iO REPORT FROM THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON f which had been found so prejudicial to the old city and liberties. The resolutions proceed " to express a determination to oppose every attempt on " the part of the corporation, through their grand juries, to extend their " powers of taxation, the experience of many years having fully proved " how much those powers have been abused, and what large sums of public money levied off the city and liberties are still unaccounted for." On the whole of this part of the case, it having been shown that, under its present system of government, the new town has progressively improved, that an open system of account has been established, that seven commis- sioners are biennially elected by the inhabitants contributing to the rates, and that if any complaint arises, a mode of redress is provided by law; whilst, on the other hand, under the control of the city grand juries, the old town has gradually fallen into dilapidation and decay; that a defaulter has been continued in the management of the public money ; and that con- siderable sums remain unpaid, and are still due to the consolidated fund ; Your Committee cannot recommend that the power of commissioners, against whom no complaint has been brought in any petition presented to Parliament, should be superseded, and that the authority of grand juries, exercised so improperly on many occasions, should be enlarged. Your Committee, on the contrary cannot but wish to maintain that system which has conduced to the improvement of the city, and the comfort of its inhabitants, suggesting, however, that it would be a considerable amend- ment of the local acts, if any commissioner, who neglected giving his attendance, should be considered as having resigned his office, and that the inhabitants should be in such case empowered and required to fill up the vacancy. An appeal against the accounts might also be given, to be tried before the quarter sessions of the county of Limerick; the commis- sioners for life might advantageously be superseded, and the power of contributing to the public charities might be extended to such further sums as the commissioners might think fit to recommend. II. Although Your Committee are not inclined to recommend any ex- tension of the present city grand juries, they conceive, that the public burthens of the old town and liberties might be very considerably alle- viated, if the revenues of the corporation were applied to the uses for which they were intended, and from which it appears to Your Committee that they have been unjustifiably diverted. Before Your Committee proceed to this part of the subject, it is neces- sary for them to make a few remarks upon the extraordinary disappearance and suppression of the ancient records of the corporation. 10 Feb. 1796. In the year 1796 an order was made by the court of King's Bench of Ireland, " that the books of the corporation of Limerick should be depo- " sited in the office of the clerk of the crown/' In consequence of this order five common council books were so deposited, and were inspected Printed minutes, in the officer's custody by Mr. Grady, late a member of the Irish as well as por 1 20, p. 32. o£ tjle imperjai Parliament, to whose important evidence Your Committee refer. These books commenced in the year 1680, and were brought down to the date on which the order was served. The more ancient of these books were valuable as evidence of the usages and rights of the several members of the corporation, and of the persons claiming admission to the city franchises. On the 5th July 1797, an order of court was made, that the five books should he given up to J. Prendergast Smyth, esq. afterwards Lord Gort, chamberlain of the city, whose family had acquired a preponde- rating influence in the corporation of Limerick. On the 25th July 1797t the