54 MINUTES OF EVIDENCE BEFORE SELECT COMMITTEE Appendix yourself, and the grand jury taxation of the city of Limerick ?— I cannot give any CA ^ answer but what I have already stated. ^'' j Were they or were they not ordered by the Committee?— I conceive not, Mr. certainly. Edward Parker. The corporate books ?— I conceive that the corporate books have nothing to do (^ 6 Tune) with it- Were the corporate books ordered by the Committee ?— Yes, they were. What connection exists between these corporate books and the local taxation, as explained by you?— I really do not know of any at present. The Committee have asked you, whether you had any communication with the mayor, and with the recorder, with respect to your coming over here; what passed between you?— I merely showed them the summons, when they declined advising me on the occasion. To the best of your belief, were they aware of an inquiry pending before this Committee, as to the funds of the corporation of the city of Limerick ?— I believe that impression was on their minds. Have you any doubt of it?— No doubt of it; I believe that they were aware, that this inquiry was to go into the funds. When was it that this took place ?— About the 12th ; I have it marked upon the summons. What was the nature of the communication that took place between you and the mayor and recorder ?— I do not recollect the precise words; I showed them the sum- mons ; I believe I read it, as near as I can recollect now. And you think that it was generally so believed in Limerick ?— Yes, generally. Generally, in the town ?— Yes, it was. John Norris Russell, Esquire; again Called in, and Examined. j. jv. Russell, IS there any part of your evidence which you wish to explain ?— There is respecting Esq. the division upon the question, whether a certain petition to the House of Commons was to be defended by the funds of the Chamber of Commerce; when I answered yesterday, I could only answer from my recollection; but I consulted with Mr. Hervey this morning, and he reminded me, that there was some objection to it at the time, and he reminded me of the names of certain individuals. What are the duties of the directors of the Chamber of Commerce ?— Under the charter, they have the full control of the funds; they meet weekly, subject to a penalty for non- attendance. And how are general questions, which are not decided upon by the directors, de- cided ?— In answer before, I stated that general questions are considered prudent to submit to the body at large. Therefore the Committee are to understand, in the constitution of the charter of the commissioners, there is a special meeting of the directors, and a general meeting of the whole body summoned for special purposes?— The charter gives authority to the president to convene meetings of the body at large, when called upon to do so, by a requisition signed by certain number of the members. Can you inform the Committee, whether there was any difference of opinion with regard to the expenses of the petition ?— Oh, certainly not; I was not one of the directors at the time, but I did understand it. The difference of opinion to which you allude, was at the general meeting?— Yes, at the general meeting; I have been reminded, there were a few gentlemen who were hostile to the measure. Do you not consider, that the petition so presented, and for which the Chamber of Commerce granted that sum of money, was in furtherance of precisely the same object as had been embodied in a petition before, by persons called the Independents in Limerick?— I know of no petition from what they call the Independents; the petition was from the citizens at large, and not from the Independents. The sitting member's petition; was it not in furtherance of his petition?— It was to give an opportunity, if the present member were to die, we might vote for another; it was to give rights to our children. The prayer of your petition, and the prayer of the honourable member's petition, were very nearly the same ?— The complaints were the same, and probably the prayers were the same; I beg to mention, that the prayer was a complaint, if I do not mistake, very strongly against a certain return made by the sheriff,^ the prayer of the other was, that the House of Commons would undertake to examine into our rights, and restore them. Did