Royal Commission appointed to inquire into the municipal corporations in Ireland: first report

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MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS IN IRELAND. 
17 DUBLIN. 
oleasure by the chief magistrate of every city By nvor sheriffs, commons, and citizens of Dublin in c< 

CORPORATE BODY. 
the 10 Geo. 
I. 
c. 
9, s. 
22, the lord common council assembled were em-ered from time to time to appoint one or more weighmaster or weighmasters for the ^ to execute the office in person or by deputy. 
This Act was also temporary, but was ntinued in force from time to time until repealed as to butter, with several other Acts latins; to the butter trade, by the 52 Geo. 
Ill c. 
134, the 2d section of which gives the power of appointment of weighmasters in Dublin to the chief magistrate and aldermen. 
The 4th section makes them removeable for misbehaviour, by the mayor, aldermen, and common council. 

# , . 
These officers are appointed during good behaviour, and in practice the appointment appears to be made by the lord mayor, aldermen, and commons, in the usual mode of appointing city officers. 
57. 
TheWeio hmaster of the Green 1 lido Crane is an officer first created by the Irish statute Wtighmaster of the 8 Geo I. 
c. 
7,&s. 
11, to bo appointed by the lord mayor. 
This was a temporary Act, and Green Hide Crane. 
by the 10 Geo. 
I., 
c. 
9, s. 
23, was to continue in force during the continuance of that Act. 
The 10 Geo. 
I. 
c 9, was successively continued by subsequent statutes to the 29th September, 1812, and to the end of the then next session of parliament. 
The 8 Geo. 
T. 
c. 
7, was expressly continued by the 39 Geo. 
III. 
c. 
bl, (which received the Royal assent June 1st, 1799,) for the term of twenty-one years, and from thence to the end of the then next session of parliament. 
We do not find that the Act has been further continued, but the office and establishment are kept up. 
The present weighmaster stated to us that he was appointed in 1819, being then a member of the common council; that he was appointed by the corporation on the conditions that he should perform the duties of weigh¬ master at the crane, and take a lease of the premises where the 'crane is situate, at a rent of 100/. 
per annum; that his predecessor paid but 40/. 
a-year, and that one of the candi¬ dates for the office, also a member of the common council, offered a rent of 200/. 
; that he was sworn into office before the lord mayor, and did not pay any fee on his appointment, but paid 15/. 
to the town-clerks for the lease. 
58. 
The Masters of the Works are the sheriffs of the preceding year. 

Masters ofWorks. 
The other Officers connected with the Pipe-Water Establishment are elected by the Officers of the Pipe-lord mayor, aldermen, and commons, in the course described as used on the election of Water Establish-the recorder, marshal, &c. 
raenf. 
59. 
Every Election by the common council, whether annual or otherwise, is made on a Forms of Election, petition or beseech to the council from the individual, seeking to obtain, or be continued in the office. 
It is one of the standing orders of the commons, that no person be admitted to any employment in the city who is not a freeman, except the offices of recorder and town-clerk, and the persons admitted into places to have been free for one whole year at least. 
It is also provided by a standing order of 1718, that no person be admitted inlo any place or employment in the city which requires the consent and approbation of the sheriffs and commons, until he makes oath that he has not given, nor will give, directly or in¬ directly, any sum of money or other gratuity for said place or employment,: this oath to he made before a justice of the peace for the city, in the presence of two of the commons, to be appointed by the sheriffs and commons, and lodged with their clerk to be entered in the journals. 
This regulation is not now enforced, and we have it in evidence that, as to one office, that of water-bailiff, one of the present holders of it obtained, by purchase, the retirement of his predecessor. 
60. 
Thereare three Classes of Freemen : first, those made free of the city at large, without Freemen, classes of; having previously obtained the freedom of any of the guilds ; secondly, those admitted in the first instanced the freedom of a guild, and then to that of the city at large ; and, iastly, those admitted to the freedom of a guild, but not to the freedom of the city. 
The first and last of these classes, particularly the last, are inconsiderable in number, the great body of the freemen being of the second. 
61. 
Admissions, in the first instance, to the Freedom of the City at large, are granted, as by Admission of Free-grace especial, by the aldermen and commons in the general assembly. 
Freemen so 

men of City at large, admitted are^ merely honorary. 
It is not usual for a person seeking this admission 0 apply for it directly. 
The course is for some alderman or member of the commons 0 mention the name to the town-clerk previously 1o the meeting of the assembly. 
The own-clerk inserts it in the abstract prepared by him of the business to be done at the it^'th anci a*S°-Pl*ePares a petition for the admission of the individual, mentioning in suh 

S°me Part'cu^ar public services deserving of such a mark of approbation, or, if no ad . 
^ei,V1^ can be especially referred to, the petition prays that the individual maybe sid 1 

" his lo)'altv l0 tno KinP; and Constitution." 
this form of expression is con-eiea as connected with the exclusive political principles so long_ acted on by the cor-alludTt • 

e individual proposed is married to the daughter of a freeman, the fact is to such 1 

"• L-he Petition as a reason for his admission ; but we do not find that any right with th K SS!°n 
is recogniscd by the corporation. 
The proposition may originate either Each h 1 1 

f alderraen or *lno commons; the resolution to admit must pass both, any re 

y s and ese*'cises the power of rejecting at pleasure, and without assigning passm^Ti, r."0*1 
admissions to the freedom of the city at large have been few since the person-Refor?1 
Bl11-Previously to that Act they wore numerous, and occasionally 

h Were so admitted in considerable numbers, and very many were non-residents.