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17,615. (Lord Carrington.) Mr. Jennings was the chairman
of the sanitary committee I think in March last when he was
examined before us ?— Yes.
17,616. Does he hold that position now?— No.
17,617. When was his re-election opposed, and how was it
carried; can you give us the names on the division list?— No, I
cannot.
17,618. Have you no minutes of the division lists?— Yes,
but I have not got them with me here, I could easily produce
them.
17,619. Have you brought with you the minutes of the vestry
during the last three or four months ?— No; in fact I may say
that I only knew last night that I should have to appear here
this morning, and therefore crave the indulgence of the Commission,
and to express a hope that I may be favoured with
another opportunity of producing evidence or answering questions
for which I am not prepared at this moment.
17,620. At question 2915 Mr. Thomas Jennings was asked this
question: "Do you also find that many of the houses in your
"parish are in a very bad state of repair," and his answer was
this: "Yes, very bad; some of the places could not have been
"attended to or cleaned for years, Easton Place for instance."
Is that the fact or not?— I do not think that it is quite the fact,
though I am not in the habit of going round to these places
daily or weekly myself, and therefore I am scarcely prepared to
speak positively upon the subject, but all I know is, that if it
had come to the knowledge of our sanitary committee they
would very soon have visited it and remedied it.
17,621. Then you cannot give an answer to that question?—
I cannot say that I can.
17,622. At question 2947 Mr. Jennings was asked this : "You
"have a gteat number of persons on the vestry who are interested
"in bad or doubtful property, have you not;" and his answer
was "Yes." Do you deny that?— It is a question then of what
is bad or doubtful property. That may be a matter of opinion.
Some people might think a very good class of house a bad and
doubtful piece of property; others may have a very different
opinion. The question is what class of property are the poor
expected to be able to obtain and live in? Naturally the smaller,
poorer, and inferior class of property I take it.
17,623. Do you consider a vestry clerk's a good opinion of
what is bad and doubtful property? The vestry clerk could form
his own individual opinion; but as to an official opinion I do not
feel myself called upon to give one.