The Statesman. — London, England, 1823-05-27 00:00:00

Bosse, it was a deliberate opinion, and not one by ion plicadoe. lint if the feelings of this witness were to be detterespected, he (Sir John) would ask bow the House matild treat a United Irishman placed tinder the rote circumstances?—(llear.) Wonid they show to him the same indulgence that they now extended to this Orange Chief? He would not give an opinion upon the treat ment which would be shown to a United Irishman at the bar of this House of Commons ; but there were times _And plates when be amid-orate frith -certainty as to the meaner. in .whits such, a character would be treated, • --aelfen n•tt only' woitid no indulgence be shown to his Adliegal 'with. bbt the evidence would be extorted from . ; litre s hy any mean', 'sod at .all freely; —(Hear.) The relevancy or irrelevancy of the question, was, after all, • , : tbe point in issue. Uiless tbe Honse were allowed to Lem what an Orangeman was, esald they say whether Jee not the Sheriff was guilty in milting out a Jury Jesuit amongst them? .For aright they kneel, it might I'e a Society using certain symbols common to all its • : menthe's, by. which an understanding might exist • bete een the traversers and the Jury? If such was the ame. the whole charge against the Sheriff was committed to it. It was, therefore, of the utmost importance to as cettaie this fact; but that the House should step short at the very moment that the inquiry was becoming mate .. !MI, was at variance not only with justice, but totally inconsistent with its own dignityand character.—(Hear) t• —Let them thus place bounds to their powers, and this • 41 , tuse ceased to be a supreme Court of 'lnquiry. What "became. then, of the boast of the omnipotence of Parlia ment, and of the inquisitorial powers of this House, so necessary to the administration of justice?—(Hear) To defeat it at any time. in any inquiry, it would seem that a witness bad only to take a secret oath, no matter how' illegal, before he came to their bar, and then urge the sacredness of that oath as a plea for net opening his mouth. Was it possible that the Howe could be thus either cajoled—or rather bullied ? Would Parliament thus degrade itself? If at another time it was hinted by any Hon. Member at that bide of the House, that we should thus disgraCe them and ourselves, he would he cried down as a man whose object it was to slander Parliament. And what greater disgrace could they draw • upon themselves, than thus to give the Orange chieftain such a triumph over them ? It was said, that by visiting upon this witness the punishment dne from the Injured dignity of this House, we should give him a triumph by making him a martyr In the cause. But was the triumph 'rester, that he should he a martyr rather than a victor? —(Neer.) If he will glory in suffering in the cause, let not, at least, his party have to boast of having triump hed over this House. It was certainly impolitic to give any party a ninetieth either by raising the merit of any in dividual by his sufferings, or by giving him a triumph. lie (Sir J) wished from his heart, that all party was ex tingnished in Ireland, and he had Mille a suggestion to the Right Hon. Gent. opposite (Mr. Peel) when he was • Secretary for that eonntry, to bring in a Bill which would suppress these factions. Bat if there was hitherto a criminal neglect in conniving at their existence, was it to be tolerated that in a solemn inquiry like this, their illegal and secret oaths should be held as a bar to the course of justice? This.faction, instead of being tlimi niibed in its power, had increased with impunity. They scented to meat nothing to their complete establishment, but the triumph which the House were now going to give then'. It was staid that the principles of this society were not of so rigid a nature as they had beets, but the Agerion was, whet were they when the Sheriff made oat Om panel? Upon the meaning of the word Orangeman ,depended the whole malt or innocence of the Sheriff. For ,these reasoatiohererorr, he should contend that the ques liOn which intended to be put was relevant to the parti cular inquiry before the Hopse. ,t Mr. CA CC RA FT said, that having moyei the adjourn- I ment of the discomien, en Friday night, on the motives of which some diet:ewes of opinion bad arisen, he was anirous to atate,What his motives really were. He certainly had never liefilie Made that motion with the Vit.ll9 which 'the Right FlonMeittleinan opposite seemed to attach to it. I • )fe never intended to.euehiob at that state allfurtber ex- , amlnation of the witottal-40 objection applying itself . • entirely to the' particular sea.stin of time in which the ". question was started, for.' hr conceived , that the greet „ length to which ' ' the exisieUßStroll had already run that ; night, rendered it unfit tie prosecute it farther fur the pre -lent: And .hries the Wore .IMlticed to move an adjourn . 