108 MINUTES OF EVIDENCE BEFORE SELECT COMMITTEE Appendix ' ( A.) Mr. Willium Gibson. ( 12 July.) Alderman Watson, do you distinguish him from Lord Gort's friends?— He op- posed the admission of the petitioners, until the opinion of the attorney general was had. Do you conceive him not to be one of my Lord Gort's friends ?— He was opposing him that day. - He has been mayor of Limerick, has he not ?— I know only from report. He is one of the chartered justices, is he not ?— Yes, he is now. Mr. Andrew J. Watson, was one?— Yes, he was elected sheriff that day, and was against the admission. Can you state at whose suggestion the appointment of corporate officers that day was made?— I think it was the honourable J. P. Vereker who proposed them that day. Having stated the persons who wished for delay, or who objected to the imme- diate admission of the freemen, were Mr. D'Esterre the late recorder, Sir Christopher Marett the late mayor, Mr. James O'Grady, Alderman Watson, Mr. Dan. Gabbett, and Mr. Andrew James Watson, can you state any one else who was of that opinion ?— Upon my word I cannot say positively; when I say that they were against it, I mean that they did not think there was sufficient evidence adduced in support of the claim; and they wished to have the attorney general's opinion, tc know whether the evidence in support of the claim was sufficient for the council to act upon. Can you state whether there were any others ?— I cannot; but I think there might have been others. Was that the first division you ever knew in the common council ?— I have never attended many meetings of the common council. Will you have the goodness to inform the Committee what is the reason you had for supposing the letter, to which allusion has been made in the former part of your examination, to have been Mr. Rice's?— Mr. Russell told me he had a letter from Mr. Rice ; he took it out of his pocket; I saw the writing, and, from the knowledge I had, though not very great, but I had seen franks, and public letters of Mr. Rice's, as also a letter to myself, my opinion was that it was Mr. Rice's writing. Where were you standing at the time you saw the letter?— Within twenty yards of the club house. Were you walking or standing?— Standing together; I was very near to him. You say he objected to your reading the letter ?-— After reading about the Augean stable, he was going to another part, and I put my hand to it, and he cried out, " Honour." There was more in the letter than what he read ?— Yes. What opportunity had you to see or to examine the hand- writing?— I looked over, and saw the general course of the writing. You saw it in his hand?— Yes ; I was quite close to him. Sufficiently near to ascertain the style of the writing?— As far as I could form an opinion, I thought it to be his, Mr. Rice's, writing. You were reading it at the time?— No, I did not read it; but I saw the writing as he had it in his hand; I saw the general feature of the writing. You are not able to state to the Committee that it was addressed to Mr. Russell, any further than he stated it to you ?— No. You did not see the address of it, or can you tell the Committee in what way it commenced?— I cannot, for he did not read that part of it. Had he it in his hand when you came up to him ?— I said, when I came up to him, < c Are we to be hung?" and he took the letter out of his side pocket. Do you think, without having read a word of that letter, you can say in whose hand- writing it was?— I think, by looking over it in the way I did, I could tell the writing; I will not positively speak to any writing, but, as far as I could form an opinion, it was in Mr. Rice's hand- writing. Did you see enough of it to know whether it was written on both sides?— On both sides. What sort of paper was it written upon ?— I think it was a sheet of note paper; I am satisfied that he read it, and as near the words I have stated as possible. Can you inform the Committee whether the word used was " formed" or " struck ?"— My impression was, " Mr. Rice had formed a committee to his own mind they both convey the same meaning to my mind. Had you heard that any evidence had been given here with respect to this letter? 7— 1 heard since I have been outside this room. And