84" MrNUTES OF EVIDENCE BEFORE SELECT COMMITTEE the minor circumstances relating to the internal economy, as to those which related to the mode of the return, and the rights of the citizens; most subjects originating with any member, or any portion of the government generally, according to the usage, met an approval, or was to meet an approval of the court of D'Oyer hundred. Do you recollect any approval of the court of D'Oyer hundred, in granting leases of land?— All matters relating to the revenues of the corporation, I recollect were mat- ters of approval or rejection by this court of D'Oyer hundred, as appeared from entry in the books. Were there any matters with respect to the appointment and approval of the corporate officers by the D'Oyer hundred ?— You may not consider, perhaps, the speaker as an officer, but the mayor and the sheriffs, and other officers, as well I re- collect, were referred to the court; the market juries, if I do not mistake, were sometimes appointed, the appointments were very numerous, they ran through every book. The Committee believe you are a freeman of the city of Cork?— Yes; but I never acted upon it. Can you inform the Committee, whether the courts of D'Oyer hundred are regu- larly held there?— I understand it is the constant usage. Can you inform the Committee, whether any such courts of D'Oyer hundred are now held in the city of Limerick?— Not that I know, nor have I heard within my time, it being a subject of general charge on the part of the citizens against the cor- poration; that was one of the abuses in omitting to hold the court of D'Oyer, and in not giving them those privileges which they had by being represented in that court, that has been often loudly complained of. Do you conceive that the suppression, or the non- production of those ancient books, interpose very great difficulties in substantiating any of those claims?—- Most certainly; had I had the most distant conception that those ancient books, or any of them, would have been withheld, I would have taken most useful and valu- able extracts, as far as related to the protection of the rights of the citizens; I did did not take the five hundredth part of what I should have done, had I been aware or suspected they would have been withheld. Can you inform the Committee how the appointment of city officers now take place in the city of Limerick ?— I always understood, at the suggestion and the interest of Lord Gort, and his late uncle, that he and the late Lord Gort were the principal persons who directed all those appointments. Do you recollect the period of passing an act for the improvement of the parish of St. Michael, in the city of Limerick ?— I recollect the time when the fact was spoken of, but I do not recollect the particular period; I do not know, nor am I in possession now of the circumstances under which it was passed. The Committee suppose, from your examination of the books, and the old records, that you know the charters of the city of Limerick pretty accurately?— Indeed, I do not, nor half of them ; I have read a good many of them a good many years ago, so far as related to the subject of inquiry before the court of King's Bench rer specting those rights under the quo zvarranto; but at this moment I am sure my memory does not serve me as to the contents of the charters; they were numerous. ? Do you know whether any of those charters that you have ever looked at, has any clause in it directing the manner in which the corporation revenues shall be expended ?— I am not aware of any such clause in any charter. No clause that any part of it should be expended ?— No ; 1 have no recollection of any provision in the charters to that effect. To the uses to which the revenue should be allocated ?— No; I cannot charge my memory with it. You do not state positively, but you do not recollect?— No, I do not. You state, that formerly the corporate officers used to be elected at a court of D'Oyer hundred?— That is my impression from the entries; they were elected or approved. ? Do you know of any Act of Parliament forbidding that course from being pursued at the present time ?— My memory does not serve me with any. . > Prohibiting the appointment at the D'Oyer hundred, in consequence of its being a popular assembly?— If there is such an Act, it is the first time I have heard of it; for it would be a direct invasion of the rights of the citizens, which they enjoy, as well by charter, as by prescription, and I understand that to be one of the prescript * tive