'merit, when llVlihard the At.; lion. Gent. opposite express •ltisdeterminationofialtlpgicertiusgpestioosiwhjchwould • inertainlytead, to other', had _there was.no,seeing where I r telfiqairy tietuld,stok Lei it nut be understood, how 'ever, that he I ntiilied • tfipreclade any Gentleman. from asking such (readmit imetsanother oecasion, as he might Jude" r 6t. He had no ditnCuity in saving, that for hist he did not thiOk the qiiistion was a relevant pm par ; hut if the House watt of idifferent:oPinion, he was persuaded that day stem; eegapentents into !,thich he ought have en treed should shelter the *witness from the obligation of • t iins'werng sant? question put to hint by this House.— Vfeart)—A% all evenki, he hoped, that whether the ques 'dem was considered relevant or nor, the House would signify t 6 thevitness that nothing cont.' justify hint in • rilence at the bar of this Howie. v. OOULBURN said he did not rise to argue that any previont volonterY engagement into which a witness fateteld lame entered' lterore be came is the bar of this Moese, could shelter hun from the obligation of answer ,lng'unerialifiedly to every„qoestion which might bepat to • VIM here., The power of the House in that particular was universally admitted. But what he rose for was, to asiert the right of evoty MeMber to discuss the relevancy • sibli propriety orivery qneistion which should be put to a nitres The Rt. Hon: Baronet opposite (Sir John New port) had treated the matter as if the witness bad been asked a question and had refused to give an answer, whereas, in fact, be had never yet been asked the ques ffon. This was what lie (Mr. G.) objected to. Now, as a Member of this (louse. he (Mr. G.) would give an opi nion, that he did not think the question pertinent to the present inquiry. It had Wm said it was ina•erial, so far as some secret understanding night exist by secret signs between the traversers and the Jury, but the Sheriff was • not affected by any such tnnderstanding, unless it was shown that he was cognoscent of it.—(Hear.)--It was in proof that the Sheriff was not himself se Orangeman, and what right, therefore, had the Right Hon. Baronet to assume that he was arqnainted with theiraecret signs ? Sochi a foundation was absolutely necessary to prosecut , log the inquiry ; but when that was not shown, he (Mr. 0.) was warranted in saving that the question was irre levant. And assuming it to be irrelevant, be would put it to the House whether in sound discretion they should reduce themselves to that pass, that they must make a martyr of the witness in the cause. Let them consider the effect wish such an advantage given to our party Will produce in the present distracted state of Ireland.—' At present there was no conflict hetweeo the House and the witness, and the question might at this stage be pro perly raised, a ithout any conpromise of the privileges of the House. The Right Hutiourable Baronet had asked what coarse he (Mr. G.) would pursue towards a United Irishman, jibe were placed under the same eircumataoces at the bar. To this he would reply, that he would tell him that no illegal oath should protect him against the rwer of this House. but in either case, he should be toast delicate in calling upon him to disclose secret* 'which were not material or pertinent to the matter in lone. ABERCROMBY thought that no question could be whited of more importance to the character, authority, and riirfutty of this House, or to the state and safety of irel-ind. I,Htsr,) Whether we were now to go on with this course of jewelry farther or to stop short, was a subject of considers- { ties most *eighty and inomestous. $t was litiporsible,• in NS opinion, to frame a snore relevant question. For what I 'I I- 3 E STATE was the greet object of the inquiry. with which the Hous had bees now so long oecapTed 7—Was it not to ascertain whether or not thefiberif had made put al impartial panel? Bellow was that to be tried?, "I Nave" says. the . Sheriff, "tip Orange panel In my pocket." . Whet tweanothat 7 (Rear.) Did not the gravamen of the charge consist in ~.4neertaining what an Orangeman was The House were lot to be told that they must stop short, just at the moment that the inquiry became important% It-was- important that the oath which the witness had taken would notprotoct him In a Court of Law, and yet it was to avail him at the bar of the House of Commons? What was this but truckling to the Orange faction ?