SELECT COMMITTEE ON FICTITIOUS VOTES, IRELAND. , ^ j / J / j not have ordered those that were set down too low to he . r ^ r n „ • eonld not have applied to those that were ^ t downToo low 6f° re * ' ' . 3551. Did not it apply to premises that were not valued at all-— Yes • mrl it 26 February is that which I complain of. ' 3552. Do not you conceive it probable that the motive of the grand iurv was to have those premises which had been omitted in previous valuations brought into valuation, inasmuch as the parties had come forward and sworn that their premises were worth 10 I a year ?— I believe that was the object of the grand jury ; but I am convinced that the parties that urged it upon the grand iurv had political motives. 3553- You do not conceive that the grand jury were capable of actin^ in the discharge of their duty, merely for the purpose of gratifying those persons-— " Certainly they would not. 3554. Do not you think, as to any political effect, that the consequence of bringing the premises into valuation and rating, would rather be favourable to parties who were claimants for registry, because the circumstance of finding them in the valuation would rather go to show that they were of value suff£ cient ?— I do not think their being upon the city rate books has anything to do with the franchise. 3555. Do not you think that being upon the city rate books at 8 I., would be some evidence that the man has a tenement of the value of 10 a year?— No doubt. 3556. Therefore the effect of the grand jury causing those persons to be put upon the valuation, would rather go to the supporting of their votes as bond fide votes ?— I cannot think that, because the dread of being visited with taxa- tion prevents them registering at all. 3557- Would not the circumstance of premises being brought upon the valua- tion at a value of 8 I., go to support the claim of the party to register ?— No doubt as to the value of the house it would. 3558. And therefore the grand jury, in causing that valuation to be made, would in effect be conferring evidence of value upon those parties ?— But it would be visiting them with taxes at the same time; many a man considered the tax of greater consequence to him than the vote. 3559. You do not believe that any of those valuators put down the premises at a higher rate than they really were ?— Persons did complain of that. 3560. Do you think the valuation was too high ?— I do not think it was. 3561. Therefore no injustice was done to the parties who were brought into the valuation ?— It was an injustice, inasmuch as they were compelled to pay taxes that would not otherwise be payable till there was a new general valua- tion If the valuation took place upon a general valuation of the city, and all were valued, that would be all right, but the supplementary valuators could not re- value the houses valued before, and it was only those that had escaped the former valuators that were brought in; and the effect of it was, that a number of people who had never paid the taxes till that time have said, " See what this registry has brought upon us ; I will not go to register now." o zf) 2 Do not you know that there were a number of tenements in the city of Cork that have been erected subsequent to 1828, and that there were several premises that existed in 1828 that were not introduced into the valuation of 1828 ?— There were. 3563. Do you think it was just and right, and proper, that those who held • premises that were really of the value should be brought into valuation .— Had it been a general valuation, I say, « Yesbut the property that we have been all calling out to get valued, the new houses, are not at all m the valuation to this hour.