SELECT COMMITTEE ON FICTITIOUS VOTES, IRELAND. sJ7' 24T ment at the particular time of the voting would be unimportant- it would b, all\ he mttinl SXfT that * ^ ^" i^ ail the putting of oaths about payment of rates at the elections if it was mX ± Kr, t of rates at the time ° f the s r: 6326. Are you Mr. J. C. Besnard. 13 March 1838. , , , , - . . aware' that> as the Jaw stands in England, barristers are pre- cluded from speaking at the registration ?— I am not aware 1 . Are you aware that in Ireland they speak at the registration}— I think they do allow barristers to address them. 6328. Mr. Curry.'] Do you think that the provision contained in the 18th section of the Irish Reform Bill, which says, " That no person shall he received as the opposer of any claimant to register who shall not be himself either a registered voter, or a person who has served a notice to register, or ao- ent duly authorized by such voter or claimant to appear for him," tends in p? actice to create delay r— I dare say there would be less talking if that were acted upon • but whether it would tend to a just decision I cannot say. 6329. Mr. Serjeant Jackson.] Upon the whole, you'rather think that the check given by having professional men would be a greater advantage than the saving of time, in some cases, by not having them ?— I think there are few prac- tical men capable of eliciting facts that may be necessary, except profes- sional men. 6330. You are understood to say that you have submitted to the Committee the chief points in which you think that it would be advisable to make changes in the existing law in Ireland, with a view to producing a bond fide consti- tuency ?— I have. 6331. Are there any others you would wish to add?— There are no others that I should think it worth while to trouble the Committee with. 6332. Mr. Curry.] You have stated that you thought it right that the lists of persons applying to be registered should be sent to the officers of the different parishes ; by whom would you have those lists furnished to the churchwardens ? — My - view would be this: I think that the different collectors should furnish to the clerk of the peace their lists, and that through the clerk of the peace the different parishes should be furnished. 6333. Do you think it would be desirable to establish in each county in Ireland a kind of gazette, for the purpose of giving public notice of that, and of other county proceedings, to the inhabitants of the different parts of the county ? •— I think it would be very desirable. 6334. Have you ever turned in your mind the probable expense that would attend the having such county gazettes ?— No ; I feel myself quite incompetent to form a judgment upon that. 6335. You have mentioned two remedies which you think it might be useful to adopt, for facilitating the detection of improper persons who come forward to be registered. What is the distance of the most remote part of the liberties of Cork from Cork itself ?— Seven miles. 633G. How near is the nearest part of the liberties to the city '— It is indented in particular parts ; I should think the nearest is three miles. 6337 The remedy vou propose would be either by transferring the rural voters from the liberty to the county at large; or another remedy is, that the rural voters should have the qualification of county voters r— Yes. 6 ^ 8. Either of those remedies would tend to diminish the number of voters ? J J — Certainly. gUQ And, as a natural consequence, to increase the influence of the other class of voters, such as the freemen, in the cities and counties of towns .— It would of course give their votes more importance. 6340. You are aware, that, under the operation of the Irish class of voters, consisting of 40,. freeholders, must gradufl^^ f^ become extinct ?- Yes; but I should say that the 40,. FREEHOLD n Co k axe not confined to the rural districts; if I were to make a ™ uld that there are as many 40 ,. freeholders m the city as in the liber its 6341 • Would not that class of persons who are at Members for the city of . Cork as householders having a house to it of the yearly value of 10 /., be eluded fromJgfgfe the county at large if your first remedy were adopted . JNo, tney ^ 0.46. pp3