The Express.
London, England, 1853-06-18 00:00:00

CHARGE AGAINST MR. KEOGH.

The Marquis of WESTMEATH rose to bring forward
the motion of which he had given notice, for " a select com-
mittee to inquire into the subject of language alleged to
have been used by her Majesty's Solicitor-General for Ire-

land at Moate, in the county of Westmeath, and at Atlilop,
in the month of July last." He entreated their lordships
not to be led away by extraneous subjects if introduced by
the noble duke. It had nothing to do with the matter
whether Lord Derby or any of the late government h..d
offered to make the Solicitor-General "Muter of the
Horse" or " beater of the kettledrums," or to put him into
any other office, because the words and language with
which he was charged, were used at a period long subs.-
quent to the formation of that government. He would
now proceed to refer to the evidence on which he made the
charge, and by which, if their lordships granted the com-
mittee, be would consent to lay his head upon the block if
he did not irrefutably prove his case. la the Int place there
were three migistrates who were ready tocome forward and
prove upon oath that the words were uttered by the hon.
and learned gentleman (Mr. Keogh) from the open window
of a house io the main street of Monte, which was a
quarter sessions town, and one of the polling die-
tticta for the county of Westmeath. The promise
of the honourable and learned geatleman'a presence
had occasioned considerable excitement, end a large num-
ber of persona were assembled in the street to beer him.
Tlui three gentlemen, who were magistrates aim county,
were amongst thine, sad they had very peigarly inti-
mated their readiness to ease forward and apse to the
words uttered. The weeds used by the bon. sad learned
gentleman—as one of thus gentlemen was reedy to prove
on oath—were " Boys, the days an now Sag sad the
nights are shat. In autumn the days will be abeetee, sad the
sights longer—but la winttr the days will be very short,
sad the nights will be very bag, sad than let=Loer re-
sseaben who vendvend/se Sir Z. losbea." A
sea who wee present meld be we set tes pale boo T.
lamb at Mists when be mode lo* ipso* Is sad
OM be Modestly beard his role to Ile of
maser mad the keg sights et Se sug
ar, wad may
" Wee be te *ea during
_Woes lowg aleb whop via Alf
11/ Riebrai Levier." goadms woe alms a mil-
true.

The Duke et NEWCASTLE—What me thele anon ?
The et
Marquis WESTMIATH—Mr.
melds was the Ink ged M. Godfrey Linage stetther.
The minder el thepina. who was the Inns% Meted
that he rewinibeeefthe web, es did she-nee ease pr-
eens. Davie sod IN A, sad that they were reedy
te peon the% they wen spokes ligol:r6., Keogh.
He bad see a endleate dried several most
respectable puma bong is emi sear sad who
wen premed% et the antleg, ennuis. their readiness to
eine formed mil she eilleme ea their oath to the same
elan
The Duke of NIWOASTLZ would direct his answer
te the win Wits reedem t the awn eels it was
Valsolumr= kr Ma le water in mg themes et the
whin theinst the aside
=tbed oiled qurdesil ("Olii" gad assn.) He
oss sable Ueda width Ma Nit were and
doodad Ids Folds sr photo olltoosse et that bea.
been* pallemea who, Welles mile the geverament to
width be hod the beam to beim. despite the Snub of
the mils osstedti be moil ass ail to whom hY duty
teweeds Ya 4 eel my whet he believed he le the Muth la
=glebeth tat he was sand the beside. beam Ike
lued when mane was isenlased the Whim Lard
%the wee a wombat et the Me
Maas). had hem hi
ps telimmey thea=7lthe hes.
and leatheilignele. sod do dolt lhos. costismo Irks
was the Melte thearilleadhea= the Rene of Hents
moos. mod Ids enema of the
Derby genenthist—e,
.'hs?l.t! eheen)—bed Meted
moat szplisidy add Ind le saw we
reason why ea edirit -"allise umber the late
government, should ass have ben made to him,
and expressed his high spinlea, net merely of the personal
character, hot of the ability of that hoe. and learned gen-
tleman. (Hear, hear.) He complained that the noble
marquis, having iteeived from the hon and learned gentle-
man, through a friend of his, a direct denial of the charge,
asveithelem brought it forward without notice, and without
giving the hon. and learned gentleman the opportunity
of communicating with any friend in that bowie to answer
foibles. Was that honourable or English conduct? And
now having by some means or other raked up metals set-
dense, he had avoided giving notice of his intention to pro-
pose this motion until it was too late for Mr. Keogh to send
to Athlone to bring forward counter-evidence to met it.
Was this fair? (Hear, hear.) But more than this. When
the noble marquis made the accusation the hon. and
learned putleman applied to him for the names of the three
magistrates es whose authority it was brought forward.
But the Goble mewls, while admitting that the demand
was a fair ore, refired to comply with it at present—(' no,
no," from the Marquis of Westmeath)—and up to this
time he had not Awnished the hes. and learned gen-
tleman with the names. No doubt the noble mar-
quis, by taking this ungenerous and unfair course,
hoped to obtain some peaty triumph, and to retaliate
by lowering in the estimation of his countrymen the
man who had inflicted serious damage upon the noble
marquis's political influence in Westmeath. (Hear, hear.)
The noble marquis had said there was much excitement at
Moats in consequence of Mr. Keogh having promised
to go there, but the fact was there was no promise given to'
go to Mate, or any previous intention of going there.
Mr. Keogh was at Athlone on the business of his electios,
and was asked by a friend to take • drive with him in his
"drag " into the country—he consented, end they drove on
to Moate—they proceeded to a small house, where there
was a committee room in the interest of Captain Megan,
one of the candidates for the county, and it being stated by
somebody that Mr. Keogh was amongst the company,
he was called upon to speak, and he did address the people for
some four or flic minutes. But there was no premeditated
meeting, not any reporters. With regard to what was said
by Mr. Keogh, in addition to that hon. and learned gen-
tleman's recent explicit denial that he ever used the words
Imputed to ham, or any words of similar import, he had a
letter from a gentleman who having heard of the accusa-
tion brought forward by the nom. marquis, had thought it
tyhi W 'things Mg Kook as the subject. This letter bad

