ON PETITIONS RELATING TO LIMERICK TAXATION. 33. Who is he ?— Ralph Westropp, esquire. Is he any relation to the chamberlain ?— He is a brother- in- law to the chamberlain. Is he a member of the corporation ?— He is an alderman. Are you aware of the appropriation of any part of the water bailiff's fees to the maintenance of the quays and to the improvement of the port ?— Within the last few years there has been a small appropriation, in consequence of the application of the merchants; he has laid down some mooring buoys, and removed some stones from a shoal bank, but that has been done within a very short time. Are you aware of the amount of his emoluments ?— I never have been able to make an accurate estimate of what they are, but I should think six or seven hundred pounds a year ; I should suppose it was fully that. Are there any other points on which you can give information to the Committee ?— There are various other situations held in Limerick, there is the hide and skin crane. Who performs the duties of that office ?— The office is held by Mrs. Ormsby. Who is she ?— She is sister to the chamberlain. What are the duties of that office, and how are they performed ?— She does it by deputy; it is the weighing and examining all the skins that come into the market. Are there any fees connected with that office?— Oh, yes; those duties are never done for nothing, they are not done without being paid for. Have you at several times made attempts to stop improper applications of public money assessed by the grand jury ?— Very frequently; my attention has been par- ticularly directed to the subject within the last few years, in consequence of the great defalcation of the then treasurer. Have you applied to the grand jury on the subject?— To the grand jury themselves I have no access; but through the medium of some of the members with whom I am acquainted, and to whom I recommended the subject to their most serious conside- ration ; my attention subsequently has been only directed to the subject through the medium of the hurried reading over of the presentments in open court. Do you bear in recollection any circumstances connected with a presentment for defraying election expenses ?— Perfectly; most perfectly. Will you have the goodness to detail them to the Committee ?— The first present- ment I think was at the Spring assizes; I am not certain whether Spring or Summer, but it was immediately after the last election for Limerick ; there was a presentment put in by the sheriff for the sum of about seven or eight hundred pounds, being the expenses presumed to have been incurred by him in conducting the late election. Was that sum granted by the grand jury ?— It was not; it was very much re- duced, and several of the grand jury requested me to have that presentment further traversed, inasmuch as they could not get them to reduce it so much as they con- ceived it ought to be reduced. Was that presentment in consequence traversed ?— Yes; and a jury was im- pannelled and the question tried, and it was reduced about a hundred and fifty pounds. What occurred respecting it at the subsequent assizes ?— To my great surprize at the next assizes, I found a presentment was introduced, by the grand jury, for the same amount which they themselves had cut off at the former assizes, the grand jury being composed, I believe, of nearly the same men they wanted to re- present it; and at my instance, the present Baron Pennefather, who presided in court, sus- pended it. Was it the same grand jury ?— Nearly the same. In consequence of that application, was the presentment allowed by the court ?—- The court entertained the same opinion as myself, that it ought to be nilled, but it was suspended by the court until the next assizes. What occurred then ?— It was re- presented by the next grand jury, and it was again held over by the court until the opinion of the twelve judges were taken upon it; this was done by Sir William Smith; the twelve judges decided it was an illegal presentment; they decided it unanimously; that presentment would have passed only for me. I [ The