The Express.
London, England, 1853-07-16 00:00:00

this matter to be looked into and a report to be made. Ile
would abstain from characterising the proceedings which
were disclosed in that report further than to say that they
appeared to him to have been perfectly illegal, and ez-
tie mely cruel and unjust. (Hear.) Re was about to
submit a case to the law officers of the crown, is order to
ascertain what steps could be taken upon the subject.
CONSOLIDATED ANNUITIES (IRELAND).
Viscount MONCK asked the Chancellor cat the Es-
chc quer whether it was his intention to include in the is
mission of the Irish Consolidated Annuities the loans for
which certain Irish preprietors ra ndered themselves per-
sonally liable in 114167 snider the authority of Mr. Labial-
there's letter.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER would not
enter into any statement of reasons in answer to the ques-
tim; but h .4 simply to say that the money to which the
question had reference, and which was generally called the
Lebouchere letter money, was not included within the
scope of the bill which be had that evening laid on
the table for the remission of the Consolidated Annui•ies.
Ile might further say that he did not know any principle'
en which it would be possible to include that money which,
if consistently carried out, would not lead them to the re-
funding to every benevolent individual of all sums,
whereby, out of their own private resources, they relieved
distress in Ireland. (Hear, hear.)
THE SIX-MILE-BRIDGE AFFAIR.
Oa the question that at its rising the house adjourn to

Mondaj -
Mr. MILES put the question of which he had given
notice—Whether it is the intention of the government to
pr ,eeed against the Rev, John Burke and the Rev. Michael
Clime, Roman cathodic priests, who have been reported by
an election committee of this house—the former to have
excited the pace lc, and to have taken part in the riot, and
the latter to have excited the people to take part in the
riot, which occurred at Six-mile-bridge, on the 22nd day of
July. 18-52, which, by deetroying the freedom of election,
rendered void the return of the two knights of the shire
elected to serve in parliament for the county of Clare at the
general election of 1852. la illustration of his question,
the hon. gentleman peneeded to restate all the main facts of
this already too familiar CAW ; making out the case from the
evidence offered by the various witnesses in the recent Clare
election committee ; and the hon. gentleman taking credit
to himself that in bringing this charge against these priests
ho did not use n single hush expression of his own, but
merely quoted the allegations of other people. Having, in
a statement which occupied half an hour, detailed the pro-
minent points of the evidence, the hon. gentleman con-
cluded by ruing that he would now leave it to the house to
determine what was the proper course to be taken either ie
further ineestigetien, or in immediate punishment, in re-
gard to these two rev. gentlemen. It might he askeh, why
had not the committee on the Clue petition lung since re-
commended a distinct course to the house;
but the sufficient region was, that the committee
had been of ope.ion that in the first place it was
necessary that the evidence should be printed, in order to
enable the house itself to come to a conclusion on this case.
That evidence was new in the hands of member, end he
had called atteution to those portions of it which at least
convicted the priests of extraordinary interference at the
Clare election ; and it was his opinion that enough had been
shown to prove that to them and to their conduct much of
the unhappy accompaniments of the election were to be at-
tributed, and that, generally, they had violated the privi-
lege. and destroyed the freedom of election.
Mr. MILNisS begged permission to say a few words
before his noble friend (Lord Palmerston) answered the
question. It was generally known that he (Mr. Mines)
hid eat on the Clare committee' and that he had had the
misfortune to differ from the chairman as to the report made
on this point; and be could not now avoid expressing his
regret that such a subject should have been brought on in
this incidental way—(hear, hear) that if the hon. gen-
tlemen—if be thought it right to bring it on at all—hm" not
made a specific motion. (Hear, hear.) The view he (Mr.
Milnes) had taken in the committee was, that however ap-
parently reprehensible might have been the conduct of these
parties, yet still that while the priests were not in a
position to defend themselves, the committee would be
wrong to offer a judgment based on admittedly so parte
evidence. The committee had had great difficulties to deal
with. It was the first time that he had sat on a committee
to try en Irish election petition, and really he could not
help saying that Irish members only were competent for
such duty, as only Irishmen could estimate, properly, the
nature of the events taking place in so extraordinary a state
of society as the evidence disclosed to the committee in
question. An ordinary English member was bewildered
in the attempt to ascertain on which side was the most in-
justice and the most intimidation. There was one witness
examined before the committee who used an extraordinary
expression, an expression which, had he (Mr. Milnes) been
chairman of the committee, he thought he would have
reported to the house, for the phrase applied to illustrate a
system. The witness was asked had a certain voter, who
was carried away, gone reluctantly ? "'Pon, my word,
then," was the reply, "he'd have gone aisy enough, if
they'd used force." (Great Laughter.) The impression
which the whole evidence made on his mind was a doubt
as to the desirability of permitting the military to interfere
in elections in Ireland, as openly and directly as they were
permitted to do at the Clare election. He could not help
feeling that these two rev. gentlemen denied in their is.
positions before the coroner the misconduct which mu
charged against them, and under such circumstances be did
not feel that he would be justified in coming to a decision
one way or the other. He thought it necessary to say so
much to vindicate his conduct on the committee. (Hear.)