—(Hear, hear.) Let the Illoasethink of the effect which this will produce in Ireland, when the She riff will have told, that in answer to the chsege of corruption, he stated openly that he had returned an Orange pose!, and that the House were afraid to inquire what that meant. — (Hear, hear.) This was bullying the Holm with it yen geame, and when it was considered that those who were at the head of this faction were the men for worn we bed been voting large salaries, the case was still more aggravated. — It was, in fact, the manifesto of the Orangemen in these words—" We will be good and loyal subjects only so long as we please—that is, so long as you allow us to rule Ire land."—(Loud cheers.) "How long then would they be allowed to rule Ireland?" that was the real question, That was the question which the Mouse had now to decide, and in which its dignity. honour and character, and the safety of Ireland were involved. It was ridiculous to sae—" Yoa give a triumph to oqe party or the other by prosecuting the inquiry." The House was now committed. nod bad gods too far to recede. It was no longer a question . lei-, tweets two parties in Ireland, bet it was hetweeo the House and the Orangemen.—(Hear.) Were we engaged in al inquiry connected with the cause of justice or were we not 7—l f we were, itwas our duty to prosecute the inquiry at all events, and we owed it to the people of Ireland to pu nish that party, by whose means the stream of justise was impeded. The House then should not be turned aside by any consideration from probing this matter to the bottom. But this was not the first time that it was admitted the sided , nistration of justice was impeded by this society. In Itll4, a most respectable Irish Judge (Mr. Justice Fletcher), is addressing a Grand Jury in Ireland, used these words—" Id the nest place, the country sees the Magistrates overacting their perm: in some instances by a too great supineness. in• others by too active a partiality in the dispensing of justice. In this case I find that the Societies called the Orange So-' cleties, have produced the most mischievous effects, particu larly in the North of Ireland. There they poison the very sources of justice," itc.—(Hear, hear.) After these admis ' sions from so high an authority, was the House to shrink ' from a contest with such a party. What triumph could be , 1 so great as to allow the witness to call himself victor over the House? Nobody could doubt the relevancy of the question, and it was the merest truckling to the faction not to put it. There could be no triumph without success, and a martyr was not so dangerous as a victor.—(Hear.) Mr. PELHAM said a few words which were inau dible. • Mr. CANNING expressed his conviction of the power of the House in requiring answers from the witness, but be thought that it would be better to abstain from put ting the question. as his refusing to answer would drive the House, in its own defence. to visit him with pnnish• ment. This he dep recated as likely to be attended with ill consequencee. The opinion which lie had expressed oc Friday night was : confirmed by the reflection of forty ! eight hours. He distpot deem this question necessary, 'and if it was allowed, the House should permit several 1 others of the same natal* which would lead to the great est inconvenience. The course which he now suggested, he would pursue in the case of an United Irishman, or : any other person similarly situated. It was not necessary at this time to give an opinion upon Orange Societies, ' for there was already a Bill before the House which would effectually suppress all secret societies in Ireland. Considering it, therefore, unwise wantonly to bring ' this matter to en issue, wore especially when the question iwas irrelevant, be would oppose its tieing put. Mr. AROCUHAM said, that before the House entan gled itsel(in a discussion as to relevancy or irrelevanzy Lof any particular question, they should begin by ascer taining whether the witness was disposed to answer tbs. question upon which they had set the'? sanction. The issue pointed now was, not upon the propriety of the in terrogatory, but upon the power to draw forth an an swer. The gauntlet had been already flung down by the witness, for be was asked a question which the House decided to be a proper one; hut lie pertinaciously and contumaciously refused to reply to it. Here, then, was a fall stop. If the House would proceed by opening anew door of inquiry, they must do so re inject a, for it was ab surd to think of starting new questions, whilst the wit ness made a stand at any one, for the principle was