44 MINUTES OF EVIDENCE BEFORE SELECT COMMITTEE Appendix With reference to that lease of the linen hall, the Committee wish to know, ( A.) whether that was considered as a grant from the corporation, reserving a rent, a small rent, and for which grant the thanks of the Chamber of Commerce were J. N. Russell, given to the corporation ?— Yes, certainly. Esq. It was not a matter of value?— No, a matter of favour, in consequence of the < 21 June.) Chamber of Commerce giving heavy sums of money out of their own funds, and the county gave a good deal of money. Is the remainder of that grant in the hands of the Chamber of Commerce, for a public purpose ?— It is not. Is any other portion of it?— There is a piece of ground we took with the expec- tation of establishing a market; we took it from Mr. Gason, by the year, at 20 I. We only give 20/. a year for an open space, which is made use of for a hay- market. It is a piece of ground the Chamber of Commerce had. You have stated, you know a plot of ground which was leased to Lord Gort, a part of which has been let to the Chamber of Commerce, as ground to build a linen hall upon, and with a nominal rent ?— Yes ; but as to being leased to Lord Gort, 1 know no more than what has been publicly stated. That plot of land so leased, do you know in whose occupation the remainder of it is?— I do not know in whose occupation; I believe it is partly waste. Is not a greater part of it at present in the hands of the Chamber of Commerce ?— No. Is any part?— No; no further than what is covered by the linen hall; no other part. Pray, have the Chamber of Commerce, out of their corporate revenues, advanced any money for the payment of election expenses? — Never. Have they, by any vote, granted any money for the maintenance of election petitions in this Honourable House ?— Never. You have stated, that Mr. Morony, one of the city treasurers, became a de- faulter ?— Yes. Do you consider any blame attachable to the grand jury for his default?— Cer- tainly; and I have stated it to the court. Do you know if Mr. John Hunt is a defaulter ?— I understand he is high constable. Is he a defaulting high constable ?— I have heard they are in suit against him now. Do you conceive any blame attachable to the grand jury, in consequence of his being a defaulter?— I do not know the system of county grand juries; but, I know, and will be bold to say, that had the city grand jury had, as it ought to have had, the treasurer's account at the assizes, they might have seen the default and noticed it, and they would not have allowed it to have gone to the extent it did; and they should have seen that the sureties were in, which they neglected. Could the judge oblige Mr. Morony to account?— During the time he was the treasurer; I believe it was conceived he had the power; in my opinion of the law of the case, he could have exercised the power by fine or commitment, had his attention been directed to it. When his attention was directed, did he make Morony account ?— He put an order on the books, calling on him to account. Did he account in consequence ?— He did not. Then the judge did not make him account ?— He resigned in the interval, and then denied the jurisdiction of the court. Then neither the grand jury nor the judge, could make Mr. Morony account?— My answer before will explain it; had he been called on to account while treasurer, he could have been made to account. That is, hud he been discovered to be a defaulter earlier ?— I believe he was known to be a defaulter before, and he had often promised to settle the accounts, which had not been done. Did you receive a letter, or state that you had received a letter from the Chairman of this Honourable Committee, in Limerick ?— I received no letter from the Chairman of this Honourable Committee, in Limerick, on the subject of the present proceeding, directly nor indirectly. I stated before, in the commencement of my examination, and I do pledge my honour as a gentleman, that I had no comma- cation with the Chairman of this Honourable Committee, as to my examination. What was the first communication you received from the Chairman of this Committee?— The first communication I had respecting it, was, that General Burke, in Limerick, said, my presence in London would be necessary if I could spare time to come; he said, if I could come to London my evidence would be useful. I had