The Express.
London, England, 1853-05-10 00:00:00

RETURN 3 ORDERED..

On the motion of an Hoar. Maims for Mr. Lvcaa—
Return showing for each of the colonies which have convict
establishments the name of each clergyman or other reli-
gious instructor receiving a salary or allowance ; the reli-
gious denomination to which he belongs; the office or ser-
vice in virtue of which his salary or allowance is paid ; and
the number in each of the above-mentioned colonies of the
convicts of each religious denomination ; and the amount of
salary or allowance paid to each such clergyman or religious
instructor.

THE ALLEGED IRISH COMPACT.

On the motion fur going into committee of ways and

11101141.,
Mr. E. BALL rose and said—l am desirous of taking this 1
opportunity of repeating a question which I put on Friday I
night, but to which I could then obtain no answer. The 1
house will recollect that it was stated in this house by a
member of the house that en accredited agent of the present
government, during the time Lord Derby was in power, I
went to a number of members of the House of Commons
representing Irish constituencies, and stated to them that
he was authorised on the part of the government—(uo, no)
—well, authorised on the part of the combined whig and
Peelite party—to say that if they would assist that party to
turn out the government of Lord Derby, they would, on
attaining power, undertake not to impose a property tax on
Ireland. (Hear, hear.) Now, sir, this seems to me to
have been a transaction so iniquitous in itself—(cheers)
—it seems a proposal so directly opposed to the British
constitution—daughter, and " hear, hear ")—so contrary
to the practice which this house has now unanimously
adopted, that when anything in the shape of corruption
comes before them, they are resolved to meet it and destroy
it; when it appears that if a member is petitioned against,
if he has spent a few shillings on a constituency he is to
be unseated; when the house has resolved that one mem-
ber who gave a place of 12s. a week, for which ample work
was to be done, to influence a voter, was to be turned
out of his seat; when, in another ease, that of the late
member for Bridgaorth, who having had 22 charges made
against him, was exonerated from 21 of them; yet ,when
in that charge it was proved that, through an agent, a bill
was paid which had been due long before he was a candi-
date—(hear, hear)—and that without that hon. gentleman
being consulted or with his consent—he was unseated, I
say, the country at large expects that the house which adopts
such a pure system of election, and requires such integrity
and honesty to be pursued by parliamentary electors,
should have its members themselves upright, and that there
should be no appearance of bribes among them, either in
the shape of place or influence, or anything else, and that
they should respond to the purity they require from elec-
tors. I know too little of the practice of this house not to
require its indulgence, but it •ppean to me that this is a
case so wicked and revolting, that I should have thought
gentlemen opposite would instantly have risen—(cheers)—
to meet and repudiate the charge, and to shake it off before
the press had circulated it all over the kingdom. But, as
the press has circulated it, it seems to me that the earliest
opportunity should be given to the government to repudiate,
to explain, or to deny it; and I beg to ask the hon. mem-
ber for Westmeath if what I have now stated is correct—
(' hear, hear," and cheers)—and, if I have correctly un-
derstood him, whether he will be so good as to repeat to
the house the statement that such overtures were made,
and were acted on, and whether such a promise was made
of giving away to the Irish party a ceitain portion of the
taxation of this country—(hear, hear)—conditionally on the
whigs getting into power, and receiving the loaves and fishes
attached to office; and that part of those advan
tagee would be given to Irish members who voted
in the way proposed after they made a contract
so unconstitutional. Besides this, not only were
such bribes offered, but when the expectations on which
they were founded were realised, those who were seated in
the places which they offered bribes to secure refused to pay
the price of them. (Hear.) I think the government ought
to be grateful to me for giving them an opportunity of
meeting this question, and hope it will not be said that I
have not given the usual notice. I brought on the question
on Friday, and received no answer. I then put a notice of
the question on the table, and gave it to the clerk, who
returned it to me as being informal, and said that I could
not bring it forward. I have therefore taken the liberty of
detaining you, sir, a few minutes in the chair, in order that
I might put the question. (Hear, hear.) I am sure that
all those members who are so anxious to put down bribery
and corruption, and to forwarl inquiries and appoint
committees on those subjects, will give me their support
—(hear, hear)—will be glad to reciprocate with me and
come forward and say this is a proper question. (" Hear,
hear," and cheers.) beg to put the question I have men-
tioned to the hon. member for Westmeath.
Hr. MAOAN—I believe the hon. gentleman has no
strict right to put such a question to me. The rules of the
house are that it should be put by order of the house, and
through you, sir. But I pass over that. I think, however,
I aro unfairly treated by the hon. gentleman, for if he had
considered fur a moment he must have seen that a question
of this sort, involving such grave considerations as he owns
it dors, ought to have been put oa the paper. The hon.
gentleman accounts for not having don' so; he says he
thought he had pat it there. I shall be li-pey to answer
his que,tion it he will put it on the paper, and not place me
in an unfair position. At the same time I sell say to the
boo. gentleman that he is completely mistaken in every-
thing he has said with regard to—(the remainder of the
sentence was lost in a shout of laughter and cheers.)

Mr. L. BALL—I should be sorry to he wanting in
courtesy to the lion. gentleman, but I asked an hon. mem-
ber whether I should lirat communicate to the hon. gentle-
man the member for Westmeath that I intended to put
the question, and he said, that he had told the bon. member
for Westmeath that the question would be put.
Lord J. RUSSELL—After what has been raid by the
hon. member for Cambridgeshire I think it right to say a
few words, in consequence of the impression that appears to
be on the mind of the hum. gentleman. The hon. gentle-
man seems to think that some one authorised by the whig
party before the lute government left office, made a com-
pal tit it they would not he parties to the imposition of the
Income tax on Ireland, if the Irish members would vote
ageing the late government. I can only say that, accord-
ing to my knowledge and belief, no person was so author-
ised, nor any such comport made. (Loud cheers.)
L .rd A. VANE—A, the lion. member for Westmeath
has e lid that n party of maim members upet.iiri were waited
by an accredited agent of the whig party, who made an
otter of certain cunditiona if they would join with the
l'eclities to put out the fete govetzuoutt—u the hoc. new-