not; I rather think we are proverbial for having good juries on the civil side.

Is it not a matter of difficulty sometimes to procure a sufficient attendance of jurors in civil cases?—I will not say that it is a matter of difficulty to procure attendance, but I have often seen gentlemen in attendance endeavouring to avoid serving.

And you have seen that on the part of Catholics as well as Protestants?Yes, I have.

You stated, that you thought that all the Catholics, even the lowest order, take an interest in what is called the Catholic Question?-I say that, generally speaking, I believe they do.

Have you ever heard any of the very lowest orders express anything on that subject ?—Very often; my own working men express a great wish that the question were carried, and that all were alike.

You have heard that from your own labourers ?-Frequently. Are they acquainted with the particular laws which affect the Roman Catholic body?-I think you will find a great deal more information on that subject than you can expect; they are fully sensible that they are not on an equality with other subjects in many particulars.

They have a general knowledge that they are not placed on a footing with their fellow subjects?—Yes; I have generally found, that men of my standing are most anxious to press upon them not to enter upon the consideration of the question, but to leave it to us.

But notwithstanding that they will think about it? They will be always inquiring and asking what prospect there is. Is there much want of employment in the neighbourhood of your county?-Very great indeed.

In that district of country which you have before alluded to, called the colliery country, is there a want of employment amongst the great population there?-The want of employment extends in a great measure there.

What are the wages paid for labour?-The wages paid in the quarter of the country I am in is about eight pence a day, when men are actually employed.

Are many of them employed regularly every day through the year?-It is impossible they should be employed every day through the year, for if there is bad weather they cannot be employed.

Excepting bad weather?-I believe there is not above one man out of six that has constant work, I might say one in ten Are there any that are altogether out of employment ?I will not say altogether, because they may occasionally get a

day's employment, but there are many that have not one day's work in a week.

How do they manage to live?-In the most wretched state. Have they land?-No.

How do they find their food?-Generally from the humanity of their fellow-creatures of their own class, and those a little above them in life.

Can you form any idea, taking the whole of the labouring class in a district, what would be the average earning per day per man upon the whole year; taking into account what they receive for labour, either by money or by land, how much a day would it make in your opinion?-I have been turning it a good deal in my mind, and I think they would not make more than from four pence to five pence per day, one day with another; I mean those that are tolerably well employed; the others nothing like it.

What is their general conduct, are they tolerably orderly people?-Whenever they get employment, you find them exceedingly willing and anxious for labour, and at a very moderate compensation, and they are then exceedingly well conducted.

Generally speaking, is their disposition orderly and quiet? -Generally speaking it is so, and to the want of employment I attribute, in a great measure, much of our unhappy state. Is there a great anxiety on the part of the people to be em ployed ?—The greatest possible; the anxiety of the creatures to be employed, for any kind of remuneration, is wonderfully great.

Are they industrious?-Very industrious indeed, if they can but get employment.

Have you known of the execution of any works, either public or private, by task-work?-It has been a practice I myself have introduced, upon a pretty extensive scale, and I have found them eager for it, and to labour incessantly before and after hours.

Have you known any instances in which it has become necessary to restrain their exertions in task-work, lest it should prejudice their health ?—I have known it myself; I have often had occasion to point out to my labourers, that I had apprehension they were labouring too severely, to the prejudice of their health.

Is the general system, as far as you are acquainted, payment in money for labour, or payment in account for rent?-The general system is, for the farmer to let off a small portion of land, and he puts a rent upon it, and he takes this rent in labour, giving the balance of any thing that is over the rent

to his people. They prefer themselves, getting a little ground that they may have to cultivate.

Is the execution of the public works under the authority of the grand jury, generally paid for by money payment, or by allowances in account?-I am very apprehensive that persons employed under the overseers, very often are in the habit of paying for the labour, by giving articles of food, and matters of that kind, to the actual labourers; but very often they are paid in money too.

Do you conceive it would be a great improvement in the execution of public works, were all those public works paid for in actual money?—I think it would.

Does the present system, wherever it exists, of paying for county works by allowances in account, or by giving articles of food, ever lead to giving the preference in the execution of county work to the tenants of the individual who has obtained the works?-1 am not prepared to say that, to my knowledge, any preference for county works is given to the tenants of any individual.

What is the rate of daily wages at which the county works are performed?-I believe they give ten-pence a day.

And three shillings a horse?-They procure it on as good terms as they possibly can have it.

It is ten-pence a day for labour, and three shillings for a man and horse?-I believe two shillings and sixpence for a man and horse.

