The Sun.
London, England, 1854-03-29 00:00:00

APPOINTMENTS.

Lieutenants.—Robert D. Stupart (1840), additional, to
the Vestal, 26, on the North America and West Indies
station; Charles G. Crawley (1838), Alfred Young (1842),
Maurice Jones (1816), to the Vestal ; James M. Bruce
(1852), from the Inflexible, 6, paddle-wheel steam-sloop, in
the Black Sea, to be Flag Lieutenant of the Winchester, 50,
flagship on the East Indies station ; William E. Fisher
(1845), to the Desperate, 8, screw steamship, at Ports-
mouth ; John M. Jackson (1846), to the Horatio, 24,
screw steam-ship, at Sheerness.
Second Master Michael C. Raymond (1849), from the
Ajax, screw steam-ship, at Portsmouth, to the Advice,
paddle-wheel steam-vessel, tender to the flag-ship Conway
at Cork.

Clerks—Howard E. L. P. Bailey (Paymaster of 1854),
to the Belleisle, hospital ship for the Baltic fleet ; Thomas
H. 0. Mitchell (1851), from the Prince Regent, 90, to the
Hecla paddle-wheel steam-sloop, for service with the Baltic
fleet.

Clerks'-Assistant Arthur Isbell, to the Conflict steam-
sloop. _ _ _

Naval Cadet Hon. Montolien Fox Murray,ifirst appoint.
ment.

SETTLING "ROUND ROBINS."—We are glad to hear that
the Admiralty have taken the most effectual method for
settling the "round robin " practice in the Desperate, 8,
screw, at Spithead—a practice so subversive of all disci-
pline. Rear-Admiral the Hon. R. S. Militias, C. 8., has
most patiently and most impartially investigated the alle-
gations and the causes of them, and one of the rrsults, is,
that Captain Chambers retires from the command of the
ship. Reports at the clubs give the vacancy to Captain
D'Eyncourt Do Conrcy (the gallant officer who, in the
Charybdis, 3, engaged six vessels of war, each of equal force,
and Sunk three of them); and C. F. A. Shadwell, C. 8.; but
the first-named appears to be the favourite.

THE ALLEGED TRAFFIC IN SITUATIONS BY
THE IRISH REPRESENTATIVES.

