12 MINUTES OF EVIDENCE BEFORE SELECT COMMITTEE Do you think that, till a payment is made on account of it, the public have Richard Purdy suffered any thing by it ?— I do not. v ? c ^ ll/ ln what better situation could the public be, if the right of making those contracts ( 29 April.) were vested with the parish committees ?— In consequence of the inquiries that were made, it has not as yet cost the public any thing; but I question very much whether, if those inquiries had not been made, it might not have cost something. Then you have ascertained that the contract was made, and that the contract was not fulfilled; but with respect to any other circumstances touching that contract, you know nothing about it; are you aware that all contracts are read in open court by the judge ?— I have understood that the particulars of contracts are not so read; if they were, it would'appear strange that the contractors have been almost uniformly the relations or connexions of the grand jurors. Have you ever attended in the court of King's bench, at the time the judge gave his fiat for contracts ?— Never; I never gave any attention to the subject until I was requested to inquire into it by the parish of St. Mary. Have you ever heard of any gentleman attending for that purpose ?— I have. Did you inquire of Mr. Saul, whether he attended to hear which contract had the preference, on the day on which the judge was to read the contracts in court?— I did not. You say, that Mr. Saul attended you on your visit to Richmond bridewell ?— He did. And you say also, that the contracts for the different articles supplied at the prisons are posted up in some conspicuous parts ; do you recollect whether Mr. Saul looked at the price at which that contract for blanketing was supplied at that prison ?— I rather think he did. Did he state that that price was under the offer that he made for supplying the same articles ?— I cannot bring to my recollection that he stated so much ; but he stated that the manner in which many persons obtained contracts was by sending in a false pattern. Mr. Saul, during his visit, inspected the bedding and provisions ?— He inspected the bedding. Did he not state, that a considerable part of that bedding was of the very best description?— That part was of a fair quality, and that part was of inferior quality ; in the size there was also a material difference, the old being 2 yards by 1 and the new only 14 by yard. Was " the impression upon your mind, that the whole supply was of inferior quality ?— No. But he did not make any observation as to a manifest inferiority in the article of blanketing?— As to part of it, he did. Who had been the contractor for blanketing for the last four years ?— Mr. George Studdart, a police magistrate, and frequently upon grand juries; Mr. Dalton has also been the contractor; and occasionally large sums have been presented to the inspector and to Mr. Lees, chief clerk at the police office, for this article. You stated that you, in company with Mr. Uffington, examined the clothing?— I proposed that Mr. Uffington should be applied to, to visit Newgate, to inspect the clothing and other materials ; but 1 did not accompany him. Did you not state, that the clothing at the Richmond penitentiary, was different from that at Newgate ?— So it was stated to me. Who is it stated by ?— Mr. James Uffington. The convicts clothing in the penitentiary you stated to be supplied at 8s. a suit?— The deputy governor stated that they made the clothing in the prison, and that the expense was 8s. a suit. Those for Newgate cost 225.?— They did. Mr. Uffington stated that he could supply them at less ?— He did; he stated that he could supply them at iys. a suit; I have it here under his hand. Did he make any proposal to the grand jury accordingly; in his life time did he ever make any proposal ?— I do not know. Can you form any belief whether he ever made a proposal?— I cannot. Are you aware that the clothing for the convicts is different from that which is supplied for the Richmond penitentiary?— It was so stated. Are you aware of the reason of that ?— No. Are you aware that the grand jury have nothing 011 earth to say with respect to the pattern ot the clothes provided for transportation?— I ain not. Are