kio' ON THE LOCAL TAXATION OF THE CITY OF DUELIN. 73 You have 110 means of knowing what proposals are sent into the grand jury r— I have not. Are you aware of any practicable means by which that evil could be obviated ?— I am clearly of opinion, that great advantage would result to the public, if the names of the contractors, and the prices at which the articles are furnished, were regularly published; but I conceive that the only efficient and practicable remedy must be found in a better system in obtaining a public investigation of the accounts of the grand jury, and of the disbursements for the account of the gaols. As the case stands at present, there is no control whatever beyond the grand juries or their officers ; all other public boards go before the commissioners of imprest accounts. You have stated the expense of the medical department; what is the state of the prisons in that department?— When I visited the gaol of Newgate in Dublin, on the 23d of April, there were, in the male medical hospital, only three patients; one of those was confined to bed, the other two were apparently convalescent. In the male surgical hospital there were four patients, making seven in all. In the female hospital there were no patients; the superintendent, however, stated to me that a few of the prisoners, both male and female, were furnished occasionally with some trifling medicines of the cheapest description. Have you seen any of the apothecary's bills ?— I have not. Did you ask for them ?— I know that efforts have been made to obtain copies of the apothecary's bills for medicines furnished to Newgate in Dublin; but the efforts were not successful. How did it fail ?— They would not furnish the statement. Were not the entire bills laid before the court of King's bench?— I am not aware of the fact. Is there any individual acquaintance of your's who ever proposed for conti'acts ?— Frequently. Can you name any one individual ?— I am aware of proposals for contracts having been made, for the supply of linen for the use of the gaols, by one respectable gen- tleman at the Linen- hall, who I am of opinion could have furnished that article on better terms than any of the usual contractors; but he did not obtain the contract. Did he offer less than the person who did obtain it ?— That I cannot know. Has there ever been any suspicion of offers being rejected to supply on lower terms?— I can have no personal knowledge of any fact of the kind, but it certainly is the impression upon the minds of many persons in Dublin, that fair play is not given. Can you mention any individual by name?— Not of my own knowledge; but cases have been stated to me, upon authority which I cannot doubt, and which, to my mind, are quite decisive of the question. You have said, that an individual proposed for a contract, and did not get it; do you know what was the impression upon his mind with respect to that?— The im- pression which I have frequently heard him state, was, that he should have had it, that, from peculiar circumstances, it was quite impossible; but that his offer must have been lower than that of the individual who got the contract. Does the state of the law afford facility for traversing?— I think not; the tax is originally assessed in secret; the grand- jury room is altogether so; and when fas has been elsewhere ably and truly stated by an eminent lawyer) the presentments are about to be fiated, they are read by an officer, in a sort of tcte a tete with the judge, with his back to the bystanders, and in a voice and manner very imperfectly audible to the most attentive listener. The Act also of the 33d of George 3. in- stead of affording facilities to traverse, throws the utmost possible obstacles in the way; it directs, in very special terms, that, whether the traverse be made in open court, or before one of the judges within eight days after term, the traverser shall first give sufficient security to pay double costs, in case the jury to try such traverse shall confirm the presentment. Is there any difference in the manner of getting a presentment in the city and in the county?— I am not aware of any distinction ; but I would avail myself of the opportunity to state my decided conviction, from the best attention which I can give the subject, that however necessary the present grand jury system may be in the counties of Ireland, that necessity can by no means be supposed to exist with respect to the city of Dublin, where the money necessary for the public service could be raised with equal convenience by other modes, in which the public voice could have a more perfect and efficacious control over its disbursement. What other tribunal would you invest it in ?— I would suggest the election of r^ g commissioners Mr. John M'Mullen. - ^—• • * ( 2 May.)