The Express.
London, England, 1865-05-04 00:00:00

SCANDAL.

REPORT OF THE LORDS' COMMITTEE.
This morning the report of the select oommittss
d the House a/ Lodi appointed he inquire late the ewe
et Mr. Edmunds wee made public. It oomphs is ell 26

PIP&
The narrative of Mr. Edmunds's relations with the
Patenteffioe, given la the report, is explicit and minute.
The prooesdinp of Mears. Greenwood and Hindman& are
detailed mad the video°, hard by them ceretally analysed.
The ethinaltes are of opiates that so much of the first
charge es relates to the `warns with public monies of
stamps upon which allowances of discounts were obtained
by Mr. Edmunds is (rely established by the evidence,
The second charge preferred against Mr. Edmunds "for
bevies Improperly retained in hie bands or under his
contra, between the 9th August, 1852, and the meth of
July, 1964, without duly paying the some over into her
Majesty's Exchequer, divers large sums of money received
by him for fees on patents, which ought to have been (tool
time to time during that peeled paid by him late bat
Majesty's Enbequer," the committee consider fully proved
and the third, " for having from time to time improperly
caused to be transferred to the credit of his private womb
with Messrs. (butte and Co., Waken, from a separate so-
count kept by him with the same beakers for the piddle
purposes of her Majesty's Patent-office, and having applied
to his own use divers these of public money for which .10
was accountable to her Mathrty," they Name
hesitate to conclude is "completely established."
In the course of the investigation into the charges
spinet Mr. Edmunds, the committee were at a lose le
understand how it could have happened that, after 'he bed
been making payments Into the Exchequer for many yeast,'
down to Acorn, 1852, he shor'd suddenly have dens"
timid hie payments, and for twelve yeah afterthro
neither have paid over nor even accounted for the pablie
money in his hands, and yet no notice whatever should have
been taken of his default. The committee, therefore, were
desirous of being furnished with some infoimation as to the
audit to which Mr. Edmunds's accounts ought to have been
subjected. They were accordingly attended by the be
cellar of the Exchequer, and by Mr. Hamilton and Mr. Ar-
butheot from the Treasury. It appears from the thane:mist of
the Chancellor of the Exchequer that unless some change
has bees introduced as to the soosunting of the Clerk of
the Patna (of which he is not aware), it is " a true
ethiptice of that officer that he may hold In his hands just
es mush public money as he thinks fit, sad pay it if he
thinks fit, and if he pay nothing at all there ore no mesas of
calling him to account for such non-psymeet" The Chas-
eater of the Exchequer also stated that, "as regards tie
custody of money end scooonV-ig for money, the prissier
state of the law is very deficient indeed, not with respect to
great breathes of revenue, but with reaped to the minells-
neon. Made of receipt, relating to a great variety of hinds
which come into the hands of public" others without be.
loegiag to the public." This deficient state of the law,
says the sommittes, should sot be allowed to thatinits, as
it not only imperils the custody of public mosey, but offers
to various parlous employed in the public service tempts.
Coe to milemiduct.
With regard to the second report of Meths. Greenwood
and Eliadmarch, Mr. Edmunds wholly denies his liability
beyond the sum which he has paid, but whether that sum
covered all that was des from h4a ea& only be ascertained
by a thorough investigation of his a-sounts ; and the com-
mittee do not feel that they are possessed of sufficient in-
formation to enable them to offer any opinion as to the pre-
bible result of such an investigation.
