/ SELECT COMMITTEE ON FICTITIOUS VOTES, IRELAND. 39 ^ 3i 579- Have you caused the proper public advertisements to be inserted in the newspapers of the city of Cork, announcing that you have so transmitted copies of the valuation ?— I have invariably. 1 - I did In P° int ° f ^^ dkl J0U C° nVene the gl'and jury' aS this Section re( luires ? 581. Did you bring before them the valuation ?— Yes. 582. Did they investigate the valuation in each case? Yes. 583. Did they make any variations in the valuation ?— They did. 584. Did they enter into an investigation of all complaints that were made?— 585. Did you bring every one of the complaints made against the valuations before the grand jury r— I did, every one of them. 586. And the grand jury proceeded to investigate them ?— They did, and to adjudicate upon them. 587. And they rectified the valuation accordingly?— Yes. 588. And then authenticated it in the manner prescribed?— They then authenticated it here in the book. 589. Do you happen to know whether or not the copies of the valuations that were transmitted to the churchwardens of the respective parishes were accessible to the public in the vestry- rooms ?— I could not say that. 590. You never went into the vestry- rooms to examine ?— No, I did not. 591. Of course the churchwardens of the parish for the time being would be able to state whether they did or did not keep them in the vestry- room accessible to people ?— They would, I should think ; but the public were always at liberty to apply to me for any information they wished to get upon the subject. 592. Have you a public office as treasurer?— I have an office in the court- house that is only open previous to and after the assizes for the payment of the money. 593. Have you any place of business in which you are accessible, and in which the valuation is accessible to the citizens that desire to see it ?— I have. 594. Do the citizens, in point of fact, come to you when they are desirous of obtaining information ?— Very constantly. 595. Did they, after the valuation of 1828 and after the valuation of 1833, come to you ?— They repeatedly applied to me, a great number. 596. Did you ever refuse any person information?— Never. 597. Then you have no doubt that the public have every facility of access to the valuations, and every opportunity of questioning any mistake that may occur ?— They have, not only by applying to me, but I have never refused to give copies of the valuation to any person that has applied; having printed copies of each parish, I have never refused to give one to any person that has applied. 598. Do you get a number of copies of the parochial valuations made out for that purpose ?— Yes, and it is upon those that I strike the applotment. 599. And you never refused to give a copy of the printed parochial list to any person that applied ?— Never refused. . . 600. Are you, in noint of fact, applied to frequently for them ?— Yes; within the last two or three1 years I thought I had got a great number printed, and I am completely run out of them now. 601. Mr. Beamish.] Did the churchwardens ever give the same facility, to your knowledge ?— Not to my knowledge; I could not say. 602. Did thev ever exhibit it upon the walls of the vestry- room?— Never; they never gave any publicity to their having anything of the kind. 603. Then, in fact, the public were solely indebted to you for having access to the books in which the valuation was?— In a great measure, I suppose; but I do not say that they would be refused if they applied to the churchwardens 604. Mr. Litton.] Do you know any case in which they ever were refused I never heard of any. . _ . . , . ^ 605. Mr. Beamish^ Did you ever hear any instance of their being applied to at the vestry- rooms ?— No. j-.. thp 606. Mr. Curry.-] Are not the vestry- rooms locked up, except during the celebration of Divine service on Sunday?—! suppose so. 607. Mr. Serjeant Jackson.] Are the churchwardens known ofhceis m the respective parishes.?— I suppose they are. ravishes know 608. Have you any doubt that the inhabitants of the seveial paiishes know where to find the churchwarden, in case they desire information fiom him. Mr. James Lane. 9 February 1838 O. 46. E 4 I dare