been forwarded to lira be Mr. Keogh a few minutia before
he came into the house. iith the following nate:
" My dear Duke of Newcastle,—You will perceive by Mr.
Mamma's letter, which I have taken the liberty act for-
warding to your grace, that his recollecti tn sews with
mine as to the tramaction at Moat,. Mr. M'Nevin was
beside me, and had the opportunity of bearing all 1 said.
At the same time I .isll to Mate, that at the time referred
to 1 took a most active part in opposing, not only i• West-
: meath (in which the principal part of the borough I rem.
sent is situated), but in several othercoisaties, the candidates
in favour of Lord Detby's government. I did my utmost
I to defeat those iandidates, and frequently delivered speeches
at different places with that object. Thot made at Moate
was without any preparation or premeditation. It was de-
livered after stepping from the top of a coach, to a multi-
tude who collected round the house in which I was, and
who loudly called for me. It did not oocu).y five minutes,
and was not reported so as to enable me to refer to it. I
have us tee Alectian whatever of usiug any language even
similar to that attributed to me, but my memory may fail
me as to the precise words used in the beat and excitement
of election occurrences, and I trust, therefore, rather to the
evidence of friends who were present, and the inherent im-
probability of my expressing sentiments which I never
entertained, rather than to my own recollection. As to my
intending to suggest, either by word or gesture, the use of
violence to nny one, I can most firmly assert that nothing
was further from my mind, and such a purpose was as
averse to all my feelings, as at variance with the policy and
measures I adopted.—Believe me, my dear Duke of New-
castle, your most faithful and obedient;
" R tonne KEOGH."

Mr. M'Nevid was a highly respectable sobettor of
sad was known to some members of that house. This was
his letter : _ _

