The Express.
London, England, 1857-07-10 00:00:00

)4ENT OF Es.

.
Mr. SCHOLEiIELI), the chairmen of the committee
now sitting on the election fur the county of Mayo, appeared
at the bar sad road a report from the committee, stating that
two letters scidrcssed to Colonel Higgins from Mayo, duly
verified, had been produced before the committee, alleging
that John M•Loghlon, one of the witnesses examined before
the committee, had been maltreated, and that another wit-
ness, named John Gannon, had been au serionaly injured by
• mob led on by a perms sassed John Sheridan, that his
life Ins In &tiger ; end there was reason to believe that such
maltreatment and Injury had been infikted upon them in
consequence of the evidence which they had given before the
said committee. He (the chairman) had been instructed to
report these facts to the house, in order that the house might
lake such steps in the matter as they thought proper.
The report was ordered to be brought up.
Mr. WALPOLE wished to call the attention of the lour
to the report just presented. He understood from that report
that evidence had been produced before the committee by
two letters addressed to Colonel Higgins, stating that two

abbe witzensee examined before the committee had been
seriously maltreated. The report, as be understood, wee
drawn up on allegations of no particular proof of maltreat-
ment; but he thought it right that the house, having had its
attention called to the fact, should not leave the matter where
it rested without taking some notice of it. (Hear, hear.) He
thought that the loot course to take would be to obtain in-
formation from the Attorncy•Cieneral for Ireland whether
any intelligenee heal n gehed him with refi.renco to the pro-
ceeding, and if such imelligen, had reached him, whether
he had taken any step, or was prepared to take any step, for
punishing the otienders.

- -
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL for IRELAND—I can
Mate for the information of the house, that having, in the
emus° of this day, heard of the pniduction of these letters
before the committee upetairs, my right honourable friend
the Chief Secretory for -Ireland communicated by telegraph
to the Secretary at Dublin, and in reply he received a mes-
sage, to the effect that a number of outrages such as those
described had been committed ; that two persona hod been
beaten, and beaten severely; what was the cause of the Leaf-
ing did not appear ; that the local authorities had bona,
dietely acted, and the stipendiary magistrate had succeeded
in arresting nine persons chargnl with being participatory in
this outrage, and that these tame persona are now in eustody.
(Item, hear.) I directed the papers to be sent to Dublin,
where I hope to be to-morrow morning, in order
that they may be ready for toy examination. The moue.
fee Mayo commence this day week, and I anticipate no
difficulty whatever in placing those parties upon their trial
at the approaching enema, arid, it guilty of than ciationee,
twinning them to seedy joition as the penalty which the
law impows tor devils of this kind is very revere indeed.
Meantime any interference on the part of the house would
perhaps be productive of considerable incenctnience. It
would interfere with the regular adniinistration of justice. Be-
sides, the house has nu evidence on which to proceed, beyond
the allegations in those two letters. Tho offence, as far as
this house is coneerned, would be, not the outrage upon these
parties, but the foot that it was committed in consequence of
their having given evidence here; and I need not point out that
that would be a matter somewhat Oitticult to inquire into, and
perbopo dinkult to arrive at a mtisfactory conclusion upon.
In the meantime I can assure the house that the law is strung
'sough to reach and punish this case, and that I will take
that the law shall be speedily and fully enforced.
LUNATICS (SCOTLAND) BILL.
The LORD ADVOCATE moved the second reading of
this till.

Mi.liAXTElt aid not wiati to impede the progress of the
bill, but must call attention to the eruclties that had been
practised on JIMMY, 1.111,12+ in So:Aland. The eye. of the
public had been opt nod to the magnitude of the existing evil;
but he hoped they would not be ltd away by excitement.
Whoever 014, blimeable for the n, k, and euffering that
had oceurrol, mutt wee owing to the defective Mate of the
law. The toolooksiontra in their report aided that the
.

poweta of the board of supervision Irene very doubtful. It
was clear that leiriglation wan absolutely neccsaary, and he
hoped this bill would now be read a second time, not with-
'landing the ungrounded fear, which many petwons in Sort-
'end might entertain of whit was called centralisation.
The real want of Scotland WAII en inereabe in the number of
the chartered asylums, and that want the bill wan intended
to supply. Ile should be glad to see, however, a o Lien in-
troduced into it forbidding pauper lunatics from bring con-
fined in private asylums as soon an a sufficient number of
chartered ones had bwn opened. lie hoped the learned lord
would place tho inerctors of lunacy ender the direct con-
trol of the Secretary of State. (Hear, hear.) lle did not see
any reason whatever for a towed, especially as boards were so
unpopular in Scotland. (Hear, hear )
Mr. C. IIItITE recommended the postponene nt of the
treasure, to the machinery of which ho objected, on the
ground that there was not time during the present ecsoion
for the conxhlrrottion of its detail...

Mr. DitUMMOND thought that any machinery Ina
Letts than letting thine• go te they were.
Mr. 1101% JOHNSTONE suggested certain alterations
in the hill.

Colonel SI ki.S defended the fl. at Supervi.ion.
Mr. WHITlittr.AD and Mr. F. DC 1,%., made a few oh-
serrations.

Mr. E. ELLICE supported the bill. He threw out mg-
'twit.= es to the tit ma lottery for such a motoure, but in-
tended, he said. to leave the whole responsibility with re-
spect to the details of the bill to the government, considering
that it would at least inaugurate a new tiptoe.
Mr. BLACK BURN agreed that mouthing should be
done; that eayltuns should be built, but he aew no necessity
for a board.

Afters short explanation from Sir 0. GREY, and some
remarks Ly Mr. 1%. En AMT AM Mr. Dr. N
The Witt/ ADVOCATE replied to objeetions, stating
what were the evils to le remedied, end discussing the va-
rious sawneatintaa offered as remedies.
. . . .

31r. BLACK, who had been an er of/fro• member of the
Board of Supervision. said he had never wen the busineaa of
any board en well condieled as by the Lead of that Loud.
Mr. COWAN defendd the Scotch members against cer-
tain retnarka made by Mr. Drummond.