The Sun.
London, England, 1830-04-30 00:00:00

LIBEL.

Mr. O'CONNELL, under the feeling of the great im-
portance of the subject which the lion. and Learned
Member for Winchelsea was about to bring before the
Muse, begged to postpone his own motion, which stood
in the way, and to give notice thot he should being it be-
fore the House on the 30th of May.
Mr. DOHERTY said, that the conduct of the Hon.
and Learned Member for Clare, with respect to the peti-
tion reflecting upon the Mayor of Galway, was most fair
and honourable. Ile had no doubt that the Hon. and
Learned Member would act with equal candour towards
another individual, and he therefore begged to ask the
Hon. and Learned Member, when he should present those
petitions, copies of which he had sent to the Secretary for
Ireland, and which had been stated as reflecting strongly
on the character of that individual who was then address-
ing the House ?
Mr. O'CONNELL had sent the copies of the petition to
the Secretary for Ireland, because he felt himself bound to
do so; but he had since had reason to induce him to wish
to examine into the subject before he proceeded further,
and he should not bring forward the petitions until he had
had an opportunity of being snore accurately informed on
the matter to which they related.
Mr. DOHERTY observed that the conduct of the Hon.
and Learned Member would be quite becoming and proper
if he had not already made the charges in these petitions
matter of such notoriety, and if he had not forwarded the
petitions to the. Irish Government. But the Hon. and
Learned Member had even gone further than that, for, un-
less the Press of Ireland had most grossly misrepresented
him, he had, at the late assizes in Ireland, most directly
and positively asserted that his (Mr. Doherty's) conduct or
misconduct should be made the subject of Parliamentary
inquiry. Under these circumstances the Hen. and Learned
Member, having gone se far, was bound to go farther, and
give him the opportunity of clearing his character.
Mi. HUME submitted that the Hon. and Learned
Meamber for Clare having answered the question put to
him, and having declared what was the line of conduct he
should pursue, the Hon. and Learned Member opposite had
no right to press him further.
Mr. O'CONNELL did not know what the Irish news-
papers had reported of him; but what he knew was, that
what he had said he had said on the authority of commu-
nications made to him. If the facts were as they had been
represented to him, he should certainly bring the matter
forward ; but he should not do so till he was assured as to
the truth of these facts. At present he was not in posses.
sion of sufficient evidence to justify him in calling the at-
tention of the House to the subject.
Sir C. WETHERELL did not think that any mean's
character ought to be thus as it were kept afloat on the au-
thority of mere allegation in a petition. It was unjust
towards any man to suspend charges over his head in that
manner ; but most of all was it unfit to do so with regard
to so high an officer of the Government as the Solicitor-
General. If the Hon. and Learned Member for Clare
had a case against the Irish Solicitor-General, let him use
it.—(llear, hear.)—lf nut, let bite say so at ones.—
(Hear, hear.)—Advocate as he (Sir C. Wetherell) was
for the utmost latitude in the use of the right of peti-
tioning—advocate as he was for a perfect freedom to be
allowed to petitioners to state complaints which they
might justly entertain against the officers of Government,
he must say that that House would be a place most unfit
far any man to sit in, if these insiduous opportunities
were there to be afforded for the invasion of a man's cha-
racter—if these insinuations against it were allowed to
be made, while the party making them was permitted to
decline commencing any substantive attack. He said it
was the duty of Mr. O'Connell, as a lawyer, as a Mem-
ber of Parliament, and as a Gentleman, fairly and
dis-
tinctly to come forward with his attack, if he meant
to make one, and if he did not, at once, like a liberal
man, to state to the House that he had no complaint
to urge against the Hon. and Leaned Gentleman op-
posite.
Mr. O'CONNELL had a right to reply to the liberal
or illiberal discourse of the Hon. and Learned Gentleman
who was now liberal enough in assailing him, and would
have been liberal enough to keep him out of that House
if he could; He (Mr, O'Connell) had, however, been re-
turned to that House, and being there had the seine privi-
leges as the lion. and Learned Gentleman. Ile would
ask whether the petitions contained one single particle
against the Hon. and Learned Solicitor-General? It was
not his fault if the complaints that bad been stated to him
were unfounded—and whether they deserved considera-
tion or not, he had felt he could not bring them forward
in the absence of the Hon. and Learned Gentleman. He
wished to add, that since the petitions had been given to
him, a report of the trial had appeared, edited by a most
respectable barrister, and the reading of that report had
given him a different view of the subject, and he should,
therefore, abstain from presenting the petitions till he had
evidence to show him that the former accusations were

ju-t, and that the book was incorrect. He had strong
reason to think that the book was not incorrect, as the
author of it -was a gentleman of great respectability, and
he had, therefore, been at great pains to institute an in-
quiry, and had not since uttered one word on the subject
either in or out of that House —(Loud cries of " hear,
hear," from all parts of the House.) " Hear, hear," in-
deed—lie should be glad to know whether there was any
gagging power in this country? He knew there was in
Ireland, but he had not been aware that it extended into
England—and especially into that House—and miserable
indeed would be the situation of any Honourable Mem-
ber in that House if he were to he kept silent by the Ho-
nourable and Learned Gentleman on one side, whose opi-
nions were echoed by the equally liberal, Hon. and Learned
Gentlemen on the other. lie disclaimed their authority. He
contended that he had pursued a cautions and prudent
course. He had not lent, anti would net lend himself to
any individual; nor woull he present petitions of this
sort unless he was satisfied there were evidence to hear
them our. If he were satisfied with the evidence, he
would bring the matter forward, if not, he would allow
them to remain in that ebscurity from which, by this
discussion, the Hon. and Learned Gentleman had attempt-
ed to draw them. Having• said so much, he now ap-
pealed to the Speaker to know whether this discussion
was in order?
The SPEAKER decided in the affirmative.

Mr. DOHERTY would not press the former question
further, but he wished to put another to the Hon. and
Learned Member. He th-n referred to the trials which
hid lately taken place in Cork, and said that they were
scarcely over when the Hon. and Learned Member stated,
at a public meeting, that he should avail himself of the
power he possessed as a Member of that House, to drag
him (Mr. Doherty) to its bar to answer for his conduct.
He now wished to ask the 116 n. and Learned Member
whether he intended to bring forward any accusation re-
specting those trials?

- Mr. O'CONNELL said it was hie intention to do so
when that House had furnished him with the fitting docu-
ments. The question he should then submit to the House
involved this important question—how far Counsel for the
Crown were justified when they had in their possession
documents which proved a witness for the Crown to be
perjured, in proceeding for a convicti.:n on his testimony?
He could not move for the documents he now referred to
before the close of the last Cork Assizes. He had but
one line of conduct to pursue, and that he would pursue.
Further conversation on this subject was here prevented,
by the evident unwillingness of the House to permit it to
proceed ; and though Mr. North afterwards referred to it
atzain, he was called to order, and the subject was finally
dropped.
Lord J. RUSSELL presented a petition from Daventry,
complaining of distress.—lt was referred to the Commits:•e
on the Poor Laws.
PARLIAMENTARY REFORM.

Lord J. RUSSELL give notice, that on the 7th of
May he should bring the subject of Reform before tI.!
Ilouse ; but, instead of moving any general resolution, de-
cluing that reform v.-as necessary, be shoul•1 move for a
Committee of the whole House to examine into the Scate
of the Representation.