OF FREEMEN OF LIMERICK, & c. ( 1761.) 9 October seventeen hundred and forty- nine, when the order for raising the said • 2,000/. was agreed to; that he believed there was at that time a great deal of money due to the corporation from their tenants, but cannot say how much ; that he believed the citizens who opposed the raising the said 2,000/. offered to concur in raising as much as should appear to be due from the corporation upon a fair balance, after the chamberlain should bring in his accounts; that he did not re- member the common speaker was present, that there was always a common speaker until the death of Arthur Vincent, who he believed died in April last; that Alder- man Serjeant resigned the place of common speaker in council, and that Arthur Vincent was elected, in the court of D'Oyer Hundred, common speaker in his place; that he believed the common speaker was always, by the custom of the City, elected in the court of D'Oyer Hundred; that the mayor, in the last court of D'Oyer Hundred, prevented the citizens from electing a common speaker, though they demanded it, declaring that the purpose for holding said court was only to cant the gates as usual, that he knew Frederick Gore, Zacharia John- ston and William Davis ; that they served the office of sheriffs honestly, that such persons as serve in said office are usually admitted into the common council, but sometimes not, that depending upon the pleasure of the council; that the said gentlemen were not admitted into the common council, though no reason was assigned for rejecting them, that he is one of the tenants of the salmon wier ; that he purchased a share from Mr. Miller about four years ago, that he never paid any rent out of it, but received about 20/. that he believed there had been several ex- tortions at the gates and in the markets, but to the best of his judgment they have always been redressed when complained of; that he believed the toll- gatherers are not entitled to two- pence for a pig, that he did not understand the tolls, nor did he trouble his head about them, except upon complaints, he sent for the old toll- gatherers, and informed himself of the custom from them, that the said toll- gatherers were frequently concerned in farming the tolls themselves, that he was obliged to call upon them, though concerned in interest, as there was no other persons from whom he could receive information ; that such complaints were always relative to articles not comprized in either of the schedules ; that the citizens commenced a suit against the person who extorted two- pence for each pig; that he directed an attorney to defend said suit, at the expense of the corporation, that he thought two- pence was too much for a pig, but he was not of that opinion when the complaint was made ; that this particular toll was not demised to the toll- gatherers, but the tolls were then demised to them in general, according to the custom. That defence was taken to the said suit by his directions, and not by order of the council, though he was not mayor at the time, that he believed if the tolls had been collected in the year fifty- three, by the same rule they were collected in the year twenty- four, the toll- gatherers could not have afforded to rent them at 1,480 /. per year; that the cocket duties were not set in the year twenty- four, that he believed that the toll- gatherers did not in the year fifty- three, nor do they at present collect the tolls by the same rule they did in the year twenty- four j that he believed the office of pilot required care and judgment, that his son, a boy at school about nine years old, was in the year forty- four, appointed pilot for life by the council; that he himself was then mayor, and that said appointment was upon his motion, and that he himself though mayor, was elected town clerk in the same year upon the death of his brother; that the office of pilot is worth about 20/. per year, that he sold it for eighty pounds when his son grew up ; that his son signed a resignation, and he recommended Mr. Goff to the council, having received 80/. from him, and the council appointed said Goff pilot; that he employed Henry Constable to act as pilot during the time his son had the said office, and there were no complaints against him ; that he got 3 s. 4d. from every ship, but the pilot took what he could get and made the best bargain he could for himself; that there are several unskilful persons who acted as pilots, that he apprehended the person appointed pilot by the corporation, was entitled to the said 3 s. 4d. from every ship going downwards ; that the pilotage upwards, together with Scattery Islands, was demised by the corporation, and that every ship pays for the same 3 j. 4d. Your Committee find an entry in the corporation books, dated the twentieth of February one thousand seven hundred and forty- seven, by which it appears, that the lands of Latulla were then in lease to Hester Monsel for a term of years, three of which were to run from the twenty- fifth of March next ensuing the date of the 270. ' , C said