188 Ml N X J T E S O F E V I D E N C E T A K E N B E F O R E T HE Mr. James Ternan. in 34- And you think that is one of the best ways of discharging effectually his spiritual duties ?— No, I do not. 22 May 1838. 11135. Do not you think it is rather an impediment to the discharge of a man's more spiritual duties to involve himself as an active political partisan r— In some instances it might be, but I never perceived that those clergymen who took an active part in politics were at all wanting in the discharge of their spiritual duties. 11136. Some of those gentlemen that you have named have come forward upon public platforms in the street to address the people at elections ?— They have. n 137. They have made strong vehement speeches ?— Indeed they have. 11138. Have not you heard speeches calculated to inflame the people against individuals ?— I have heard several speeches by Catholic clergy for the purpose of keeping the men fast on their side. 11139. But not calculated to inflame them against individuals on the other side ?— Yes ; I dare say they might have had some tendency of that kind. 11140. Were you present at the last election ?— I was. 11141. Did you hear the speeches made opposite the hotel where the Con- servative committee was held -— No, I did not hear them. 11142. Calculated to inflame the people against the candidates?— I heard that the Rev. Mr. Maguire made some very good speeches there. 11143. Did not you hear that Mr. Davis made a flaming speech ?— I believe he did; but I did not hear it. 11144. Mr. O'Connell.] It is the usual practice at all elections to make those speeches ?— Yes. 11145. Mr. Lefroy.] Is it the usual practice of the Roman- catholic clergy to make speeches at the elections in Ireland ?— It is their habit in Longford, and I have seen a good many speeches reported in other counties at elections. 11146. You have stated that there are some magistrates in the commission that have no property; do you mean literally no property ?— No property that I am aware of in the county. 11147. Do you mean that tliey are totally devoid of property ?— Yes, I think there are some. 11148. How do they maintain themselves?— Some of them are half- pay officers, and there are others that have different situations in the county, such as inspectors of prisons. I know some that hold the commission of the peace who have nothing but their half- pay, or the situation of inspector of prisons, and the agents of other men. 11149. How many magistrates are there of that description in the county who have no property whatever ?— They have some property; they consider the half- pay property. I think there are a good many of them in Longford. 11150. Will you look at the list of the magistrates, and state how many of them are men of no property ?— A good many appear upon this list who do not reside in the county. I think there are five upon this list resident in the county whose property is very trifling ; whose property may be 50 I. a year, or whose property does not exceed 100 I. a year. 11151. Of those who are alive, how many are there who have not 100 I. a year?— There are some of them that may represent property out of their hands; there are two that I will take upon me to say have not 100 /. a year. 11152. Then you cannot give the name of any of those of the description you stated first; of men that have no property ?— Yes, there were two that had 110 property ; one of them is dead. 11153. Then there is one ?— There is one that has no property whatever in the county that I ever heard of; he holds a few acres of land. 11154. Might not he have property that you have never heard of ?— It is possible ; but I do not think it is probable. 11155- Have you had, as sheriff, an opportunity of knowing, from having executions, or any other process r— As sheriff I had an opportunity, in a good many instances, of judging of their qualification. 11156. With respect to your first statement, that there were some that held the commission that had no property, you now bring that to one ?— I think there are two still whose property is less than 100 I. a year; one holds property of about 100 I. a year, and he is out of the receipt of it, and the other has 110 property at all 11157. Y° u