The committee met yesterday, soon after twelve o'dlock.
After several witnesses had been examined,
Mr. Keogh rose, and said he wished to produce docu-
ments that had passed from him to Colonel Smith, and
also to be examined as to the whole of these charges, and
especially so after the last question from a member of the
committee.
The room was ordered to be cleared. Upon re-ad-
mission,
The Chairman (addressing Mr. Keogh) said that if he
thought it necessary to make any statement, the committee
were ready to hear it.
Mr. Keogh said he understood the charges against him
to be these—that in consequence of his relation with the
borough of Athlone he had entered into a corrupt agree-
ment with Colonel Smith to obtain for him, or a relative,
a stipendiary magistracy, the terms of that compromise
or bargain for a magistracy or place being that he
should receive 1,0001. in bills drawn on Colonel Smith ;
that those bills were allowed to be frequently pro-
tested, and were left by him (Mr. Keogh) to be paid by
Colonel Smith himself, who had been ruined thereby, and
eventually fled to America. It was then alleged that as
he had failed to obtain the place for the father, that all
matters were broken up, but subsequently a second nego-
tiation was entered into, in virtue of which he (Mr Keogh)
obtained for his son an appointment in the Excise. As to
the latter portion of the charge, it had been disproved by
the evidence of Mr. Lambert Smith, who stated to the
committee that he obtained the appointment in 1845, and,
therefore, he could only make a passing remark upon it.
When he had been examined he (Mr. Keogh) saw him, and
requested hina'ito go to Bristol, and to bring over every
letter, document, or communication that he had had with
Colonel Smith ; and accordingly Mr. Lambert Smith at
once proceeded to Clifton, from whence he returned on
Monday morning, when he placed in his (Mr. Keogh's)
hands the entire correspondence, which he was now pre-
pared to lay before the committee. He might say that every
letter had an envelope, and every letter had a post-mark.
He might say that he did not know of Mr. Smith's appoint-
ment, and at the time it took place he had no political
influence to obtain an appointment for him or any one
else. He would now beg to lay before the committee two
original letters, conferring the appointment on Mr. Smith,
both of which were signed by Sir John Young, who was
then in Sir R. Peel's Ministry. They were respectively
dated the 6th and 12th December, 1845. [The hon. and
learned gentleman then read the letters, one requesting
him to send certain documents, and the other announcing
to Mr. Smith his appointment.] Therefore, as regarded
that appointment, he could state most distinctly and em-
phatically that neither directly nor indirectly had he had
connection with it in any respect, nor did he know then
any more of Sir John Young than he did of any other per-
son whom he had never seen. From 1842 he had been con-
nected with Athlone and that district of the country, and
used to act as the solicitor to the Conservative party for the
registry, under Sir John Beresford, whose ideas of contest-
ing Athlone were altered, as he was looked upon as quite
out of the field; and it was not until 1847 that it was sug-
gested that he (Mr. Keogh) should offer himself for Athlone,
as the Conservative party were strong there on the free-
trade policy of Sir Robert Peel, and in this view it was
agreed that the Conservative party should support him,
and the state of the registry did not allow of their bringing
forward any candidate opposed to that policy. That
was the first time he consented to come forward as a can-
didate for the borough of Athlone. He was then acquainted
with Colonel Smith, who took a prominent part at the
election for the borough, and from what was said by Co-
lonel Smith, the expenses were to be borne partly by him-
self and the gentleman whose name had been mentioned in
the course of the investigation. He (Mr. Keogh) came to
London when he had communications from Colonel Smith,
stating that an arrangement had been made that if he
would stand for Athlone, he (Colonel Smith) could assure
him that he would have the assistance of Conservative
gentlemen in carrying on the contest. He accordingly did
go, and although he had some pecuniary assistance, he
found before he had been there long that the expenses of
continuing the contest were altogether greater than he had
anticipated, and the assistance far less than he contem-
plated; and it became necessary to consider, being now in-
volved in the contest, how it was to be carried on. He
was involved in it, and it was scarcely necessary to say,
was anxious to secure the seat for Athlone for the Con-
servative party. He had three conducting agents, each of
whom was receiving 100 guineas, and yet these agents
were not voters, and they increased expenses; but it
was said by one person, Yon will not get on with-
out Mr. So-and-So," and he was foolish enough to listen to
them until he had between 70 and > 0 of those persons to
pay. He was, in consequence of the increased expenses,
not enabled to go on with the contest without other means,
and as Colonel Smith was anxious that he should go on,
and ma he had ample credit at the bank at Athlone, Colonel
Smith suggested that either by drawing on himself (Mr.
Keogh) or on Colonel Smith, the necessary funds could be
supplied. Accordingly, Colonel Smith drew on him (Mr.
Keogh) to the extent of 6001., as he could show by docu-
ments that were then in his possession ; but he was not cer-
tain of the exact way in which those bills were originally
drawn. The election did not take place until August 16,
but the contest had been going on from the Bth or 9th of
July, during which time Mr. Collett and Mr. Hawes, who
had been unseated for Lambeth, became candidates, and
afterwards retired. At the last moment a gentleman of
considerable influence in the town, a distiller, appeared as
a candidate, and it was with him that the contest for the
election took place, and which resulted in his (Mr. Keogh's)
favour by a majority of six only. [Mr. Keogh here read a
vast number of letters that had passed between himself and
Colonel Smith on monetary transactions, but evidently
strengthening his assertions as to the money being ad-
vanced for the purposes stated, which had since been re- ;
paid.] Shortly before Colonel Smitien departure for