there• by committed. The only difficulty, therefore, could be, whether or not the House felt disposed to vindicate its privileges by incising upon an answer, or whether they would pos'pone it for the present. Of its relevancy there was " not a twig to hang a doubt upon," and it was much too late to use it with any effect We were engaged in inquiring whether or not the Sheriff of Dub lie packed a Jury. What was his answer? It was in evidence that he bragged of having an Orange panel in his pocket. Colonel BARRY —I rise to order. From a sense of public justice iam obliged to interfere. The Hon. Mem ber has assumed that in evidence to be proved, which was disproved on the other side. It is not fair, therefore, to make ust of ex•parte statements in argument. Mr. GRATTAN.—That statement respecting the Orange panel remains oncontradicted. Mr. BROUGHAM said, he was satisfied the Right lion. Gentleman who had conducted this case with so much can dour hitherto, had, in the heat of argument, strayed away from that course. It was surely unnecessary to tell him, that, all the proceedings hitherto were interlocutory, and that no decision had yet been given upon the case one way or the other. He (Mr. Brougham) was therefore at liberty to use what he found upon the minutes. He had no wish to prejudge the case, or to raise a prejudice against the Sheriff. Alit he meant to say was, that it appeared' by the minutes of the evidence that the Sheriff somewhere said. "he had a good Orange panel in his pocket." This might have been contradicted, though he was not aware that it was —(Hear ;) and be recollected perfectly well, what e. flame was raised in the endeavours which were made to obtain a contradiction to it. Mr. PLUNKETT here interfered, and begged to callback the Hon. Gentleman's atteutiou to the point inore imme diately in issue. Mr. BROUGHAM said, his Right Hon. and Learned Friend was quite right, but he would see that he had been dragged into this course of remark. They at least had it in evidence that such an assertion had been made by the Sheriff; and could soy man then say, that to inquire into what these Orangemen were was irrevelant ? But then it was not discreet to examine on such points. These silken phrases might suit the taste, but it was absolute effeminacy to talk so in such a case as this. Diseretion was the better part of valour—(4. laugh)—and the public would see what It was upon the present occasion. Judgment too was a term used ; and they all knew that it also meant that part , of valour assigned to discretion.—(A laugh.) • And this was the determination to which the Right Hon. Secretary of State had come after 48 hours of sober, collected reflection. Dignity too, had been talked of ; but the House would lose all dignity, and authority likewise, unless it went tuck to the very question, which the Must decid 4:1 almost unani mously it would have answered. But now this Deputy Grand Mester of all the Orange Lodges put their dignitylo flight ripen his first appearance. The other night the (Ides lion was put to him, which he contumaciously refused to answer. Bat now they were not to proceed even so far as to put any question of which he was not likely to approve. He came like another great personage who came before hire—vest, eidi, vici.—(Loud laughter.) This might be passed over la the House, but what would the public say and thick, when they saw such proceedings? What would they think when they saw how tie poor printers were treated if they came to their bar, and contrasted it 'whit their con duct towards Sir A. Bra dley King? It was said in an other place by Lord Redesdale teed he named him to ho. nour him for his services, and upon his authority upon rich subjects), that the result of tweets years experience in Ire- !I=M M . 4 N Bend Informed him, that in that ill-fited **entry there wa ithe justice for the rich, and another for the poor, and both ill-administered. lie had hoped that such a state of things were censned to Ireland ; but he found that the same state of thinks now *misted in the British Haase of Commons. — Their taty was to probe this inquiry to the bottom, Ind to deal equally with all parties. But let them not meet the Orangetneo , with Bills which they•did not know would he carried; and which were intended to pronounce that to be illegal which the Judges aad the Attorney-General and al most every body ease,• had already declared to be so. Let them not send back Sir Attrehr ui Bradley King to the Orange Lodges with the triumph of having humbled and defeated the Parliament of England. A 51EHRER,whose mime we could not learn, spoke a 12w Inaudible words from under the Gallery. Mr. C. WYNN said the House was left to choose between `evils. 