Q .' ON PETITIONS RELATING TO LIMERICK TAXATION. 87 Have you ever heard of meetings of the inhabitants of the New Town, for the purpose of expostulating against the manner in which the accounts of this Commission were kept and carried on ?— I never attended any such meeting; I ' have a Motion that some few years ago, before their accounts were printed, that some of the inha- bitants did meet and expostulate with them on the subject. I have a recollection of hearing that, but I never attended any such meetings; and I know that their accounts have been printed for several years past; and I have seen notices in the newspaper, that the books were open, to be seen at certain hours. The commissioners are not bound to account to any body ?— No, I think not; and that is one of the objections I made to the Act. But in point of fact you know that they do publish their accounts annually P— Yes. And that the books are open for inspection?— Yes. Do the accounts annually published enable the parishioners to form a just esti- mate of the manner in which they ought to hold any control over the expenditure of the revenues collected by them?— I believe their accounts are fairly published, and I know some individuals among the commissioners who have been many years acting, and who have been some of the most constant attendants, who would not consent to any thing which appeared to them to be wrong or incorrect. Did Mr. Russell show you a letter in Limerick, which he stated he had received from the chairman of this Committee ?— He may have done it, but I do not recollect it; I have seen a number of letters from the chairman to John Russell, but I do not recollect any one in particular. Did you know of Mr. Russell's receiving a letter, stating that this Committee was struck, and the mode and manner in which it was struck, and that it was intended as a weapon of attack upon the corporation?— When the question was first put to me, I thought it was a letter received about the time of our leaving home ; I now do think that I recollect some time ago his having shown me a short letter from the present chairman, stating that a committee was struck on Limerick taxation; I be- lieve it was; I think it was very short. Was it merely stating that the Committee was struck, and not making any remark further upon it?— I do not recollect; as well as I remember it was very short, as some of his letters to me have been very short in the hurry of business. The letter alluded to was dated London the 23d; are you aware whether any letter which was shown to you was a letter addressed by the chairman to Mr. Russell, or a letter addressed by the chairman to any body else ?— As well as I re- member, the letter that I have a faint recollection of was addressed to John Russell himself. Do you recollect an expression in that letter, stating that it was expected that Mr. Goulburn would have opposed the formation of this Committee ?— I do not recollect such a paragraph. Do you recollect any expression in any letter which was shown to you, that the object of this Committee was to cleanse the Augean stable ?— I do not. Do you think it likely that any letter containing a statement of the intention of Mr. Goulburn to oppose this Committee, and that the object of it was to cleanse the Augean stable, could have been shown you without it making an impression upon your memory ?— Indeed I do not, I think it would have made a strong impres- sion, though my memory is not so good as when I was younger. Did you not hear that there was a letter upon the formation of this Committee, such as has been described, shown in Limerick ?— No, I did not hear any thing more than a faint recollection I have myself of seeing a short letter; and I think it was when we were going into the directors room, that he just showed me a short letter, saying, that the Limerick Committee was struck, and something about its being upon the taxation. It was a matter of perfect notoriety in Limerick, that the object of this Committee was for the purpose of inquiring into the revenues of the corporation ?— Yes, I heard that from several. You are aware of declarations having been made to that effect above a year ago, that it was intended to apply for such a Committee ?— Yes. Do you recollect the date of the letter?— I do not indeed; it may, perhaps, seem strange that I should not appear to be as well acquainted with this matter a$ others concerned with the Chamber of Commerce, and therefore, I think it necessary to state,, that I have studiously kept as much as I possibly could from the disputes between the independent party, as they were called, and the corporation. 617. You Appendix ( A.) tlr. J. M. Hervey. ( 2 July.)