12 MINUTES OF EVIDENCE BEFORE SELECT COMMITTEE Mr. Richard Purdy. \ ( aS April.) UNDER THE POLICE ACT ?— YES. ARE THERE ANY OTHER CAUSES ?— IT HAS BEEN GREATLY INCREASED BY MIS- MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS ; BY IMPROVIDENT CONTRACTS, MADE BY VARIOUS GRAND JURIES ; BY EXTRAVA- GANT SALARIES AND ALLOWANCES TO VARIOUS PERSONS, FOR ALLEGED SERVICES AT THE PRISONS AND AT THE SESSIONS COURT; BY AN INJUDICIOUS MODE OF COLLECTION, WHICH AFFORDS TO FRAUDULENT COLLECTORS MANY MEANS TO ACT UNJUSTLY TOWARDS INDIVIDUALS, PARTICULARLY THE LOWER CLASSES; AND BY THE ABSENCE OF A PROPER CONTROL OVER THE FUNDS ON THE PART OF THE INHABITANTS. CAN YOU STATE TO THE COMMITTEE, ANY OF THE IMPROVIDENT CONTRACTS TO WHICH YOU HAVE ALLUDED ?— I PARTICULARLY ALLUDE TO ONE FOR POTATOES. CAN YOU GIVE THE COMMITTEE SOME INFORMATION ON THAT SUBJECT?— IT WAS A CON- TRACT FOR THE SUPPLY OF THE PRISONERS WITH POTATOES, AT 61, PER TON. FOR WHAT GAOL ?— RICHMOND BRIDEWELL AND NEWGATE. AT WHAT TIME WAS THAT CONTRACT MADE ?— IN 1822. ARE YOU AWARE, WHAT WAS THE USUAL MARKET PRICE OF POTATOES, IN DUBLIN, AT THE TIME THAT CONTRACT WAS ENTERED INTO?— I CANNOT SPEAK AS TO THE PRICE AT THE TIME THE CONTRACT WAS MADE, BUT A SHORT TIME AFTER, I PURCHASED LARGELY OF POTATOES FOR AMERICA, AND SHIPPED AT 3 J. TO 3/. 10 S. PER TON. YOU HAVE STATED, THAT SOME PORTION OF THE INCREASE OF THE GRAND JURY TAXES, IS TO BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE SALARIES PAID TO THE PUBLIC OFFICERS, WHAT DO YOU ALLUDE TO ?— I REFER TO THE SALARIES AND FEES GENERALLY; THEY HAVE BEEN CONSIDERABLY INCREASED WITHIN THE LAST TWENTY YEARS. WHAT WAS THE AMOUNT OF PRESENTMENTS FOR THE CLERKS OF THE CROWN AND CLERKS OF THE PEACE, IN 1781?— 115/. 7 s. 6d. WHAT WAS THE AMOUNT IN 1790 ?— 651 /. 12 s. 3 d. IN 1801 ?— 693/. 18,?. BD. IN 1811?— 1,278/. U. 4D. IN 1821?— 1,715/. 115. id. WILL YOU HAVE THE GOODNESS TO STATE, WHAT WAS THE AMOUNT OF THE PRESENTMENTS MADE ON ACCOUNT OF THE SHERIFFS AND CORONERS, IN THE YEAR 1790?— 61. IN 1801?— 65/. 16S. 4D. IN 1811 ?— 153/. 4*. IN 1821?— 448/. 16S. 10 d. WHAT WAS THE PRESENTMENT MADE FOR THE SECRETARY TO THE GRAND JURY, IN THE YEAR 1790?— 40/. os. 3d. IN 1801 ?— 50/. IN 1811 ?— 350 /. AND IN 1821 ?— THE SAME. WHAT IS THE INCREASE IN THE SALARIES OF THE CHAPLAINS, SINCE THE YEAR 1790 ?— IN 1790, THE SALARIES WERE 60/.; IN 1821, 330/. WHAT ARE THE DEFECTS IN THE MODE OF COLLECTION TO WHICH YOU ALLUDED, AS BEING ONE CAUSE OF THE AUGMENTED EXPENSE ?— THE COLLECTORS ARE NOT ACCOUNTABLE TO THE CHURCHWARDENS; THEY COLLECT FROM THE PARISHIONERS, AND MAKE THE RETURNS TO THE GRAND JURY; THE CHURCHWARDENS HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THOSE RETURNS ON THE COLLECTIONS; AND WE HAVE ASCERTAINED, THAT MANY FRAUDS HAVE BEEN COMMITTED BY COLLECTORS, IN MAKING THOSE RETURNS, ONE OF WHICH HAS COME WITHIN MY OWN KNOWLEDGE. CAN YOU STATE IT TO THE COMMITTEE ?— A PERSON OF THE NAME OF WELSH, ON THE THE CITY QUAY, COMPLAINED TO ME, THAT SHE HAD PAID THE SUM OF 3/. TO THE COLLECTOR OF THE GRAND JURY CESS; THIS COLLECTOR IN CONSEQUENCE OF HAVING COMMITTED SOME FRAUDS, OR BEING DEFICIENT IN HIS ACCOUNTS, LOST HIS SITUATION, AND SHE HAS BEEN APPLIED TO AGAIN FOR THE PAYMENT OF THE SAME MONEY; THE COLLECTOR HAD NOT RETURNED RECEIPT OF THIS MONEY TO THE TREASURER OF THE GRAND JURY CESS, TO WHOM I APPLIED ON THE SUBJECT; HE SAID HE WOULD INVESTIGATE THE MATTER, HE REFERRED TO THE PRESENT COL- LECTOR; THE COLLECTOR COULD NOT GIVE THE POOR WOMAN ANY REDRESS; AND I THEN APPLIED BY MEMORIAL TO THE PRESENT GRAND JURY, AND HAVE NOT YET OBTAINED ANY REPLY. YOU HAVE STATED, THAT A CONSIDERABLE PORTION OF THE INCREASE OF THE GRAND JURY TAXES, IS ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE EXTENSION OF THE POWERS OF THE RECORDER TO THOSE PARTS OF THE COUNTY OF DUBLIN, WHICH ARE BROUGHT WITHIN HIS JURISDICTION BY THE POLICE ACT; HAVE YOU ANY SUGGESTION TO MAKE WITH REGARD TO THAT?— I AM OF OPINION, THAT THE MOST EFFECTUAL REMEDY WOULD BE, TO DEPRIVE THE GRAND JURY OF THE POWER TO TAX THE CITIZENS; THAT THE CITIZENS IN THEIR SEVERAL PARISHES, AND THE VESTRIES SHOULD ELECT PERSONS PROPERLY QUALIFIED, TO FORM A BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, TO WHOM SHOULD BE COMMITTED THE CONTROL OF SUCH LEVY AS MAY BE NECESSARY FOR THIS AND OTHER LOCAL PUR- POSES ; AND THAT THOSE PARTS OF THE CITY NOT WITHIN THE ANCIENT CITY, SHOULD BE PARTIES