. MEMBERS PRESENT. Mr. O'Connell. • Lord Granville Somerset. Mr. Emerson Tennent. LORD GRANVILLE SOMERSET, IN THE CHAIR. Thomas Courtenay, Esq., called in; and Examined. 6408. Chairman.'] YOU are a solicitor ?— lam. 6409. Residing where ?— In Dublin. 6410. Are you much connected with the registration of Longford?— I have attended the registration sessions from the passing of the Reform Bill up to the present period ; and before the passing of the Reform Bill I attended also. 6411. Were you concerned in the petition presented to The House of Commons against the return of Mr. White during the last session of Parliament?— I was. 6412. During the whole of the sittings of that Committee, you attended as agent for the petitioners?— I did, and I got up the case on the other side of the water. 6413. I11 consequence of having attended the registration sessions so constantly, and also having got up the case of the petitioners on the Longford petition, are you well acquainted as well with the rights under which voters for counties are entitled to vote as also with the mode in which those titles are registered ?— Yes, I consider that I am. 6414. Will you state what are the various rights or qualifications by which persons can vote for members of counties in Ireland ?— There is what we call the old 10/. qualification, the 10/. freeholder who is able to register under a lease of lands made for a life or lives, or for lives and years concurrently; that is the old 10/. qualification. The Reform Bill added a further qualification, that of lease- holders and copyholders. In Ireland we do not know much about copyholders; but the main addition to the franchise by the Reform Bill is that of leaseholders; that is, persons holding under a lease of lands for a term of years, 60 years, 14 years, 20 years. 6415. Will you state the distinction applicable to the several terms of years ?— The 20 years must occupy, as a 10/. leaseholder; the 20/., for 14 years or 60 years, need not occupy. 6416. Are there any other distinctions between the persons holding for a term of 16, 14 and 20 than those you have described?— No. 6417. Copyholders must have 10/. value?— Tliey must; but we do not know anything of copyholders in counties in Ireland. 6418. Is there any such holding as copyholder in the county of Longford ? — No. 6419. Mr. 0' ConnelL~\ You were the agent of the unsuccessful candidate?— I was. 6420. And you have the honour to be his near relation ?— I am nearly related to Mr. Lefroy. 6421. You are his cousin- german ?— I am. 6422. You attended the registry on behalf of whom ?— Then Lord Forbes and Mr. Anthony Lefroy. 6423. And since of Mr. Lefroy ?— Mr. Lefroy ; and since that, Mr. Fox. 6424. But you rather volunteered for Mr. Fox ; you charged him nothing ?— I cannot say that I have charged any of the parties a great deal for my services there. , 643. B 6425- Both T. Courtenay, Esq 23 March 1838 yJH