ON PETITIONS RELATING TO LIMERICK TAXATION. 35. " King's Bench. " The King, at the prosecution of Lord Glentworth, against the Mayor, Sheriffs, and Citizens of the City of Limerick. " Same, at the prosecution of John Tuthill, esquire, against Same. " The same, at the Prosecution of James O'Sullivan, against Same. " John Lord Baron Kiltarton maketh oath, and saith, That he has read a copy of an affidavit, purporting to be made in these causes by Matthew Barrington, of the city of Limerick, attorney; and deponent admits that the antient books belonging to the corporation of said city, and referred to in said affidavit, were given up to be deposited with the officer of this honourable court, as in said affidavit is stated; and that afterwards they were, either by an order of the court, or by consent of parties, returned by said officer, to some person on behalf of said corporation; but who the person was that received the same, deponent does not recollect, nor can he form a belief. Deponent further saith, That he hath, since the making of said affidavit by said Barrington, been informed, and therefore admits, that he did sign a receipt for said books, having, as he supposes, been told that it was necessary to do so ; but deponent swears, that he has no grounds for believing that he signed such receipt, save as aforesaid. And deponent further swears, That he cannot recollect whether said books ever came into his possession since that time, or that he ever saw them, or any of them, since they were so returned; nor can he set forth in whose custody the same or any of them are, or what has become of them, or any of them; and this deponent positively denies his having withheld or suppressed the said antient books, or any of them, or that he has caused the same to be destroyed, or that he has been privy or accessary to the same having been withheld, suppressed or destroyed, as alleged in the affidavit of said Barrington. And deponent further swears, That no town- clerk of said corporation ever had ( as he believes) the custody of antient books belonging to said corporation, in which the proceedings of the common council were entered as supposed by the affidavit of said Barrington; and that the reason why the present town- clerk had in his possession the two books mentioned in said affidavit, was, that his immediate predecessor having been appointed to said office many years ago, he had the charge of one of the said books, which contained the pro- ceedings of the common council, commencing from the year 1749, as deponent be- lieves, for the purpose of continuing such entries; and that it becoming necessary to provide another book for the like purpose, both books have remained in the custody of the present town- clerk, that he may be enabled at all times to answer the in* quiries of all persons admitted to their freedom as the law directs. " Sworn before me, at the city of Limerick, this 29th of May 1813, a commis- sioner of said court, for receiving affidavits in said city, and I know the deponent. " Kiltarton. " Wm Holland, jun, « Wm Furlong, attorney for the said Lord Kiltarton. " Copy, which I attest, 3d June 1820. " JVm Bourne, Deputy Clerk." " Received, 31st May 1813." Jovis, 20* die Junii, 1822. JAMES GRATTAN, ESQUIRE, IN THE CHAIR. Thomas Spring Rice, Esquire, a Member of the Committee; Examined. HAVE the goodness to inform the Committee respecting the circumstance stated to the Committee at its last meeting, regarding the fishery in the neighbourhood of Limerick ?— Some years ago, before I had any political connection with the city of * Limerick, two or three fishermen came to me, as a county magistrate, and brought to me two muskets and a pistol, as nearly as I can recollect, and they stated to me that, being engaged in fishing upon the river Shannon, they were fired at by certain officers of the corporation, employed as watchmen upon the river; they stated, that upon receiving this fire, by which one of the body was wounded, they leaped on 617. shore,