Proceeding to the circumstances connected with the resig.
nation by Mr. Edmunds of the office of reading clerk and
clerk of outdoor committees in the Home of Lords, the
committee relate the various step taken th the matter by
Mr. Edmunds, the Lord Chancellor, Mr. W. Brougham,
and others. Mr. William Brougham had been for msny
years upon the most intimate terms with Mr. Edmunds,
but although, in the mouth of October. they had be-
come unfriendly, yet Mr. Wi,liem Brougham (e thl“ng,
as Mr. Leman, the solicitor of Mr. Edmonds, stated, "to
stop inquiry into the conduct of Mr. Edmunds") took
upon himself to interface on Mr. Edmunds's behalf, and
to write a letter to the Lord Chancellor, In which he said,
"If you think, looking at ell the oirounishmosi of the
case, that Mr. Edmund's wheat course is to resign and pe-
tition the parliameet office committee to be cloyed to
retire on a psalm, and If you will do what you an to
help him to a pension, I will advise him to reglad." The
Load Chancellor, in sewer to Mr. William Brougham,
wrote a letter of the date of the 29th October, marked
"Private," which, however, having previov'ly received
evidence of its contents, the committee required to have
produced to them, and which contains the following pee.
sages :—" I cannot offer any opinion oa the subject of fir.
L. Edmunds's cam. All that I can say is that if he thinks
proper to resign, I will do all that 1 can with props sty
to obtaa for him • pension ;" end in a P.& he adds, " I
can with truth certify that Mr. E. has properly discharged
all the duties of the offices he holds in the House of Lords."
it this time the Lord Chasocilor steles that he was
under the impression that the application for a per
ale should be made to the Treamuy, and that a certifi-
cate from himself would be required. Various interviews
sod their alleged results are then described by the com-
mittee out of the evidence. There is a materiel difference
in the statements of Mr. Leman, Mr. Edmunds's solicitor,
and of the Lord Chancellor, as to the promise made by his
lordship with respect to the pension. Both agree es to the
words used, that the Lord Chancellor " world throw so
obstacle in the way of the pension ;" but Mr. Leman states
that on each occasion the tenth of the Lord Chancellor's
assurance were "if Mr. Edmunds would resign, he would
throw no obstacle in the way of his pension ;" while the
Lord Chancellor says that whim it was oommuniosted to
him that Mr. Edmund, intended to resign, then be did, es
Mr. Leeman says, voluntarily and of hie own accord say,
"I will throw no obstacle in the way of his having a pension."
The Lord Chancellor has stated to the committee that
after the tender of Mr. Edmunds's resignatloci it was no
longer his intention to lay the papers on the table, and
that they would not have been laid before the house if
public attention had not been drawn to the subject out of
doors. And his lordship added, " I beg the committee
for a moment to understand that from the beginning to the
and I have acted upon this principle, that I would do
nothing against Mr. Edmunds hot what public duty required,
I asked Lord Crauworth and Lord Ilingedoirn whether my
duty required his discharge, if the alleged facts were tree,
They said ' Yes ; then I directed the inquiry to go ie.
When I found that the House of Lords was the tribunal,
I asked the cabieet le It my duty to bring it before
the Howie of Lords ? Not whether I was justified in doing
it, but is it my bounden duty to do it ? They said
Yes,' but that was only in order that the House of Lords
might no longer have that officer, end when that officer
retired, I then determined for myself, rightly or wrongly
(I take all the responsibility of it), that I would not in-
terfere actively to prevent his having a peados." The
committee cannot coincide with the Lord Chancellor in the
view thus thus takes by him of his public duty. "In their
opinion it was incumbent on him, who presented the
petition of Mr. Edmunds to the House of Lords, in some
manner to have apprised the parliament office committee
of the circumstances under which the resignation of Mr.
