2jf> MINUTES QV EVTDENCE BEFORE SELECT COMMITTEE J. C. Beresford, Then do you conceive that to be an advantage which thfe port of Waterford has, which no other port in Ireland has?— Certainly, if that be the fact. J Are you of opinion, that saving the expense of the second brand in all the other ( 28 May.) p0rts of Ireland, would not be an advantage to those ports respectively ?— I do not think it would; it is often shipped without the second brand. Do you think it would increase the quantity exported, if it was not liable to the second brand ?— I think not, for I think the butter would lose more in point of ex amination, than it would gain by saving the expense of the brand. Is it not examined at the weigh- house of the place from which it comes ?— It is; but the quality is not branded upon it. Ought it not, at a regular weigh- house, to have the quality as well as the quantity branded ?— I do not think it is necessary, except at the port, because it is under its quality as branded there, and it is shipped. In point of fact, has not the export butter trade of Waterford increased ?— I do not know. On the subject of tolls, is there not considerable wear and tear of the streets of Dublin, in consequence of the cars coming in from the country laden with the different goods that are sold in the market ?— No doubt of it. Was not that one great reason why the corporation got the toll to keep those roads in repair ?— It is tiie reason why the pavement is particularly appropriated to them of the streets leading to the market. The charter giving the tolls, prescribed certain works to be done in the first in- stance by the corporation ?— Yes. Those works caused a considerable advance and expenditure of public money, before the tolls were collected ?— They did; a considerable advance of the corpo- ration money. Therefore the tolls became the purchase of the city of Dublin, in consideration of those expenses ?— Yes, subject to duties. Those duties have all long since been performed with the exception of the paving, which is a continuing duty ?— Yes. Then it is your opinion, that in consequence of having performed those duties, the tolls are absolutely the purchased property of the city of Dublin ?— Certainly. Jovis, 299 die Maii, 1823. THOMAS SPRING RICE, ESQUIRE, IN THE CHAIR. Major James Palmer, again called in; and Examined. ARE you acquainted with the situation of the prisons of Dublin, their local situation ?— I am. The prison of Newgate is situated in immediate connection with two other prisons, is it not?— It is. What are those prisons ?— The city marshalsea, and the sheriff's prison. As far as the mere building goes, one may almost consider those three prisons as one, they lie entirely together, do they not, there is no intervening building ?— They are intersected by the sessions house. The sessions house forms part of the building ?— It intervenes between them. Suppose a physician appointed to attend those three prisons; is there much greater difficulty in attending them as three distinct prisons, in their present shape, than if they were all under one establishment?— I think, if the sick were altogether it would be more convenient. Suppose in place of three prisons, all separate in themselves, as they now are, that you had three prisons belonging to the one establishment, would there be much . greater difficulty in a public officer's duty, in attending the three prisons as at present, than there would be in attending three prisons, if they were conjoined in establishment?— Certainly not, except the small increase of ground to walk over, and the repetition of orders. Would there be any difference of difficulty, except going up and down stairs ?•—> I think not; except the repetition of orders. Then Major James Palmer. ( 29 May.)