5 V , ] rclarrd. j- r- SEVENTH REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS [ Appx. n; ! u.- nh ' No. 15. The Examination of Mr. JOHN" MIDDLETON, Gauger; taken on Oath, the 12d of February and 25th March 1808. This Examinant faith, • • That he is a Gauger, and at prefent in charge of Rathfarnham walk in the did rift of the county of Dublin, in which there are nine Paper- mills. He ulual y vifit- each M ill five times in a fori night. A fpecimen- paper is kept in each Mill, and Examinant keeps a flock- book for the walk: in this ( lock- book he enters the names of the feveral Paper- makers, and the number and dimenfions of their Engines and Vats; the dimenfions are furniflbed to him by the Surveyor. When the I aper- maker intends to commence working, he gives notice to the Gauger of the time at which hepurpofes to commence, and of the clafs of Paper in making of which the Engine is to be employed; thefe notices are in many inftances nor. given by the Manufacturers until fome months after the taking out of their Licences, and till they are given no charge is made cgainft the Manufa& urer; the year is reckoned to. begin' from the 25th of March, but, in fome inftances, the Trader does not take out his^ Licence for a month or two after 25th of March. When the Paper- maker intends to employ an Engine in the working of a different clafs of Paper, he always ferves a written notice on the Gauger; this notice is neither returned to any iuperior Oificer, nor is any memorandum thereof entered in the ftock- book, but is retained by this Examinant. He enters in his flock- book when he receives a notice of any change in the number of Engines or Vats to be worked, or clafies of Paper to be made thereat, in any month; he notes an entry in his ftock- book of the number of Engines and Vats at work, or the claifes of Paper in which at work. When Examinant receives from a Manufacturer notice to weigh, he attends and weighs one ream of Paper of each fort, from the weight of which he computes that of every other ream of the fame quality or clafs ; in weighing Paper he always makes an allow- ance of two- per- cent. for beamage ; on being firft put in charge, he received directions from his Surveyor to make this allowance, which directions have never fince been contradicted. He never brings to charge any other Paper than fuch as is produced to him tied up in wrappers, and it frequently happens that no Paper is produced to him in the courle of a month. Examinant, when applied to, grants Permits for the removal of all the Paper fent to Paner- ftainers. Within the laft fix, months, Examinant has made feveral vifits at night, in one of which he found at work an Engine which had been declared to be filent. He entered an information again ft the Trader for the penalty, which he underftands has been reduced by the Board. Previous to the late increafe of his fidary, Fxammanr was in the habit~ of receiving from fome of the Manufacturers in his walk, fees of three and four Guineas each, annually, at Chritlmas. Thefe fees may have amounted in the year to between £. 3o and £. 40; and this Examinanc Jaith, That he did riot receive or take, either direCtly or indirectly, trom Traders, any other fee, gratuity, percjuifite or emolument, of any nature or kind whatloever. Previous to Chrittmas, Examinant may have taken fees, but fince he received the genual order from the Board, prohibiting their receipt, he has not taken any. Fred Geale, Robert Alexander, O — 1—, • « ..,. 1 , No. 16. The Examination of Mr. CHRISTOPHER Mc DONNELL 2ft—° n0ath' the 2 5th Eebruary and 21ft This Examinant faith, r rTh2t hYsProPnetorofanextenf, ve Paper Manufactory in the county of Dublin It frequently happens that Paper m procefs of manufacture, at the clofe of a quarter' cannot be completely fin. fhed withm twenty- eight days after the expi^ tion^ of the quarter,