The Press.
London, England, 1854-07-01 00:00:00

STIFLED SCANDALS.

-.!‘......1644114 Adrift '

WE have seldom read a more unsatisfactory docu-
ment than the report from the committee ap-
pointed to inquire into the charges made against
certain Irish members. On the truth or falsehood
of these charges the report is not only inconclusive
but ridiculously illogical in its expressions. Divided
amongst themselves, the committee concluded hy
appending four paragraphs, which nullify each other.
In the first of these four parapraplis the report
says:--

" They cannot but regard it u matter both of regret and
animadversion that even the excitement of political passion
should have induced gentlemen to place before the public
allegations so vitally affecting the honour of one class of
Irish representatives—allegations which, when they had
the opportunity of sustaining them, they failed to substan-
tiate by any reliable proof."

The censure therein conveyed is very strongly ex-
pressed, but its "animadversion" is rendered futile
by the first sentence of the next paragraph :

" Your committee have, however, to adJ,that respectable
witnesses have stated that in Irish society there is a general
belief that practices of the gross traffic indicated in these
charges have existed."

We surmise that most readers of the report will,
after a perusal of its details, give their credence
rather to the " respectable witnesses" than to the
parliamentary exculpators in the committee.
Mr. HENLEY proposed the insertion of the follow-
ing well-considered words :

" Many respectable witnesses, however, have spoken of
a general belief of the existence of corruption in a section
of the Irish representatives as being notorious. Your
committee are, however, of opinion that no inquiry, such
as has been entrusted to them, can ascertain the truth or
falsehood of this belief; and they have not received evi-
dence sufficient to enable them to come to any conclu-
sion."

But Mr. BUTT succeeded by a majority of five to
four in defeating Mr. HENLEY'S amendment, which
appears to us to meet the essential facts of the case.
There is not any necessity for our discussing the
various scandals alluded to by this report. We may,
however, observe that no Conservative Irish mem-
bers have been implicated in those disagreeable
charges. Not one among their body has been in
any wise incriminated, and we are pleased that such
should be the case.
We observe that the committae conclude their re-
port by branding the article in the Times as " calum-
nious." We concur with the minority, Lord HOTHAN,
Mr. VERNON, and Mr. BRIGHT, that the word should
have been omitted. No doubt the article was censo•

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rims*, and, unhappily, certain incidents in patha.
mentary life have more than once made the charac-
ters of "Irish members" topics of severe strictures.
In proportion to their numbers, it could easily be
shown that the Irish " popular" members have got
more places and titles than any equal body of Eng-
lish or Scotch representatives. The recollection of
their skulking in 1847 from the support of Lord
GEORGE BENTINCK'S generous motion for their
starving countrymen is not likely soon to be forgot-
ten. Nor can it have passed from the pnblio mind
how Mr. Solicitor-General KEoou cried "So help
him God !" he never would take office until certain
events took place, which have not occurred either
previous or subsequent to his official appointment.
Nor has a cashiered Lord of the Treasury been for-
gotten. With such patent facts, bruited wherever
the British press circulates, it is ridiculous to de•
flounce the Times as " calumnious " for having made
observations by no means so severe as those which
" respectable witnesses" often hear in " Irish so-
ciety " on the c induct of certain of the Irish " popu-
lar" representatives.

A "WALKER" COME TO JUDGMENT.
JUDGMENT was given this day week in the Court of
Exchequer upon a somewhat singular defendant.
The word "pharmaceutical" occurred in the course
of some proceedings, and Baron ALDERSON, with his
bar in close attendance, deserted the legitimate
quarry before them at the moment, and set off in
full pursuit of the new game. How was the word to
be pronounced—hard or soft? With the c like k, or
the c like a 1 One learned brother referred to ety-
mology. The Greeks spelt it pharmakutikos, and,
therefore, the c must be hard in the English deriva-
tive. Another took refuge in analogy. c followed
by e invariably became softened into a throughout
the whole range of the language, and he saw no rea-
son for establishing an exception in favour of the
pharmaceutists. A third demurred to the validity of
this analogy : the consequent e, he said, was silent,
and c e u t should be pronounced hard in pharma
ceutical, just as c u t was in acutely. Baron ALDER-
SON listened, deliberated, summed up, and gave
judgment. " Let it be soft," said the learned Baron,
and soft it is from henceforth, Walker notwithstand-
ing. In all future editions of the Pronouncing Dic-
tionary the decision respecting this word must be
reversed, the etym3logieal references obliterated, and
instead thereof we shall see the following :
" Pharmaceutical, n. a. (Farnmaitikal). ' Let it he soft.'
—Baron A klerion.

Any bigoted Hellenist who may hereafter be
shown to have stuck to the kappa will, of course, be
found guilty of contempt, and subjected to heavy pe-
nalties accordingly.