10 J- Mr. Jams Lane. q February 1838. MINUTES OF EVIDENCE TAKEN BEFORE THE , T Kut if c- rcat doubt with me, whether the churchwardens an<^ seek from^ he churchwardens or the vestry- I have Why do not you go to the accommodating to them, makes it the less necessary son why the applications are to me, and not to the churchwardens we frequently said to people that have applied to me churchwardens, they have copies of these things ? Oh, sir, they sa}. would rather come to you." 611. Mr. Litton.] You are a permanent officer/— Yes. til2. And you have a fixed office for public business ?- Yes 6lo Mr Hoqq.] They are sure of finding you ?— Generally they are 614] Chairman.] Of the population of Cork a large proportion are Roman- catholics ?— They are. 615 There is also a considerable Protestant population .'— ihere is. 616 And that Protestant population pays a considerable proportion of the rates of the city ?— Decidedly; and the Catholic population also pays a con- siderable proportion. . , ^ 617. Consequently, if there was much inequality in the valuation, the Pro- testant population frequenting those churches would be as much annoyed by it as the Roman- catholic population, which does not frequent the churches ?— Of course. 618. And therefore, so far as the Protestant population are concerned, they would naturally have recourse to the vestry- rooms to obtain this information, if they felt themselves aggrieved by the valuation upon any great scale ?— I should suppose so. 619. Mr. Serjeant Jackson.] You are understood to have stated, that the regulations for the assessment and applotment of the taxation of the county of the city of Cork prescribed by this Act of Parliament, are followed out by the respective officers and by the grand jury in all respects ?— Yes, I know that they are. C20. Chairman.] Have not the valuators very extensive powers under these two Acts of Parliament, with regard to entering houses and inspecting?— They have. 621. Will you refer to the clause of the Act, and state the powers which are given to the valuators in that clause ?— It is the 9th section of the 53d : " And be it further enacted, that the hereinbefore mentioned valuators shall have full power to enter in the day time into and upon any house, dwelling- house, out- house, office, store, cellar and stable, linney or yard, in the said city of Cork, or the suburbs thereof, and to inspect the same, in order the better to ascertain the true yearly value thereof; and in case any tenants, occupiers or owners of the said houses, dwellinghouses, outhouses, offices, stores, cellars, stables, linneys or yards, or any other person or persons whatsoever, shall obstruct or prevent the entry of any of the said valuators for the purposes aforesaid, such person or per- sons proved to have so obstructed or prevented the entry of the said valuators shall be adjudged to be guilty of a misdemeanor, and punished accordingly." 022. Mr Serjeant Jackson.] The city of Cork is not of such very great extent that it would be an inconvenient walk from any part of it to your house?— Cer