'He was anxious that the inquisitarlal power of the House should be vindicated, Col. HARRY thought that the questions should he pat boldly and honestly at once to the witness. Sir .7. NEWPORT said he intended not to press the question now, but to withdraw it without giving tip his right to put it at any future period if he thought neces sary. But he thought the former question ought to be answered be the witness. A desultory roriversation \ben sued as to the power of the Right lion. B ourt o withdraw the question, which )rd to ngfErci n u n the point, and J o rat'he withdrew it according to his in ntion. After a few words from Mr. es., M W. SMITH the witness liras rejalled, and Si . New T pat to the thefullowing qoestion. .., From what p a rt of Scripture are the pa sages taken which ore rea d to Orangemen ? Mr. Secretary PEEL moved that the witness do with draw ; and objected to the question. The aitness withdrew. ......................_ ._ Sir J. NEWPORT repeated the question, and moved that it be put. Mr. BROUGHAM seconded the motion, and said ttat this qu tion was distinct from that upon which i }et. Ministers ha just given an opinion, and without any inconsigeue they might agree to it. The Hon. an! Ltirned Met them real the minutes of the former ev4ence, an contended that the question now was, whether the House or the witness should prevail. In answer to this question when put to the witness before, he had referred them gmerally to the Old Testament. It was impossible for . the House to feel that this was art answer to its questitn ; and it would be acting deceit fully if it declared tin, It a belief. ... _ . Mr. PLUNKETT thought it wotild be better to put the qoestion thus; " In what part of the Old Testament are the texts read to Orangemen to he found?' Sir JOHN NEWPORT moved the question accord ingly. Colonel BARRY said that it would be more manly to ask directly the book, chapter, and verse. Sir J, NEWPORI said he would adept that sugger lion. Mr. Alderman WOOD thought that the proper mode of eyamination would be to mention the particular part of the Bible in which the passages which had been al luded to were supposed to be, and to ask the witness whether those passages were to be found in that place? (Hear.) Mr. CANNING approved of the suggestion of the worthy Alderman. Mr. ABERCROMBY observed, that to approve of such mode of examilia.ion would be to assume that hie Right lion. Friend was in the secrets of the Oraogetnen. (Hen ) The CHAIRMAN said, tbe question which be had to peapiie to . the witness was as follows: " In what book. chapter, and verse of the Old Testausent are these pas sages to be found which arc read to Orangemen on their initiation 1 . ." Mr. BANKES objected to any thing which appeared like an nnnecessery interference with a min's conscience. Mr. JOHN WILLIAMS couteuiled, that the question was not merely relevant, but absolutely necessary to the further larosecutio:i of this investigation. Mr. K. DOUGLAS said a few words, amid incessant cries of " Question." The gallery was then cleared for the division. when there appeared—For putting the question, :47—Against it, 117—Majority, 30. On our re-admission into the Gallery, we foun3 Mr. BROUGHAM on his legs addressing the Com mittee. He wished he could conceal from himself the tendency of the decision to which the Committee had just come. In his opinion that ten lent -3r was to encou rage unlawful associations and unlawful oaths. Those who voted with the majority on the last division, from motives of religion ' hail , he could assure them, encourag ed a practice which went to cut up all sound religion by the routs. Those oaths were not only illegal; but were irreligious and profane. This was the opinion of the Judges, who even thought they were blasphemous oaths; and for his own part, although he did nut defend the conduct of the poor people who had been indicted, and punished for blasphemy, be thought the oaths in question witch more objectionable than their conduct. He thought, indeed, that they were the worst practical blasphemy.— Instead of inquiring whether a question would beproper or improper, the Committee appeared to have decided an inquiry whether it would be agreeable or disagreeable to Alderman King to answer it. He really thought that, this being the case, the Committee should abstain from humiliating themselves any further. Still, however, he advised his Right Hon. Friend to go on with the exa mination. As for the oaths, the Lord Chief Justice and the Attorney General for Ireland bad declared them to be illegal ; it was clear that Alderman King had been guilty of a misdem-anour in taking the oath ; and yet the Committee had resolved to allow him to pat forth tnat very misdemeanour as a shelter against his examination ; or, at least, such part of it as was disagreeable to him.