ON PETITIONS RELATING TO LIMERICK TAXATION. 73 / belonging to them, they are at all times open to their inspection; it never was refused them ; it never was; and it will be seen by some of the printed abstracts, they are invited to inspect the vouchers in the most minute manner. Do most of the gentlemen of the corporation of Limerick reside in the parish of St. Michael ?— I believe most of them do of the corporation, for most of the re- spectable inhabitants have left the Old Town they come to reside in the New Town; very few of them, if any of them at all, reside in the Old Town. There appears on the face of the accounts of the Limerick grand jury, a balance of arrears due by Colonel Munsel, 531/. 10 s.; do you know that gentleman?— Yes, I do. Where does he reside?— At Tervoe, I believe. He is a gentleman of rank and fortune in the county ?— Yes, he is. Do vou know where he resides ?— I understand at Tervoe. J % m t Is that in the city or liberties ?— I do not know whether in the liberties or in the city. Have you ever heard that the grand jury were proceeding against Mr. Munsel?— Never, upon my word; I never interfere with any thing in Limerick, but the con- cerns of my own department; I know nothing else but by rumour. Mr. William Gibson, Called in ; and Examined. DID Mr. John Russell show you a letter in Limerick ?— He did. When?— On the Sunday, 26th May, Whitsunday, on that day he showed me a letter. Did he tell you from whom it came ?— He told me it was a letter he had received from the Chairman. What was the date ?— If the Committee will allow me, I will state the particulars. I returned that morning about eleven o'clock from professional attendance in the county of Galway, from the neighbourhood of Gort; after going home and getting my breakfast, I went into George- street, within twenty yards of the club- house; when I got into George- street, I saw Mr. Russell at some distance from me, I called to him, as we were in habits of intimacy, and asked him the news; I said to him, " are we to be hanged;" he then told me, " we have got a Committee appointed, and here is a letter I received from Mr. Rice;" he then took a letter out of his pocket, and read part of it to me, at least he read the contents purporting to be in it from Mr. Rice; he stated that the letter contained what he mentioned to me. " I have this day formed a committee to my own mind," or " there has been a committee formed to my own mind, with which I hope to purify the Augean stable;" he made use of those words. Did you see the letter ?— I saw the letter in his hand. Did you see the hand- writing of the letter ?— I saw the hand- writing of the letter. Do you know the Chairman's hand- writing?— I have seen several franks of his, and I have seen two or three letters from him to the printer, who showed them to me ; I also received a letter from him. Do you think it was in his hand- writing ?— To the best of my belief it was Mr. Rice's hand- writing; I cannot speak positively, but to the best of my opinion, it was the Chairman's hand- writing. I asked Mr. Russell the date of the letter, and he told me it w as the 23d of May, Thursday the 23d; after Mr. Russell read the letter to me, I went into the club- house and looked to the papers to see if they contained any thing respecting what he read. Did he show that letter to any person else ?— I cannot take upon myself to say it was the same letter, but I saw Mr. Russell show a letter to several persons in the street; I recollect one. Who?— I think it was one of the Mr. Harvey's, jun.; but I never asked him upon the subject; but to the best of my belief it was. Did you hear any gentleman say, that he had seen that letter ?— The letter was the subject of general conversation in Limerick; I was asked by several on the subject, " what the d— 1 is this Mr. Rice is going to do, John Norris Russell has got a letter from him to day." It was the general subject of conversation in Limerick; I left Limerick three or four days after this. You are quite sure that the contents of the letter were as you have stated, that it did contain expressions you have narrated, or to that effect?— I could not take upon myself to say it contained those expressions, but Mr. Russell read a letter purporting to contain the expression I have stated ; after I returned from the club- house, and , 617. havinS Appendix ( A.) Mr. John Barry. ( 12 July.) Mr. William Gibton.