ON PETITIONS RELATING TO LIMERICK TAXATION. 19. Appendix ( A.) MINUTES OF EVIDENCE TAKEN BEFORE THE COMMITTEE. Lunce, 3° die Junii, 1822. THOMAS SPRING RICE, ESQ. IN THE CHAIR. THE several Petitions from the Inhabitants of Limerick, respecting their local Taxation, were read. John Mark, Esquire; Called in, and Examined. YOU are acquainted with the city of Limerick ?— Yes. How long have you resided in that city ?— About twenty- seven years. You are a member of the Chamber of Commerce ?— Yes. And have been President of it ?— I have been. You have also acted as commissioner of St. Michael's parish ?— I have. Will you have the goodness to inform the Committee how St. Michael's parish is circumstanced, with reference to its own taxation ?— We obtained an Act of Par- liament to enable us to tax ourselves for the lighting, cleansing and watching of the parish. In whom is the power of regulating those taxes vested by that statute ?— The power is with the commissioners. How are those commissioners chosen ?— Under the Act there is a certain number of those appointed for life, of which I am one. A certain number go out, I think, every two years, and the vacancies are filled up by the parishioners. I am not exactly prepared to state the number. Are you aware what, in general terms, may be the extent of taxation assessed by those commissioners yearly ?— I think we assess yearly upon the parish of St. Michael's, over 6,000/. I think we assess over 3,000 I. every half year. Is not the parish of St. Michael's exempt from the local taxation of the grand juries ?— Yes, it is ; by statute, except at an acreable rate. Were you acquainted with the parish of St. Michael's before the passing of the private Bill which regulates those assessments ?— Yes, I was. In what state was the paving, and lighting, and police of the parish of Saint Michael's, previously to the passing of that Act ?— In a most wretched state; the streets were hardly passable, and any improvement that was made was done locally, opposite individuals own premises; for instance, I had to make flag ways, and re- pair the street, when I first went to live in the parish, joining with my neighbours in other improvements ; but it was quite an optional kind of levy. In what state was the lighting ?— We had no lights. Since the passing of that Act, have the goodness to describe to the Committee in what state the lighting, paving and police of St Michael's parish has been ?— It is very much improved ; we have, I believe, as good light as there is in any part of Dublin where gas is not used ; and I believe more lamps in the same distance than they have in any part of Dublin. Do you attribute the improvement to the supervision of the commissioners ap- pointed under the Bill ?— It could not have been done otherwise without we had the sanction of the Bill. The whole city of Limerick is not under the control of the commissioners of St. Michael's parish, is it ?— No. In what state is the paving, lighting and police of the old city of Limerick, which is not under the control of the commissioners?— In a very bad state; the pavements are in a very wretched state in many places, and as for lights, they have not any thing like the number we have in the new part of Limerick, St. Michael's parish. 617. The Appendix ( A.) John Mark, Esq. ( 3 June)