— This question involved the very existence of Parliament; for no other question had ever, in his Parliamentary life, come before the House a millionth so important as this. The case of Sir Francis Burdett, some years since, was not like the present. Sir Francis had offered no obstruction to the proceedings of the House ; he bad spoken lightly of something the House had done a month before, and the House sent him to the Tower, though the same doctrine about martyrdom had been ad vanced in this Iliac as was put forth in that. Mr. Wind ham, in particular, was anxious to deprive Sir. Francis of the honour of martyrdom; but he (Mr. Brougham) had always thought and declared that the whole of the proceedings against Sir F. Burdett were unjust and il legal. Still he wished the present examination to be gone on with. He should be sorry to see it given up in ill humour. But, after what hid been done in this case of Sir Abraham King, he really should like to see the House here atm. darting its vengeance upon some unfortunate primer who had no friend at Court. If, on such an occasion, the printer were to say—" I belong to the Jourueyinen Printers' Masonic Society, and have sworn not to reveal what passes in it: my conscience is wooer, and I beg you will not press me to violate my oath." if this should be the case, he should like to nee any Minister ask the House to send that man to pri *n, and become a party t w o its own a lditional huinilia don. If the House, however, were actually to do so, it amnia commit an act of suicide, and there would then Only remain to be done what was suggested to be done by one who was sent to prison far it, when something 'which was now under the table was then put upon it.— There would only remain for them to be kicked and cuffed out of doors as they would richly deserve.; and for him who did it to lock the doors and put the keys in his pocket. r. C. WILSON defended the motives of chose gen -Ileum who had toted in the majority on the last di " cision, from pe imputations which the tronourable 'Member for Wiathelsea had thrown out against them in Isis el , lnent harangue. He was proceeding In his con.- ments, when Lord STANLEY called the Honourable Gentleman to order, and begged to know what question was before the Committee. Mr. C. WILSON wished to know why he was called to order, while an Hon. Gentleman had been allowed to proceed. Sir It. HERON said that be bad called the Hon. Gent. (Jlr. Brougham) to order, because he had expected that he would conclude with a motion. Mr. BROUGHAM edited, that he had intended to have done so, gni! the motion would naturally have been that the wi'n.ss be calle.i in. This question having been put, Mr. C. WILSON went on to state, that Imbed object ed to the question proposed to be put to the witness, be. cause it termed to him altogether irrelevant, when the inquiry regarded only the conduct of the Sheriff t f Sir A.R. king was then called in. and examined by Sir J. NEWPORT,-1 wish to whether the following words, or any part cf them are read, or put to an Orangeman on, or lifter his admission AS such—" And stay you nut, but pursue after your enemies, and smite the hindmost of them ; suf.•r them not to enter into their cities, for the Loan your Goo bath delivered them into your hands." Witoess.—Not one word of them to the best of my kilos. ledge. • _ _ _ Sir J. NEWPORT—Or any words to that effect ?—None that I knew of. Sir J.NEWPORT—What other texts from Scripture are read 1 This question being objected to was not put. By Mr. BROUGHAM—Are the texts which are read, or slid to be used as signs, eontained in one or two words—ate the texts at some lerteth. sent.nc,m— The witness was ordered to withdraw. WETIIERELI. wished to know the former sr• ewers of the witness; because he doubted if the wilie.s Gad not denied that any texts were taken from Scripture. Mr. BROUGHAM said the witness admitted on Fridal. that texts were rend from the Old Testarnet.t. The short-hand writer again read the quest:oa and ■newer. Ale. WETIIERELL said it appeared that come texts of Scripture were read over on the anthission of Orange men, Mr. BROUGHAM then matte sonic observations in refer ence to the particular texts, and wished to know whether they consisted of particular words. Mr. WEICHERELL objected to the witness being called upon to state the particular words. After • few words from Air. T. FITZGERALI), Mr. BROUGHAM said he stoo' put this question if it was not