SELECT COMMITTEE ON FICTITIOUS VOTES, IRELAND. we established one of those nersons in information to the agents evidence, because we considered it fi i ^ n ni, <„- n ~ usuieren 11 useless, that decision having been come to 12 March 1838 61 bo. Chairman.] Have you proceeded with the system ofnhw!; ! • 6181. Was that point as to the witnesses ever argued before Mr Martley -- I here was a person employed on one occasion who was paid for it and there was no objection to him. ' ere 6182. His evidence was admitted r— It was a Mr. Aylmer Allen islr/ 3' By Wh° m ™ h6 admitted ?~ B- V Mr- Marley ; that was'in September 61 84. So that there was rib difficulty raised so far as Mr. Martley was con cerned .-— No; I do not think the objection was even made then. 6185. Mr. Serjeant Jackson.] You stated that there was an outcry made upon the witness being called ?— There was; the Liberal party made a great rout the moment that gentleman appeared; they must have known of it beforehand, because there was opposition given to those persons in their investigations in dif- ferent districts. There were stones thrown at them, I understand, in some places. 6186. You say that these gentlemen, even when they were proceeding through the districts assigned to them for the purpose of examining as to the value to enable them to give evidence, were impeded and opposed, and maltreated ? They were, and stones were thrown at them, and they were obliged to retreat from the lane they were in. 6187. When Captain Allen appeared as a witness to be examined, do you mean that he was insulted upon the table ?— There was an outcry made against him that he was a paid person ; and when the barristers stopped him, there was a hoot at him; you may say he was hooted off the table. 6188. Then it seems to have been carried by acclamation against admitting paid agents ?— The barristers certainly decided against them. 6189. And the effect of all this upon your mind, who was managing this business upon the part of the Conservatives, was that it was hopeless to give evidence of this class :— It was. 6190. And you had no benefit from having employed those persons, but merely that of their suggesting to the professional gentlemen concerned any information they had obtained ?— That was all. 6191. But as to supplying evidence it was of no avail at all ?— None. 6192. Chairman.] Have you ever turned your attention to any alteration in the present system of registration by which greater security might be obtained for none but proper votes appearing upon the register ?— I think there might be a classification of the notices to be given, and longer time given for the investigation of those applications. 6193. Do you think an annual investigation might be useful r— I am quite sure it might be. 6194. That is to say the parties might be objected to every year upon cause shown ?— Not only that, but that if the present system is continued there should be a power of appeal on both sides. . . 6105 But supposing both alterations were made, namely, annual revision and a power of appeal on both sides, would that tend, upon the whole, to prevent improper persons appearing upon the registry, without 00 much harassing good voters by frivolous objections ?- I think the annual revision would be better than the other mode. 6106 Would you like to see both or only one adopted- I think both would be very useful • both would certainly be better than one. . . . 6197. Tut of the two, the most'important would be the annual revision N0^ nSbWould vou extend the power of the court before whom the revision small costs given in cases of frivolous objections supposing a 6100 Would you extend that power also to the couit of appeal, supp b power of appeal was introduced as to the prevent friv olous objections, it would be ciesirame ma, fthink 0.46.