Is that the usual rate of labour in the Queen's County ?It is; but the public works are executed at a period of the year when the days are more lengthened, and they give a little extra on that account.

Under the present system, is not the great press of public works thrown almost altogether upon a certain period of the year; namely, that immediately preceding the assizes?-Yes.

Do you not conceive that more profitable employment would be afforded to the people, in the execution of public works, were it possible to distribute more evenly the labour of the year? That system is carried into execution in the Queen's County to a great extent; they are endeavouring to manage public works, so that it shall not fall at any particular period too heavy. The plan is to set apart a certain number of perches of road to some respectable gentleman, and he sees that the repairs are kept up at a certain rate.

Where the contrary system prevails, and the execution of public works takes place almost entirely just before the assizes, does not that throw the execution of works in summer to the time of early harvest, and throw the execution of works in

winter to the time of planting potatoes, and preparing for the spring work?-It does.

How long has this new system, which you have described, been acted upon in the Queen's County ?--I should suppose for the last three or four years.

Is that system, which you have been describing, the operation of that part of the grand jury law which is commonly called the Supervisor's Act?-It is.

Are there a great many destitute and infirm persons in that part of the county in which you live?-There are.

Is there any provision for them?-None whatever.

Do you think it would be desirable to introduce a system which should provide for destitute and infirm persons ?-Unquestionably it would; it is dreadful to leave the country without it.

Have you not a house of industry in the country?-No.

Do those people that you have alluded to, in general, live by themselves or with families?-They live detached, up and down, by themselves sometimes, when they can have a hut; and subsisting upon the charity of their poor fellow creatures for their night's lodging and their meal.

So long as that exists, do you think it is possible to have habitations in the country which shall be altogether creditable? -Certainly, it is impossible.

Are you at all acquainted with the management of the poor laws in this part of the United Kingdom?-Very little indeed. Is there not a very great distinction in the part of the country with which you are acquainted, in the state of the poor upon those estates which are well managed, as compared with the state of the poor upon the estates which are the property of absentees, or which are not well managed?-The most striking; for instance, there is Lord De Vesci; he is a most excellent landlord; there are no poor upon his estate, generally speaking.

What do you mean by that?-He is everlastingly doing good acts to ameliorate their condition.

Does Lord de Vesci possess the entire property in that parish ?-No.

Is the condition of the people in those parts of the parish which are not the property of the nobleman you have named, different from that on his estate ?-Very different indeed.

If there was a parochial and compulsive provision for the poor in that parish, would not the effect of that be, to tax the property upon which the lower classes are in the best state, for the support of those parts in which the poor are in the worst state?-Certainly, it would operate in that kind of way, In the event of any provision being made by law for the

poor in Ireland, do you not conceive, that on principles of justice it would be essentially necessary that each townland only should contribute to the maintenance of its own poor?-I do think so.

Do you think it is possible, that the landlords, generally throughout Ireland, could act as liberally as Lord de Vesci does; do you think the landed gentry of Ireland, generally, are so circumstanced, in a pecuniary point of view, as that they could make the same expenditure for the poor that Lord de Vesci does?-To a certain extent they could; but it is on the absentees' estates that the wretchedness exists principally.

Do you think the gentry are in that state, with reference to their property, that they can afford to be as liberal as Lord de Vesci?-I do believe, that generally speaking they are, to a certain extent.

Are the other proprietors in that parish, in your opinion, people that are possessed of the same means of doing benefit to their tenantry as Lord de Vesci?-I know they are not possessed of property to the same extent, and they do not in general act at all like him.

Are they capable of doing so?--I think they might, in proportion to their means, but they do not.

In the event of the introduction of any system for the relief of the poor in Ireland, by whom would you propose that the system should be administered?—I believe the overseers would be very fit and proper persons.

Are you acquainted with any parishes in Ireland, in which there are no individuals to whom you could intrust the power of overseers?-I am not acquainted with any parish just at this moment, but I should suppose in every parish some fit and proper person could be found.

To what districts do you confine that observation?—To districts of the Queen's County, that I know, and the county of Kilkenny.

Do you believe those districts to be above the average in point of resident gentry, or to be taken as a fair average of the general state of Ireland?—I think them above the average.

Have you any doubt but that in many parts of the country there would be parishes found, in which there would be no individuals qualified to act?-There may be parishes found so circumstanced.

Have you any doubt of it?--None; I think they should be individuals of very respectable rank.

What is the extent of your parish of Ballynakill ?—In the parochial book it is returned to me as containing from four to five thousand acres ; I think it is about six thousand acres.