Lord PALMERSTON thought that he might, without
offence, complain of the course which the hon. gentleman
pursued on this occasion, because, having merely given
notice of his intention to put a question, lie entered into the
details, and opened an elaborate discussion on the subject.
It was said that it was • long lane which had no end, and
he trusted that the longest bridge, even the Six-mile-Bridge,
would come to some end. (Laughter.) This subject had
been discussed many times in both houses of parliament,
and the decision of the house had been taken upon it.
Her Majesty's government hal, as was known, intended to
institute a prosecution for the conduct pursued in the Six-
mile-bridge affair, and the Irish government was informed
that such was the desire of her Majesty's government.
But the Irish law officers to which the Irish government
referred the matter, judged differently, and the government,
after considering the grounds on which the Irish law officers
came to that decision, approved of their decision. The govern-
ment therefore did not intend now to institute any further
proceedings in the matter. The course suggested by the hon.
gentleman ought to be taken long ego, so that these
rev. gentlemen might be prosecuted at the next assizes. If
they decided on prosecuting no legal proceedings could be
taken till next spring, so that they would be prosecuting
in 1854 for transactions which took place in 1852. (Hear,
hear.) But it might be said, " prosecute 'for the sake of
example." Well, another election bad taken place for the
same county, where these transactions complained of took
place—the same candidates stood, and the election passed
off in perfect tranquillity, and no complaints had been pre-
ferred against the conduct of any person, whether lay or
clerical. (Hear, hear.) Therefore, • prosecution was not
necessary for the sake of example. If be were asked, "Do
you concur in condemning the conduct which these rev.
gentlemen pursued ?" He must say that he did ; and such
was the opinion of her Majesty's government when they
expressed their wish that a prosecution should take place.
But when he said that, he did not think that their conduct
—reprehensible as he considered it to be—was in such
marked contrast to the conduct of the Roman catholic
clergy generally in Ireland as to make it fit that these two
clergymen should be selected for punishment. (Opposition
cheers.) However reprehensible their conduct, it did not
stand so prominently forward that they should be picked
out and made the subject of legal proceedings. (Hear,
hear.) He was bound in all sincerity to say that the con-
duct of the Roman catholic clergy from some of the highest
to the lowest rank, was such as to give great pain
to all those who wished to see the ministers of
religion, whether protestant or Roman catholic, retain
that respect and reverence which was essential for the due
discharge of their sacred calling. (Hear. hear.) Things
had been said and done by the Roman catholic clergy of
Ireland which if said and dose by the protestant clergy in
this country, would have raised an outcry from the Land's
End to John o'Groats. (Hear, hear.) But then, on the
other hand, there were circumstances in the crisis of the last
election, which, although they did not in the least justify
the conduct of the Roman catholic clergy, offered some
palliation of it. There was • great political crisis which
they looked upon as • religious crisis for
they were threatened with the withdrawal of
the endowment of Maynooth, and they anticipated,
though erroneously and unjustly, that the party then in
power would use that power against the liberties which
were given by former acts of parliament to the Roman
cathohc subjects of the Queen. Some allowance should be
made on this account for the 'statement of the Roman
catholic clergy. But he would abjure the house to draw
the veil of oblivion over these transactions, and not to rake
up animosities which he hoped had passed away for ever.
(Hear, hear.) He, therefore, hoped that the debate
would not be continued any longer, because he was afraid if
the discussion went on things would be said which would
have • mischievous effect both in England and Ireland.
(Hear, hear.) He would then ask the house to pass on to
the more practisal business of legislating for their distant
dominions in India—(bear, hear)—hoping that a better
time would come when both clergymen and laymen, priests
and landlords, would agree to allow elections to be carried
on with a more free exercise of choice, and more in harmony
with the spirit of the constitution. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. HUME said that he was very much afraid the
noble lord would find himself disappointed in the hope
that freedom of election would henceforth be permitted to
be exercised, either in England, Scotland, or Ireland,
without the intervention of party spirit, and intimidation of
me kind or other. The people of Ireland asked for the
ballot to put an end to such intimidation, and he would ad.
eke the noble lord and his colleagues to try that remed
(Hair, bear.) The noble lord blamed the Itmae catholte
days bet he (Mr. Hume) might with equal justice blame
pain y, who interfered with elections as much
as Zeman catholic clergy, though perhaps not so openly
Mai directly. The clergy on both sides had a perfect
*ld to interfere if they did so in a proper and fair manner.
The legislature could not prevent such interference, but if
the noble lord really wished to see interference put an end
to, he would give the people the ballot. (Hear, hear.)
Col. NORTH said he was glad to hear the statement of
the noble lord, but the noble lord was in error when he
said that the priests did not interfere in the late election.
On the day before the polling at the late election the priests
interfered with the people in their chapels, and it was ia-
terference that Col. Vandeleur attributed the loss of his
election.
Mr. Sergeant SIIEE said her Majesty's governmeat took
a wise course in not instituting any prosecution against the
two reverend gentlemen, for in all .probabilitreary would
have been acquitted by any joy. (Hear, hear.) He had
read the evidence, and he wu of opinionthat they would in