SELECT COMMITTEE ON FICTITIOUS VOTES, IRELAND. 111 c 8979. Mr. O'Connell ] He did not tell you that Mr. Kift said he would force Mr. Patrick Flood. them away, but that his inference, from what Mr. Kift did, was, that Mr. Kift would endeavour to get in to force them away ?— Yes. 11 May 1838. 8980. Mr. Serjeant Jackson.] You were understood to say that Mr. Kift compelled those persons to pay their rent because they had voted as he wished them not to vote at the election ?— He pressed them to pay up their rent, and put them to costs. 8981. And he did that because they had voted at the election against his wish?.— Yes; that is my opinion. 8982. Then the mode in which he compelled them to pay their rent was by bringing ejectments against them ?— Yes. 8983. That was the way in which he compelled them to pay their rent ?— Yes. 8984. When was it that he brought the ejectments ?— It might be three years back. 8985. You were asked upon a former occasion why it was you undertook to say, that his reason for making them pay their rents and bringing the eject- ments was, because they had voted as he wished them not to vote at the election, and you answered, that it was because he had since persecuted them. That was the ground upon which you proceeded in that answer. What are those acts of persecution which you know of being committed which form the ground upon which you say, that his compelling them to pay up their rent was because they had voted against his wish ?— In the case of Sheridan, he was put to costs; the man told me that he had to pay four years'rent, and he paid 4/. for costs. 8986. That was in consequence of the proceedings that were taken to compel him to pay his rent?— Y^ es. 8987. But the question was, why you said that those proceedings were taken to compel them to pay their rent because they voted against the wish of Mr. Kift, and the reason you assigned was, that since lie had done that he had continued to persecute the tenants. What are the acts of persecution which have continued since he took those proceedings to compel them to pay their arrears of rent ?— I do not say " since," because when a man owes no rent there can be no persecution. 8988. Then you do not mean to say that there have been any other distinct acts of persecution by Mr. Kift, independently of those proceedings, to compel the payment of the rent?— I said that I believe that Mr. Kift is out, and that Mr. Davis is now the agent; but in the case of Flood he went up to pay the rent, to pay every shilling he owed, and it would not be received from him. 8989. Do you mean to say that any acts of persecution whatever have been committed against those tenants since they have been compelled to pay the rent ?— No, 1 do not say that there has been any act of persecution since they have been compelled to pay the rent. 8990. Mr. Lefroy.] Can you name any other tenants who were compelled to pay their rents besides Flood ?— They were all pressed to pay up. 8991. Can you name any others?— I believe that all the tenants were pressed. 8992. Can you name them ?— I give the name of Mr. Tuite, of Higgin's- town. 8993. Mr. Francis Tuite?— Yes; I mean to say that that gentleman was in heavy arrears, though he coidd pay 1,000/. at any time he was called upon. 8994. Did not Mr. Tuite vote in 1833 for Lord Forbes and Mr. Anthony Lefroy ?— I believe he did. 8995. Then how could his being made to pay his rent be persecution for his voting against the wish of the agent?— I say that he was in arrear of rent as well as the poor men. 8996. You say that the tenants were forced to pay up their rents, in conse- quence of the way in which they voted against the wishes of the agent; now, will you name, of them all, any one man, besides those you have named r— I believe all the freeholders upon the estate were obliged, and that the other tenants that were not freeholders were also obliged to pay up. 8997. Is that your answer to the question ?— Yes; I give the answer, that after the election of 1833 the arrears of the estate were forced in from all parties. 643. P 3 8998- WiU