C. Beresford, Esq. (< i 8 May.) 14S MINUTES OF EVIDENCE BEFORE SELECT COMMITTEE djl". AND THE NET WEIGHT, AND UNDER THAT TICKET THEY SOLD THE HAY, AND THAT IS THE PRACTICE AT PRESENT. THAT WAS WHEN YOU WERE LORD MAYOR ?— IT WAS. IT WAS FOUND BENEFICIAL ?— IT WAS. HOW MANY WEIGH MASTER'S ARE THERE ?— THERE WAS ONLY ONE WHEN I WAS LORD MAYOR; I UNDERSTAND THERE ARE THREE NOW. YOU DO NOT KNOW WHEN THE INCREASE WAS MADE ?— I DO NOT KNOW. WHAT WAS THEIR SALARY?— THEY HAVE NO SALARY; I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE OFFICE IS WORTH BETWEEN FIVE AND SIX HUNDRED A YEAR. AMONG THE THREE ?— YES. DO THEY LEVY THE TAX ON THE FARMER?— THE SCALES BY CHARTER BELONG TO THE LORD MAYOR, AND HE HAS A RIGHT TO CHARGE REASONABLE FEES FOR WEIGHING; THE FEE PUT UPON THE WEIGHING BY THIS MACHINE, IN MY TIME, WAS A FARTHING ON A HUNDRED WEIGHT, MAKING 2D. A LOAD, AS WELL AS I REMEMBER. THEN THERE WAS A CHARGE PUT ON AT THE TIME ?— THERE WAS. THIS WAS A CHARGE LAID ON BY DIRECTION OF THE LORD MAYOR ?— YES. WHAT PORTION OF THIS IS PAID TO THE LORD MAYOR ?— NONE; IT ALL WENT TO THE CLERK. YOU HAVE HEARD IT WAS WORTH THE SUM YOU HAVE MENTIONED, AMONG THE THREE?— YES ; BETWEEN FIVE AND SIX HUNDRED A YEAR. DO NOT YOU CONCEIVE IT WOULD BE A GREAT BENEFIT, IF HAY WAS BROUGHT IN IN TRUSSES, AS IT IS IN THIS COUNTRY ?— CERTAINLY. IS THERE ANY CHARGE MADE IN THE HAY MARKET HERE ?— I DO NOT KNOW. CAN YOU GIVE ANY INFORMATION AS TO THE CHARGES IN THE BUTTER MARKET ?— THEY ARE REGULATED BY ACT OF PARLIAMENT, AND ALL THE REGULATIONS OF THE BUTTER MARKET ARE BY ACT OF PARLIAMENT. IS THE ACT OBJECTIONABLE?— IT IS VERY OBJECTIONABLE. WHAT ARE THE OBJECTIONS TO IT ?— IT IS DIFFICULT TO ACT UNDER. DO YOU MEAN TO APPLY THAT TO THE GENERAL BUTTER ACT, OR THE PARTICULAR BUTTER ACT FOR DUBLIN ?— THE GENERAL BUTTER ACT, BROUGHT IN BY THE MEMBER FOR WATER- FORD ; THERE IS NO PARTICULAR BUTTER ACT FOR DUBLIN. THE CHARGES ARE FIXED, OF COURSE, IN THAT ACT ?— THEY ARE. HAVE YOU HEARD OF ANY VIOLATION OF THE ACT?— I HAVE KNOWN OF VERY GREAT NEGLECTS, BY WEIGHING MASTERS OF THE BUTTER MARKETS, AND WE HAD GREAT TROUBLE TO BRING THEM INTO ORDER ; AND BY SOME REGULATIONS I MADE, I RAISED THE CHARACTER OF THE BRAND, AND SINCE THAT, THE BUTTER MARKET HAS GENERALLY BEEN LOOKED INTO, SO AS TO RAISE ITS CHARACTER VERY CONSIDERABLY. WHAT WERE THE ABUSES WHICH YOU ENDEAVOURED TO CORRECT?— NEGLECTING TO EXAMINE THE BUTTER PROPERLY, AND NEGLECTING TO STAMP IT AT THE PERIOD IT WAS EXAMINED. STAMPING SECOND RATE, FOR BEST?— CERTAINLY; AND THE OFFICERS- WHO WERE INTRUSTED TO MARK IT, INTRUSTING THEIR PORTERS TO DO IT, IN CONSEQUENCE OF WHICH, THOSE OFFICERS, BEING CORPORATORS IN THE CITY OF DUBLIN, IN GENERAL, THERE WAS AN INQUIRY MADE INTO IT, AND THEY BROKE THEM, AND PUT IN AN ENGLISHMAN, A STRANGER; ON THEIR DISMISSAL THERE WAS A REGULAR TRIAL BEFORE THE CORPORATION ON COMPLAINTS MADE AGAINST THEM. HOW MANY ARE THERE OF THOSE WEIGH MASTERS?— IN OUR JURISDICTION THERE ARE TWO WEIGH MASTERS TO THE EXPORT MARKET, AND THERE ARE TWO OR THREE WEIGH MASTERS OF WHAT WE CALL OPEN BUTTER, WHICH THE HOUSEKEEPERS USE. ARE THERE ANY PROVISIONS BY LAW MADE WITH RESPECT TO THE POTATOE MARKET ?— I HAVE HEARD OF AN ACT OF PARLIAMENT, BUT I CANNOT SAY THAT I EVER READ IT, WHICH EXEMPTS POTATOES FROM MARKET CHARGES. IS THERE SUCH AN ACT IN EXISTENCE ?— I HAVE BEEN TOLD SO. THEY DO PAY CHARGES ?— THEY DO. DO YOU KNOW OF ANY ABUSES UNDER THIS HEAD ?— INDEED I KNOW OF NO ABUSES, EXCEPT THE VIOLENCE AND CONSTANT MISCONDUCT OF A SPECIES OF PORTERS WHO CALL THEM- SELVES FACTORS, WHO ARE ALWAYS CONTENDING WITH THE LORD MAYOR AND THE CLERKS OF THE MARKET. ARE THERE NO COMPLAINTS ?•— NONE, EXCEPT BY THE HOUSEKEEPERS AND MASTERS OF THOSE PORTERS. WHERE IS THE MARKET ?— OPPOSITE NEWGATE. HAVE THE POTATOES ALWAYS PAID?— THEY ALWAYS PAID FACTORAGE, THEY PAY NOW A TRIFLE OF STALLAGE. DID THEY FORMERLY PAY STALLAGE ?— NOT IN THE OPEN STREETS. WHEN