SELECT COMMITTEE ON COUNTY CESS (IRELAND.)
39 and as far as the duties of those officers are concerned, it was thrown into the county at large ?—Into
the neighbouring counties.
578.
Have you any constabulary force in Drogheda?—The
corporation pay the constables—the port officers.
579.
By whom are they appointed ?—By
the corporation.
580.
Who undertakes the duty of conveying prisoners to the adjoining counties?—We
sometimes transmit them to the neighbouring counties by our constables.
581.
How far ?—We
send them three miles and five miles.
582.
To the nearest constabulary stations ?—There
is one nearer, about a mile and a half.
583.
You have spoken of the expenses of your gaol, are you aware that the prisoners in some of the gaols in Ireland and elsewhere, by good management, are made to support themselves ?—No,
I am not aware to that extent.
584.
Have you any labour in your gaol ?—Yes.
585.
What labour ?—Breaking
stones.
586.
Does not that pay you any thing?—No,
it is more improvement and punishment than any thing else.
It is a mere trifle.
587.
Mr.
French.]
You said that Lord Killeen objected to the expense of Drogheda establishment being thrown upon the county?—Yes.
588.
Chairman.]
If the county of the town of Drogheda were divided be¬ tween the other two counties, do you conceive it would increase the expense ?
—I conceive it must in a trifling degree.
589.
The county establishment, the gaol, the clerk of the peace and Crown, and all those offices would be done away, what would there be to keep up except the roads that run through the county of the town ?—Nothing
else, for if the gaol was kept up, it would be as a bridewell for the three counties.
590.
There might be no necessity for keeping it up?—The
transmission of prisoners would be a great expense, that would be saved by a gaol at Drogheda.
591.
What do you pay to the inspector-general of prisoners ?—He
gets 20/.
for each visit, and he visits twice a year.
592.
Mr.
French.]
Do you think those visits are attended with any advantage whatever to the county?—I
cannot say that there is not some advantage.
He is a check upon the officers and the local committee, but our complaint is, that from being so small a county we cannot bear the expense.
593.
Chairman.]
Are you aware that in the appointment of inspectors of prisons in England, there has been no charge whatever thrown on the coun¬ ties?—I
am not aware of it.
H.
B.
Fairtlough,
Esq.
12 May 1836.
Sabbati, 14° die Maii, 1836.
MEMBERS PRESENT.
Sir Robert Ferguson.
Mr.
Richard More O'Ferrall.
Mr.
French.
Sir Richard Musgrave.
Mr.
Jephson.
Mr.
Richard Longfield.
Sir Edmond Haye3.
Lord Viscount Acheson.
SIR ROBERT FERGUSON, in the Chair.
Richard Griffith, Esq.,
called in ; and Examined.
594-Chairman] ARE you employed in Ireland in the Government valuation?
—-I am Commissioner of Valuation under several Acts of Parliament; the 7th Geo.
IV.
c.
62; the 1st & 2d Will.-IV.
c.
51; the 2d and 3d Will.
IV.
c.
33, and the 4th & 5th Will.
IV.
c.
50.
0-7J« E4 595.
What
R.
Griffith, Esq.
14 May 1836.
