ON PETITIONS RELATING TO LIMERICK TAXATION. 113 And never before?— Who could I hear it from? I only came to town this morning. Did you receive a written communication to that effect?— No; I received a communication from Lord Gort, stating, that Mr. Russell had contradicted to him the information I had given to him, and that he would have me summoned; but he would not have me come, if, in consequence of indisposition, I was not able to travel. Was the letter you wrote to Lord Gort, under cover to Captain O'Grady, the letter which communicated your first impression of what had been read to you? — No; when Lord Gort wrote to me, stating, that he would have me summoned to attend the Committee, if I was able to proceed, and if not, to send a certificate; I wrote to him an answer, saying, that I would proceed, as my character was at stake. In what respect was your character at stake ?— Because Lord Gort wrote to me, stating that Mr. Russell had denied to him what I had stated to his lordship. Then the account you received of the evidence which Mr. Russell had given was through Lord Gort ?—- No; he wrote to me, and said, that Mr. Russell had denied to him what I had stated to him. Do you know the distinction between the forming of a committee and the striking of a committee ?— Upon my word, in parliamentary language, I do not. Have you heard any thing, either verbal or in writing, with respect to the phrase of striking a committee ?— I think it nearly comes to the same. That is not an answer to the question; have you heard, since the business has been agitated, any distinction between striking and forming a committee ?— Certainly not. Have you had any personal or written communication about striking or forming a committee?— No, positively not. Do you recollect whether, when Mr. Russell read part of this letter to you, he began at the commencement of the letter ?•— I asked him the news; I said to him, " Are we to be hung r" then he said, " I have just received a letter from Mr. Rice." Did he commence reading at the beginning of the letter ?— I believe he did. Was this which you state he said about the Augean stable at the beginning of the letter ?— It appeared to be near the beginning. And then it proceeded about expecting opposition ?— I will not take upon myself to say that he read that to me; I had it from a gentleman who told me he had it from Mr. Russell. Who ?— Doctor O'Callaghan, Did you hear of it in the club- house ?— It was the subject of general conversation; I heard that it came also from Mr. Philip Francis Russell. Who is Doctor O'Callaghan?— He is a gentleman of great respectability. He is physician to the city of Limerick gaol ?— No, to the county gaol. You are quite sure Mr. Russell used the words, " I have got a letter from Mr. Rice?"— Yes; we are upon the best terms possible. And you began bantering him about hanging the corporation ?— Yes, and I regret very much that I wrote to Lord Gort upon the subject, or that it should be made matter of evidence. [ Thefollowing PAPERS were delivered in by the Chairman, and read.] Copy of Resolutions entered into at a Meeting of the Parishioners of St. Michael's Parish, Limerick, held the 4th April 1822. " Resolved,— That we have seen with surprize, the copy of a petition from a late grand jury of this city to Parliament, praying for the adoption of some measure which would extend their power of taxation to this parish, which owes its present extent and population to an exemption from their control or power of taxing, the abuse of which has been found so injurious to the parishes in the city. " Resolved,— That this parish has, under the faith of an Act of Parliament, raised a large sum of money for the improvement of its streets, the interest of which, together with the annual expense for paving, lighting, watching, See. and the sum of 5001, a year paid to the city treasurer as its proportion of the expense of public establishments, require an annual tax on houses and shores which is at present as heavy as can be well borne by the inhabitants. " Resolved,— That contributing so largely as we already do towards the support of public establishments, we feel ourselves called on to oppose any effort on the part 617. Ff of Appendix ( A.) Mr. William Gibson. ( 12 July.)