" Dublin, 8, Middle Gardner-street, June 14.
" My dear Sir,—having heard the speech you delivered
at ideate doting the election of 1852, to which Lord West-
meath has recently alluded in the Howse of Lords, I have
not the slightest doubt but you never made use of the im-
proper language, attributed to you, or anything that could
bur that or any similar interpretation. I certainly beard
every sentence you uttered clearly and distinctly, and if my
testimony upon oath be of any value you may command it.
1 have spoken to several persons who were preseat, and
they all concur with me that it is impossible that any such
I language eoald have been used by you without attracting
their pointed attention.—Yours very faithfully, R. C.
M.Nevtx.—The Solicitor-General for Ireland, M.P."
A letter of this kind from a gentleman whose character was
unimpeachable, might fairly be set against the statements
made by the noble marquis on authority which he had
afforded no opportunity of testing. Mr. Keogh had assured
him that neither at Mute nor elsewhere had he ever used
words that could even be tortured into such meaning as
inciting to riot or disturbance. But why was the accusa-
tion brought forward now Why had it been delayed till
this moment ? He said the other night the noble marquis
was the Lord Lieutenant of Weatmeatb, and ought to have '
brought the fact of such a speech having been uttered, If it
had been uttered, under the notice of the government at the
time ; but he was not then aware that the noble marquis
was on the continent at the time. The noble marquis was,
however, represented by • Vice-Lieutenant, Colonel Ore-
ville, yet no statement was made to him. Neither of
those magistrates came forward, as it was their sworn duty
to have done, had the statement they now
made been true, to inform Colonel Greville of
what they bad heard. (Hear, hear.) That fact
alone was sufficient to throw discredit on their testimony.
But was there nn other circumstance of suspicion as to the
trustworthiness of this evidence ? It appeared that persons'
of diametrically opposite views, and disagreeing with him in
politics, had nevertheless combined with him in the
attempt to throw obloquy on Mr. Keogh, and, if possible,
exclude him from a seat in parliament. He felt bound to say
" no" to the motion, although he felt that no investigation
could detract one tittle from the reputation of the hon. and
learned gentleman, or detract from that high position
which his conduct in another matter had secured for him.
Let the noble marquis bring forward a regular at-
' tack upon the government, and they would not
shrink from investigation, but they would not b.s dragged
into en inquiry so absurd as that now demanded. They
had • right to stand on their character, and he felt that the
character of the government might fairly defy such attacks
as that which had been brought forward by the noble mar-
quis. He would say more—he would my that the private
character and individual conduct, not merely of members of
the cabinet but of all those who occupied official positions in
connexion with it, might fairly challenge the noble marquis's
attack, and that it would be sufficient to shield them not
only from the polished darts of the noble earl but from the
miserable rusty bolts which might be drawn from the bat-
tered quiver of the noble marquis.
The Earl of EGLINTON did not shrink from main-
taining Lis assertion, that the appointment of Mr. Keogh
was " the least reputable act of the present government."
At the same time, he neither then nor now wished to
refer to Mr. Keogh's private character; and he had
made the observation only on the assumption that
Mr. Keogh had need 'the words Imputed to
him. Referring to • question asked by the Duke
of Newcastle why he (Lord Eglinton), u Lord Lieu-
tenant of Ireland, did sot himself take notice of the
words, his answer was that the government of any country
would have enough to do if they took notice of all the
strong language used at election time, and the in the
present ease he had not been advised to do so. He
thought, however, that, considering the altered circum-
stances, and the present position held by Mr. Keogh,that an
inquiry was demanded.
The Earl of ABERDEEN, as chiefly concerned in the
" disreputable" appointment, opposed the motion as "pre-
posterous," and prejudging the case, which, however, he
considered to be altogether trifling and trumpery.
Lord BROUGHAM took the same course, the house not
being the proper place for such an inquiry, which should
be decided by the criminal law, if it was worth anything
at all
The Earl of DERBY reviewed the circumstances of the
case, and maintained that there would have been nothing
inconsistent in the offer of office to Mr. Keogh by the late
government (which, however, he did not admit toluve been
made), and the condemnation of the language used by Mr.
Mr. Keogh, which had not then been uttered. The ques-
tion was, whether at the period of the appointment of Mr.
Keogh, be was a fit and proper person fur the post, and
Lord Derby believed be was not. He thought the subject
demanded inquiry, but at the same time was of opinion that
Lord Westmeath, having made out so successful a case,
might safely leave the responsibility of shrinking from such
inquiry in the hands of the government.
Lord Caxesxl.l. and the Marquis of CLANZICARDI con-
tributed towards • further discussion, after which the
Marquis of Weenies:rat replied, and on the ground urged
by Lord Derby, withdrew his motion.
The other orders were disposed of, and the house ad-
journed at quarter past 9 o'clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONB.—FameT, Juwe 17.
The Breezea took the chair at a quarter before 4 o'clock

PRIVATE BUSINESS.

On the notiewol Bir7l:Boin,tiseo;Lr for the mend
reading of the London end Finsbury Iroproveseents and
Railway Bill was discharged; the bill consequently being
withdrawn._

TAnil; Rzaontoo.—Altos Roads; Birmingham and
Oxford Junction, Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Dud-
lay mid Great Western Railways • Burton-upon-Trent
linproveineat (24e. 2) ; Leeds, Bradford, and Halifax
I Junction Railway ; Landsat and North-Western and Lon-
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BILLS COISIDIUD LIP OZDZIID TO LII rrox Till
TABU.—Edinburgh, Perth. and Dundee Railway ; Holm
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114/a.