SELECT COMMITTEE ON FICTITIOUS VOTES, IRELAND. / / 125 9414. Then there was no want of integrity on the part of Major Thompson to Mr Patrick Flood prevent his being a credible witness before the Committee ?— I am not throwing - any doubt at all upon Major Thompson's testimony; all I say is, about the way 15 May 1818 he let the land. J 9415. There were two other witnesses examined before that Committee who had been employed as tithe- valuators ?— Yes, Mr. Tuite and Mr. Webb. 9416. They have been employed as tithe- valuators?— Yes; they classed the barony. 9417. That valuation of the tithe- valuators is made upon oath?— Of course. 9418. They gave evidence from the notes taken by them at the time, upon oath ?— Yes, they gave evidence from their books; Mr. Tuite told me so. 9419. You have read the proceedings ?— Yes. 9420. You have 110 doubt then, they did give that evidence ?— No. 9421. Now those valuations which they made upon oath, and which they gave before the Committee from their books, were made before any political question arose as to the value of those farms ?— No, they were not. 9422. When were they made ?— They were made at the very time the petition was pending. 9423. And not before?— No; they did not close the valuation of a part till after the petition was over. 9424. And do you mean to say their valuations were made pending the peti- tion ?— Yes. 9425. Mr. Curry.] Which petition do you speak of?— The petition of 1833. 9426. Mr. Lefroy.] They were appointed, however, by the parish?— One by the parish and the other by the incumbent. 9427. The Committee then had the benefit of the evidence of those two wit- nesses, and of Major Thompson, the agent of the estate, with respect to the votes upon which they decided?— They had the benefit of the evidence of those witnesses as to how they classed the land. 9428. And how they valued it?— No, there is an assessment and then an applotment out of that. An assessment is made for the parish, and then the Commissioners are appointed to applot that assessment; and what they applotted under the first class land I have known the tenant to pay from ll. to ll. 10 s. an acre more for himself; it is 110 criterion of the value. 9429. Then their applotment was never over the value of the land?— The question has never been settled yet; I should think not; the tithe has never been paid since. 9430. According to your statement of the duty of the valuators, it is simply to applot and not to value ?—' The duty of the valuators is to applot the sum assessed upon the parish, according to the quality of the land. 9431. And they have nothing to do with the value of the land?— Yes; they must value it to class it. 9432. They must value it in order to class it?— Yes; to know whether it is first, second or third class. 9433. And the classification is made upon oath ?— Yes. 9434. And of course the valuation with a view to that classification is upon oath ?— Yes, they are sworn to it. 9435. And they take down in their book notes of the observations made at the time, under the sanction of that oath ?— Yes. 9436. And they had those books before the Committee ?— Yes. 9437. And they gave evidence from those books ?— They did. 9438. The Committee had the benefit then of their evidence with respect to the value of these firms, the owners of which they struck off the registry, as well as the evidence of Major Thompson?— Yes. Allow me to remark that Mr. Tuite told me he gets 31. 10 s. an acre for land himself, and it is well paid. 9439. Upon these several occasions, all these men were served with notices before the sitting of the Committee that their titles would be questioned; the sufficiency of their qualification ? They had all a notice served upon them ?— I know there have been a great many notices, but I could not take upon myself to say that all were served ; I have known a great many to be served. 9440. Do you not believe that, generally speaking, they were all served with a notice, that their qualifications would be questioned before the Committee ?— The greater part of them were served, that is my belief. 9441. With notices to that effect ?— Yes. n 3 9442. Chairman