Edmunds of the clerkship had taken awe, and with which
the Lord Chancellor was ea:daily acquainted, and sot to
have left them to decide the grannie(' of a pension with no
&ere, light than that which could be derived from vague
end uncertain rumours. The committee have, however,
so reason to believe that the Lord Chancellor was
lellaseced by any unworthy or unbecoming motives in
thee abstaining from giving any Information to the
esermsithes. The committee have examined the °barman
of esamittess as to the knowledge by the members
of the select committee (which he attendedi of say
etreselences which might dimutitle Mr. Edmunds to
a penslos. He stated that there was ' • general knowledge,
ee &lewd impression on the part of most of the members Tun Lars Ma. PRIOBOOTT.—Idr. W. G. Progoott,
of the committee, that in ethethnenos of certain pectudery whose aselameholy death hes already been reemsded. pos.
itheseations in which Mr. Edmunds had been concerted is egrewkwaihlai trii, " was M:s.Zsgra tit l claims
eityl° He was tie
the Patent-offise he had resigned his appointment In it.' the reepe
L., ism at Mr. prao4a, the lending
lath' (he added) Mop Piggott was peesseted to the Itause partner is the banking fine with within the family has
tithed obeervetlea, and no order was suds directing the Uses ceetheted for fear geneestieuw His brother, Mr.
somedtlee to inquire into h. We bed only the fasts stated todlifiG!dost P
vsrecr rottit Mask of Ilegfend, "a" 18 LIM:
IS
the
"kit6M which was referred to and upon thosel Prenett himself took as active part is the pp-
feels we bad te *aka what pension Mr. Edmunds should ; toted as the toasuataid huskies al ihe
be seseidered entitled to.' It is to be regretted that the ; city, He was, however, best known in privet* and
wenealttee did not consider It to be their dirty nadir the social life as cue of the odd dolly wed hospitable of men.
ne
deseddsoose to set upon their general knowledge or in- Sofulmirko re when ladhoumoltdohdot diotrio
atom* be
prieldee so far as to interpose some delay before the goes-
mon who had • 'Lim cm his regard, at when be well give
the was anal disposed of in favour of a P"sioo. which, ' pleasure to a Mead. His simplicity and benevolence of
bed the circumstances bees folly known to them, would . disposition exercised a stroug stirathoe over se neurnally
probably not have been reemenaseded." I large circle of sequaletasess, sod his dthiseneur was
pm remainder of ow malt la devoted to a mosigwolaas habitually ehamiddivol by quiet sad natural &medal-
new The disease of the basin which was the ewe al kis
of the various determents and evidence which followed a re- death was mooed fatfatigue. ad am it was an.
mark In the early pertof theevidenoe gives by Mr. Edmunds patently unconnected with any morbid Folooday of mist
estobis appointment totheolike of Clerked theratsatstothe —Times,

To the above report is appeeded the minutes of the pro-
esediap of each sitting of the eoramittes. The following
are the minutes of the last sittiog
TrIIIerILT,WAT 2.
Lords present :—Lard President, Duke of Same net, Earl
of Derby, Earl Graham, Earl of Clarendon. Berl of
llahnesbary, Viscount Platahinsoo Lord Penman, Lord
Stanley of Alderley, Lard Chelmsford, Lord Taunton ; the
Led President ICI the chair.
Order of adjournment read.
The proasedinp of the committee of Thursday last are
I read.
The draft report is again considered, aid wird further
=sodomite are made herein.
The following paragraphs of the draft report ars read,
and are as follows, viz. :_
"The opinion which the Lard Chancellor appears to have
entertained of his duty upon this comics I. one in which
It is impossible for the committee to emear. In forages •
judgment epos it, it is necessary to beer in mind the posi-
tion is which Mr. Edmunds stood at the time his petition 1
' was pretested to the house. A report had been made to
the Lord Chanosilor by persons whom he himself had
selected to inquire into alleged misconduct on the pm t of
Mr. Edmunds, charging him in the strongest terms with
having misappropriated to his own use public monier,
with having passed fake amounts to the Treasury, and with
having =beaded large sums, which but for the accidental
discovery of his ddalostioris would have lima lost
the public. Upon this report four grave
to
had been framed by the Attorney -General, seer rrs.
