The Sun.
London, England, 1854-05-10 00:00:00

PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES.

THE • CASE OF MR. HENRY STONOR.

The committee appointed to inquire into this matter niet
yesterday, for the first time, for the despatch of business.
The members of the committee are Mr. Sotheron (chairman),
Mr. Mines Gaskell, Mr: Horsmau, Mr. Deedes, and Mr.
Bonham Carter.

Mr. G. H. Moore, M.P. -for. Mayo (on whose motion the
committee was appointed), appeared in the witness box, and
handed to the chairman a written statement of all the facts
of the case up to the present time, as they came out in the de-
bates of the House of Commons. He had no objection, he said,
to the committee that had been appointed ; only, as be was
not a member of it, and was, therefore, precluded from
conducting or directing the inquiry', he must decline
furnishing the committee with the names of any ,wit-
nesses, for the next thing would be that he should
have to indicate to 'the committee the nature of the ques-
tions to be put to those witnesses. He saw no medium
between taking the responsibility of conducting the inquiry
and declining 'to act at all in the matter. The usual practice
had not been followed in the nomination of the committee.
The member who moved for such a committee was generally
a member of it, to act, or to speak, in the capacity of
prosecutor, with another ..member to see that the opposite
side had fair play. The present was an entirely independent
committee, resepibling in constitution an election or a rail-
way committee. These committees, however, had the as-
sistance of counsel on each side, whereas the present one
had no assistance of any kind.
A conversation then ensued between the members of
co:

,mmittee and Mr. Moore, as to the gist of the charge
he had :to make. He said he did not mean ,to say
that the Duke of Newcastle' and Mr. Peel hail made the
appointment on account of corrupt conduct on Mr.
Stonor's part, or even with a knowledge of such cor-
rupt conduct. They had declared that the case was not so,
and he was quite ready to accept their denial. But parties
who had the ear of the Colonial-office parties whom
the noble duke in question had associated with himself in
conducting the late Irish elections, such as Mr. Edmond
O'Flaherty, Mr. Sadleir, Mr. Keogh, and others—such par-
ties used their influence at the Colonial-office not only
in the knowledge of that corrupt conduct, but on ac-
count of that corrupt conduct ; and tho duke, who had
front his connection with Irish elections peculiar reasons for
being more cognisant than most people of the circumstances,
and ought to have been well acquainted with them, ceded to
that influence. He charged the Duke of Newcastle and Mr.
Peel with extraordinary forgetfulness and with a gross negli-
gence, which amounted to a culpable dereliction of duty. They
were wilfully misled by others, but considering their position,
they ought not to have been so misled.
The Committee then cleared the room and remained in con-
sultation for some time. On the doors being opened they an-
nounced to Mr. Moore that it was their opinion that he should
be a member of the committee, and that they would consult
Mr. Speaker as to the manner in which that could be arranged.
In the meantime they wished him (Mr. Moore) to prepare a
statement of the exact points into which he wished to go, to
name the witnesses to be examined, and to say how soon the
matter might be proceeded with.
Mr. Moore replied, that the matter might bo proceeded
with at once, that he should be quite prepared. to-morrow
(this day), and that the first witnesses would be his Grace the
Duke of Newcastle and Mr. Frederick Peel.' lie should ask
his grace who recommended Mr. Stonor, and , the parties
named should be the next witnesses.
The Committee then adjourned to Thursday at 1 o'clock.'