objected to—" is there any verse in the 10th chapt e r of the book of Joshua to the 19th verse, that is read cart to Orangemen on their admission?" Mr. WETHERELL objected to this question as seek ing to extort in a lump what the witness had already recussd to answer. Mr. PEEL contended that the question was touched in termstoo general. Col. BARRY said if this mode of examination were persisted in, they might go through the whole of the Old Testament before the inviiry was concluded. Tie manful way would be to Hsi; c witness w heth er t h ere was any thing in the oath of an Orangeitiati whica went to encourage the extermination of auy class of society. Mr, BROUGHAM said that wl at the Right Honour able Colonel meant by " inatifnl" was, that the witness should state his own opinion instead of giving facts to the Committee. He 53.3' it was quite listless to pros the question, for then: IV4f a symp,out which indicated to Alderman King, the lloputy Grand Alast,r, that lie was not to answer. Mr. Secretary PEEL proposed that the Hon. and Learned Member shoal(' point out any particular Teri-, and ash the witness whether that was read over to Orangemen on their admission. Mr. A BERCROMBY concurred with his Hon. and Learned Friend, that there was not the slightest use is pressing the qu-stion. The relevancy of it was as clear ly shown as the intention to defeat it was apparent. Alderman King was then called'. Ezamined by Mr. BROM/ Id A AL—What are the parts of Scripture that are read over to Orangemen on their adm'ssion ?—I am qnite unprepared to answer, not bar ing the book of reference. Do you recollect what parts of Scripture are read ups the occasion ? Mr. RANKIN objected to .the question. ..Mr. BROUGHAM said there was a manifest intention to defeat the object of the inqnirv. The irrelevance the question had never been talked or till the witness refused to answer. Colonel BARRY also objected to the question. The witness was then ordered to withdraw. Mr. BROUGHAM asked the Right Honourable Co lonel, whether he thought thispertivacions opposition to the developement of truth trout.' look well out of doors. The world would certainly think it would not. Col. BARRY said that the elusion was the same in substance as that which the House had decided the wit ness should nist answer. Mr. BROUGHAM thought it quite a mockery to goon with the inquiry in this way. Mr. HUTCHINSON deprecated the conduct which Ministers pursued towards Ireland. He hoped it would go abroad to the world that his Majesty's Government were quite indifferent to the taunts and insults which the Catholic millions of Ireland eiperien:ed from a wretched (action. The CHAIRMAN wished to know from the Honour. able Member whether he meant to conclude with a mo. tion ? Mr. HUTCHINSON said, that finding there was ro use in !proceeding with the inquiry in this manner, he should move that it be removed to that day six months. Mr. Secretary PEEL asked the lion. Measlier whether be thought that aaeasonahle time to discuss the condor of his Majesty's Government with respect to Ireland ?It certainly was not, and when the fit occasion arrived, then wonld be no indisposition on the part of him aid hiswh leagues to have their and aqtres strictly examined. Air. HUME supported the motion. Mr. RICE did not wish to get rid of the inquiry 1 0 long as the Sheriff had yet any witnesses to call in hit defence. Mr. URATTAN hoped that his Hon. Friend would withdraw the motion, as some good might result froa prosecuting the inquiry. Mr. Secretary . PEEL said he would oppose the re l • ting rid of the sociniry, if his Right Hon. Friend (Co lonel Barry) stated that he had any more witnesses to call on the part of the sheriff ; if not, he should consent to its being put an end tu. Mr. PLUNKEIT said he thought the question which the witness had refissed to answer material to the inquiry but he did nut conceive it necessary to his own defend in the part be had sakes. After a few words from Colonel BARRY, Mr. CAL' CRAFT, Mr. FEEL, and Mr. HUTCHINSON, ll* CHAIRMAN put the question, which was negatited without a division, and Alderman King was again called in. He was not bound by Isis oath to conceal any thill i° Orange lodges, but signs, and words. There was varitty of other business besides signs, tokens, aid words. tile Do t e n s a a n n y y I n t; a i it s s g n e f ve h r ia ta id lte a j is e l a a ty ce .a a a t n O bi r e a n n t o g e ?_ lo ca d !T a r ty. not; and if any one had told me so, I would not P lies* it. Witness held the office of Deputy Grand M iller; does not hold it now ; he retired from it. Three ye ' " -4) a tiaeitioo occurred, when the ( 'rand L od g e 01°' ,~_ .