Edmunds bad been called upon to answer them in a judi-
cial inquiry. Instead of meeting these charges, Mr. Ed-
munds preferred to surrender his offices, and to undertake
to pay all that was due from him to the public; and be
afterwards paid into the Exchequer nearly three thine as
much as his then discovered detciescie'. A second
had been promoted ooly a fortnight before his
which charged XL Edmunds with still being A7=l7-
feel= toe very emetderable amount beyond the aunt which
be had so paid. These circumstances were fully known to
the Lord Chancellor, and were all essentially important to
be known by the house, in order to enable it to determine
whether Mr. Edmunds was deserving of • pension or not.
All that was afterwards dons in the house was fouoded
upon the petition presented to the house by the Lord Chan.
cellar without observation. Upon its presentation the
imminence of Yr. Edmunds's rangoatioa was moved and
agreed to, and the petition was afterwards referred by the
house to the soled committee on the offios of the clerk of
the parliameats."
It was thee proposed by the Lord Taunton to have oat
the said paragraphs, and to insert the following paragraph
in lieu thereof, via. :
The committee cannot coincide with the Lord Chan-
cellor in the view thus taken by him of his public duty.
In their opinion it was ineambent on him, who presented
the petition of Yr. Edmunds to the House of Lords, in
some =nom to have apprised the Parliament-office coup
mittes of the circumstances under which the vengeance
of Mr. Edmunds of the clerkship had taken place, and with
which the Lord Chancellor was officially acquainted, and
not to have left them to decide the question of a pension
with no clearer light than that which could be derived
from vague and uncertain rumour,. The committee have,
however, no reason to believe that the Lord Chancellor wee
Mittenoied by any unworthy or unbecoming motives in thus
=dahlia; from giving any information to the committee."
Objected to.
On question that the paragraphs proposed to be left out
stand part of the report :
°admin.—Earl of Derby, Earl Graham, Earl of Mahan-
bury, Viscount Hutehinsoo Lord Chelmsford.
NotOontents.—Lord Pnisidest, Duke of Somerset, Earl
of Clarendon, Lord Palmate, Lord Stanley of Alderley,
Lord Tatintot.
The parsgraph proposed to be inserted by the Lord
Taunton is then again read and is agreed to.
The following paragraph of the draft report L read, and
ill as follows :
" Although the committee see no ground for attributing
to the Lord Chancellor any motive, except an unwillingness
to act harshly towards an officer of the house who had
faithfully performed his duties to it for many years, they
I are compelled to oome to the conclusion that in withhold-
ing from the knowledge of the house the serious matters
affecting the character of Yr. Edmunds, and presenting
' hie petition as if he approved of his application for a pen.
sioc, he acted tinder a mistaken sense of his duty, and has
, thereby occasioned serious reflections to be cast upon the
' ooaduot of the house, and has placed it in a situation of
I great embarrassment and difficulty."
Objected to.
Oa question that the paragraph proposed stand part of
tin report :
Cootents.—Earl of Derby, Hari Graham, Earl of Melissa-
bury, Viscount ilutebiosois Lord Chelemford.
Nottiontents.—Lord President, Duke of Somerset, Earl
of Clarendon, Lord Penman., Lord Stanley of Alderley,
Lord Taunton.
The following paragraph is then proposed by the Duke of
Somerset—vis.:
" The committee are of opinion that the passim having
boss granted by the bones in ignoranos of the fade which
are sow brought to light, the proper course will be for the
house to reconsider its former resolution."
Objected to.
Oa question, that the paragraph stand port of the
port :
Contents :—Lord President, Duke of liomereldi Earl

Nov
Nov -amitosis :—Earl of Derby. Earl °edam, Earl of
Nalmosbory, Viseoust Hutchinson, Lord Pasonne, Lord
Stsoley of Alderley, lend Chelmsford. Lord Tanatoo.
The draft report is spin read. sevenl farther amend-
moots are made therein, sad the same, as amended. is

to.
Ordered, that the lord is the chair do make Use eald re.
port to the hoes..
The Blue Book, eoetaining report, evidence, he., yak be
hotted Gs Tateday next.