,1 s.. Mr. John Peters. (• 21 May,) 14S MINUTES OF EVIDENCE BEFORE SELECT COMMITTEE djl". WHAT HAVE THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES BEEN P— THE GENERAL COMPLAINT OF THE HOUSE- HOLDERS OF DUBLIN AS TO THE LOCAL TAXES BEING VERY OPPRESSIVE. _ DO YOU MEAN THAT THOSE COMPLAINTS HAVE ORIGINATED IN ANY INCREASE OT THE LOCAL 13 L! WHAT PARISH DO YOU RESIDE, IN THE CITY OF DUBLIN?— I HAVE BEEN A HOUSEHOLDER IN ST. ANN'S PARISH FOR NEARLY THIRTY YEARS. HAS THERE BEEN A PETITION PRESENTED TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS ON BEHALF OF ST. ANN'S PARISH?— THERE HAS. WERE YOU ONE OF THE INDIVIDUALS EMPLOYED IN FRAMING THAT PETITION ?— I WAS. HAVE YOU COME OVER IN CONSEQUENCE OF THAT PETITION ?— CERTAINLY NOT; 1 HAVE COME OVER BY ORDER OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS, IN ORDER TO SUPPORT THE STATEMENTS AND ALLEGATIONS IN THAT PETITION, IF THE COMMITTEE OF THE HOUSE SHOULD CALL ON ME SO TO DO. WERE YOU AUTHORIZED TO DO SO BY ANY OF THE OTHER INHABITANTS OF THE PARISH IN WHICH YOU RESIDE?— I WAS REQUESTED TO DO SO AT A VESTRY, AT WHICH THE MINISTER AND CHURCHWARDENS, TOGETHER WITH THE PARISH WERE ASSEMBLED, IF CALLED ON BY THE COMMITTEE OR SUMMONED. WAS THAT RECOMMENDATION UNANIMOUS ?— THERE WAS NOT A DISSENTIENT VOICE. ARE VOU AWARE THAT THE CORPORATION OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN ARE SUBJECT TO A CERTAIN CONTRIBUTION IN AID OF THE PAVING OF THE CITY BY THE STATUTE ?— I AM. DO YOU KNOW, OR HAVE YOU ANY REASON TO KNOW, THAT THE CORPORATION HAVE'NOT OF LATE PAID THE CONTRIBUTION WHICH THEY ARE BOUND TO PAY TO THE PAVING BOARD?— I UNDERSTAND THEY HAVE NOT PAID LATTERLY. IT APPEARS THAT THAT CONTRIBUTION IS CHARGED UPON THE TOLLS AND CUSTOMS OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN, DO YOU KNOW WHY IT IS SO CHARGED?— I CAN STATE FROM REFERENCE TO THE CHARTER, THAT THE TOLLS AND CUSTOMS WERE ORIGINALLY GRANTED TOGETHER WITH THE FAIRS AND MARKETS, FOR THE EXPRESS PURPOSE OF PAVING THE CITY OF DUBLIN, AND PER- FORMING PUBLIC WORKS. CAN YOU STATE THE EXPRESS WORDS IN WHICH THAT GRANT IS MADE?— FOR THE WALLS, PAVEMENTS, PORTS, BRIDGES, WHARFS, AND OTHER AFFAIRS AND PUBLIC WORKS OF THE SAID CITY. FROM WHAT DOCUMENT HAVE YOU READ THOSE WORDS ?— FROM THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN. OF WHAT DATE IS THAT CHARTER?— IN THE THIRD YEAR OF THE REIGN OF KING JAMES THE SECOND, BEFORE HE ABDICATED. WHERE DID YOU GET ACCESS TO THAT CHARTER?— IN THE ROLLS OFFICE. IT IS A CHARTER THERE ENROLLED ?- IT IS. AND YOU OBTAINED ACCESS TO IT THROUGH THE PROPER OFFICER ?— BY HAVING HEARD THAT THE CORPORATION HAD PAID 150/. FOR TRANSLATING IT; I WENT TO THE ROLLS OFFICE AND INQUIRED FOR MR. NASH THE PROPER OFFICER. WHAT OFFICE DOES MR. NASH HOLD ?— HE IS THE PRINCIPAL PERSON IN THE ROLLS OFFICE IN DUBLIN ; I AM NOT QUITE CERTAIN WHETHER HE IS THE PROPER OFFICER, BUT HE IS THE PRINCIPAL OFFICER. FROM HIM YOU OBTAINED THAT INFORMATION ?— FROM HIM I OBTAINED THE INFORMATION. DO YOU KNOW ANY THING AS TO THE PRINCIPLE UPON WHICH THE LOCAL TAXES ARE IMPOSED IN THE CITY OF DUBLIN BY THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES THERE?— I DO. WHAT CAN YOU STATE TO THE COMMITTEE ON THAT SUBJECT ?— IT APPEARS TO ME, THAT THE CORPORATION OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN THROW ON THE HOUSEHOLDERS THE PAYMENT OF CERTAIN SUMS OF MONEY IN THE SHAPE OF LOCAL TAXATION WHICH THEY OUGHT TO PAY THEM- SELVES ; AND I WILL INSTANCE ONE OF THEM IF THE COMMITTEE WILL ALLOW ME. WHAT TAXES DO YOU ALLUDE TO?— I ALLUDE TO THE SALARIES OF THE OFFICERS TO THE AMOUNT OF 2,800/. A YEAR. WHAT SALARIES DO YOU ALLUDE TO?— I WILL MENTION ONE, MERELY AS AN INSTANCE OF THE MODE AND MANNER OF LEVYING MONEY ON THE HOUSEHOLDERS OF DUBLIN; BY THE CHARTER I HAVE MENTIONED, THEY ARE ORDERED TO HAVE A COUNCIL HOUSE TO MEET TOGETHER FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONSULTING ON CORPORATION BUSINESS; THE RENT OF THIS 1 SHOULD SUPPOSE THEY OUGHT TO PAY ; THE ANNUAL RENT OF THIS HOUSE TO THE AMOUNT OT 328/. 8S. 6d. IS THROWN ON THE HOUSEHOLDERS OF DUBLIN, BY CHARGING THE ENTIRE AMOUNT OF THE RENT AND TAXES AS A PIPE WATER OFFICE; I MENTION THAT MERELY AS A CIR- CUMSTANCE TO ELUCIDATE THE MODE OF LEVYING THE TAXES. ARE THERE ANY OTHER PARTICULAR INSTANCES TO WHICH YOU CAN REFER, UNCONNECTED WITH THE PIPE WATER MD METAL MAIN QUESTION, IN WHICH YOU CONCEIVE CHARGES ARE CAST EN ^ 1C:.!? N! L^ U. GHT.. T0.. BE BORNE. BYTLIE CORPORATION ?— IT APPEARS THAT THE PURPOSES MENTIONED IN THE CHARTER PROFITS ON FAIRS AND MARKETS WERE GRANTED FOR certain