S E L E C T C O M M I T T E E O N F I C T I T I O U S V O T E S , I R E L A N D . 2 qo jlJ 13256. Chairman^ You mean in the first registry of 1832 ?- Yes; the election 7 Courtenav Vm followed a month after; and I do not see how it could apply, that there were 60 bad votes in consequence of Lady Ross not giving the abatement in time to entitle 12 June 1838. them to vote; they were entitled to vote the day after they registered. 13257- Mr. Lefroy ^ Then it required no time whatever to qualify them ?— Not an hour; therefore if an abatement were given, it must have been < nven before they registered, and when registered they were entitled to vote the next day. 13258. Mr. O'Connell Surely they were not entitled to register unless they held under the same lease for six months previous to the register ? No ; but it is not said that they were not entitled to register, but that they were not entitled to vote. 13259. Mr. Lefroy.] Will you look to question 8267 ; a case is there stated, in proof of the charge that whilst Liberals were rejected who had 20 acres, Conser- vatives were admitted who had only seven acres; the case of the two Vances is there stated as a proof of the charge. Were you acquainted with the particulars of the case of the two Vances?— I searched the note- book taken at the registry under my view, and I find James Vance registered out of 16 acres, at 27 /. a year, and two acres that he had had rent- free. 13260. Then he had 18 acres?— Yes; I find William Vance registered on 15 acres, rent 4 I.. 1 s. 10 d. 13261. Those are the exact particulars of those men's holdings?— The parti- culars, taken from a note made at the time of the registry, as to James and William Vance. 13262. The statement made as to them here is this: that " they were both Pro- testant tenants; they were admitted on 15 acres, and a man of the name of Read, living close to them, was rejected upon 20 acres." Having stated the case of the Vances, will you state if you know anything about this Read, who is stated to have been rejected ?— I do not think such a thing occurred as the rejection of Read. 13263. What is your reason for thinking it did not occur?— I searched the printed list of notices issued by the clerk of the peace for that registry, and there is no such name upon it as Read, of that townland. 13264. Have you that list?— I have. This is the list that I kept during the registry, and which has been in my possession ever since. [ The Witness produced the same.] 13265. Is that list which you now produce to the Committee the list'given out by the clerk of the peace of persons applying to be registered for that registry? — It is; his name is to it. 13266. Will you look at it and see whether there is such a name as John Read, or any person of the name of Read, upon that list ?— I only find one person of that name upon it, and that is Benjamin Read, a tenant of Lady Ross's, that I brought up and registered myself; Benjamin Read, Keel Mountain, at the other end of the county. Therefore what is stated in this evidence could not have occurred, inasmuch as if a notice had been served for him, he would have been upon this list, and without that he could not come up and register. 13267. Then is it a correct statement that a Liberal of the name of Read was rejected, who proposed to register upon 20 acres?— No ; my impression is, for- tified by the document I produce, that such a statement is not correct. 13268. Chairman.] Do you find in that list the claim of the two Vances to register?— I do. , 13269. Mr. Serjeant Jackson.] That is the printed list that is issued by the clerk of the peace, pursuant to Act of Parliament ?— It is. 13270. What are the Christian names of those two persons ?— James Vance and William Vance ; 1 find them both on this list. 13271. With the description of the places where they reside?— Yes. 13272. In this answer of Patrick Flood, which has been referred to, 8267, he states, " I will give you the case of the two Vances; they were both Protestant tenants; they were admitted on 15 acres, and a man of the name of Read, living- close to them, was rejected on 20 acres." Those persons of the name of Vance are described to be two Protestant tenants : do you know whose tenants they are ?— I cannot take upon me to say ; but I find James Vance and William V ance, the only two persons of that name that were registered upon my note- book, holding the quantities I have described ; those persons I find in the printed list. 13273. Mr. O'connell.] Do you know them of your own knowledge r— I have a slight knowledge of one of them, but I do not know the other. 643. Q Q 2 13274- Mr. N