ON PETITIONS RELATING TO LIMERICK TAXATION. 73 / a member or a friend of the corporation, to explain the matter to him; it was accordingly explained, and no prosecution was instituted in consequence. What is the annual amount of the tolls received by the Chamber of Commerce ? — That must vary considerably. What is the largest receipt that has ever been in one year ?— As I had no idea • of being asked those questions, I did not bring any memorandums with me, but I believe we have had between two and three thousand pounds some years. You have a very considerable profit ?— We have; and we use that profit, as we can show by our accounts, for the public benefit. Is £• 1,50° the rent which you always pay ?— Yes; it never varies. And you receive between two and three thousand ?— Yes; I believe one year we had not much more than we paid ourselves, perhaps not above two thousand. You never increased the amount of toll upon any article ?— Never. And you diminished it in one article ?— Yes; by freeing potatoes from all charges; prior to our agreement, there was an understanding between the merchants of Lime- rick and the corporation, before we had any Chamber of Commerce, that all corn brought into Limerick for exportation, and so certified by the merchant buying it, that it was for exportation, was free from the toll, and only liable to pay one half- penny per barrel gateage. What is the nature of the tolls; are they for standing in the market, or merely market tolls?— Market tolls; I believe it was in the ancient charter an ale quart for every statute barrel, but they have resolved that into money; and the charges made by the corporation for all corn that they did not allow to be free, that is corn bought for the use of the city, was 3 d. for every barrel of wheat of 20 stone weight; 11 d. for every barrel of barley of 16 stone weight; and 1 \ d. for every barrel of oats of 14 stone weight, which we take as a commutation; and we specifically stated, that we did not demand it as toll or custom, but we asked the farmers to pay it to us as a commuta- tion, to enable us to free them from the vexatious disputes which they so frequently had with the toll- gatherers, and to free the article of potatoes from all charges whatever. Then there is gateage besides, is there not?— No, the gateage is included. Is there any storage or pickage, or anything paid for standing?— No, not by the Chamber of Commerce. Are the tolls charged by the Chamber of Commerce the same as were charged by the corporation ?— Yes. Is there any lease made to the Chamber of Commerce'— No; we were in the habit of passing notes to the chamberlain for the amount. With whom is the agreement made?— With the chamberlain. How is that agreement completed ?— He comes to the meeting of the directors gene- rally before the time commences, we confer together, and he asks if we are willing to renew the bargain which we heretofore made, and we always say we are; and it is entered on our books that Lord Gort has attended, and we have agreed to renew the bargain for the tolls and customs of the present year at the usual rate. To whom are the payments made ?— Formerly, we used to pass four notes quar- terly to Lord Gort for the amount the last two years, instead of passing notes, we agreed to pay him on the first day of every month. Do you pay him individually, or any other person for him ?— When he is not in Limerick, we " have paid it to Alderman Westropp, his brother- in- law, or to whom- ever he may direct. Is he aware that you have so advantageous a bargain ?— I believe he must be, as we never attempted to conceal it; from the time the bargain commenced, till the present time, we, as a body, and Lord Gort, have been on the most friendly terms with each other respecting our dealings together; each has spoken favourably of the conduct of the other; I ought to have said, that Lord Gort allows us 20/. out of the 1,500/. every year for some deduction, the nature of which I do not recollect; we pay a net sum of only 1,480/. Have you heard any complaints with regard to any misapplication of the public money, or improper conduct, with respect to the commissioners of St. Michael's parish ?— No ; I never heard any specific complaint; I have heard, and I have sometimes thought myself, that the streets were not perhaps as well cleaned as they might be, or as well paved ; but I never heard of their being charged with any thing of that sort at all. Are not their accounts open to public inspection ?— I believe so. 617. Will Appendix ( A.) Mr. . M. Htrvey. ( 2 July.)