/< pa SELECT COMMITTEE ON FICTITIOUS VOTES, IRELAND. , ^ j / J / j 4201. Do you believe that, generally speaking, they omitted all houses in a Mr James Lane district of the extreme value of 5 /. ?- Yes, I think they did, ^ eneralh eak n^ '"" W SSf S° m; but orally speaking they did not valSe . T^ s. any houses that they conceived of the extreme value of 5 / 4202. Do you think Mr. Gould can be correct in saving, in some cases " We may have valued houses of 6 /. value, but in most cases we did not" — I could not say, not being present at the valuation; but he must know better than me 4203. What is your opinion, would he and the other valuators have fulfilled that which they were sworn to fulfil, if they had not valued houses of the value oi 6 /. ?— I think they would not have fulfilled their duty, certainly. 4204. Is it your belief that they did omit to value houses of 6/. value generally or not ?— I should think not generally. b "' 4205. Would not the grand jury have felt themselves called upon, if such had been the case, to require explanation ?— Certainly, if it came to their know- ledge. 4206. Is it probable that the general omission of houses of the value of 6 /. would not have come to the knowledge of the grand jury ?— I do not think it is • I think some person would have spoken of it, and complained of it. 4207. Mr. Serjeant Jackson^] Instances to be sure might occur; but if the great bulk of the houses of ( 3/. in Cork had been omitted, would not that be a thing that would make a great noise ?— Certainly. 4208. Chairman.] Mr. Gould, in his evidence in answer to question 4060, " In the outer parts of the town, what abatement did you make ?" says, " A great deal more than 16 or 17 per cent. Under the local Act we valued very few houses between 5 /. and 10/.; the only exception we made was, that we valued every public- house that we met with." Do you believe that he was correct in that answer, namely, that they valued very few houses between 5 /. and 10/. a year ?— I know that there are very few houses valued in the out- parts of the town, certainly. 4209. Is it your belief that those valuators in 1828 valued very few houses between 5 /. and 10 /. value in that part of the town?— My belief at that time was, certainly, that they did value all houses above 5 /. 421 o. Do you believe that, in many places, they made an abatement of 50 per cent. ?— I never heard so high as 50 ; I heard some of themselves say, that, in some places, they made an abatement as high as 30. 4211. In question 4065, it was put to Mr. Gould, " If a house was valued at 7 /. of real value, would you put that in ?" and his answer is, " We would, just the same as 6 /.; but we passed over hundreds of houses worth 10 /. a year." Do you believe that to be the fact ?— I could have no idea that they would have done such a thing. 4212. Do you think it is possible that that could be a correct statement, and not have come to your knowledge?— From my knowledge of the character of Mr. Gould, whom I know to be a very correct and proper man, I should not like to say anything that went to throw the smallest slur upon his character, because I believe him to be as upright and honourable a man as possible. 4213. But, without wishing to impugn the veracity of his intention, do you believe that that is a real representation of what took place at that valuation I should scarcely think it was ; I think he must have been mistaken in giving that evidence. . . , , 4214 Mr Serjeant Jackson.] Must not there be an exaggeration or mistaken estimate upon his mind?— That is what I think; I cannot see how anyone could pass over a house of 10 /. value without valuing it. 4215. Mr. Beamish.] When you say " 10/. value, you mean houses that briii"- a rent of 10/. ?- From the nature of the valuation I would say so, because a house bringing 10/. rent, I should suppose, they would put down at 8/. ° r42i6. Then you think that Mr. Gould, in stating that several hundred houses of the value of 10/. were passed over, must have made a mistake .- I should thi4ti 7°' But, from your knowledge of Mr. Gould, do you anything that he did not conscientiously believe to be perfecty Uue^ l am perfectly sure that he would not; I have known Mr. Gould. 1 J^ th ^^ and I have known him to be as correct and proper a man m every respect, any man I know; a man whose word I would believe as well as any man s. ^ 0.46.