ON PETITIONS RELATING TO LIMERICK TAXATION. 73 / You state, that Mr. John William Owens is the surveyor now; why has Mr. Appendix Thomas Owens been put out of office ?— He is dead. ( A.|) When did he die ?— Last year. v \ There is an account here to Mr. John Norris Russell, for oil, 64/. in the year Mr. 1819; is he one of the commissioners ?— No. John Barry. Who is William Collopy?— He is the man who kept the hotel in Limerick. ( 10 juiy.) Did he contract to make a sewer?— No, he did not; there was a sewer made by him in Cecil- street, and he applied to the commissioners for a remuneration for the expense of making that sewer, because it was a main sewer in the middle of the street, and I believe the commissioners gave him a remuneration for the expense of the sewer. Are the streets repaired in the same manner as the sewers are cleaned ?— They are. By you and Mr. Owens?— They are. Where do you buy your lamps?— We get them from Cork; from Foley and Com- pany, in Cork. He is a glass- blower ?— He is. Is there no glass- blower in Limerick ?— No. How much do you pay for charities, & c. in the city ?— Five hundred pounds a year. Do you consider that that is sufficient from the parish of St. Michael ?— It is not possible for me to give an absolute answer to that, because it is only by relative considerations that I could say possibly whether it was or was not. You do not know whether it is or is not?— I could not say, without having some data to form my comparison upon; many of the inhabitants think it is, others think it is not; but I would not venture an opinion without having data to go upon. What data would you expect?— The revenues of the other part of the city of Limerick, the extent of the liberties, and the number of acres in it; it is by com- parison it must be determined; at the time it was granted, it was considered in general more than the parish ought to be taxed with for those purposes. You are directed, by the Act of Parliament, to pay something to the charities ?—• Five hundred a year. Is that sum stated in the Act?— It is under an amendment of the parish bill, passed in the year 1811. Who are the commissioners that usually attend ?— Mr. Kelly, Mr. Mark, Robert Rodger, William Roche, Herman Poe, sometimes Christopher Meade, sometimes George William Russell, Alderman Mahony. . . Is any other Mr. Russell a commissioner of the parish?— No; Michael Gavin is a commissioner, and William Howley is a commissioner; Daniel Gabbett is a commissioner. Who are the commissioners who usually attend ?— Some may attend one day, and some another day. Is not the attendance confined to a very small number of the commissioners ?— There must be seven to form a board. Who are the seven who usually attend?— Mr. Pinkerton, Mr. Mahony, and Michael Gavin, and George Russell, and Robert Rodger, Mr. Kelly, Mr. Howly, Mr. H. MeKnight. Who else ?— John Mark and William Roche. Is he a general attendant ?— He does attend regularly; one day some attend, and another day others attend. Is there ever any difficulty in getting a board ?— There is often; but when I do not get a meeting, I adjourn to another day, and summon them for that day, and adjourn again, if necessary. When you do not get a sufficient meeting, you adjourn to a future day?— I do. The commissioners are not paid ?— They are not, which is one great reason that it is not so easy to get meetings as it otherwise would be. Since you have acted as secretary to the board, you are not aware of any instance in which the annual accounts have not been audited by the commissioners ?— I am not aware of any. How often do the commissioners sit in the year?— I cannot well say that? it is impossible to say, except by referring to the resolution book. Do they sit once a week?'— No, nor yet once a fortnight. Do they ait once a month?— Sometimes they do. 617. * 0n