The Sun.
London, England, 1854-03-27 00:00:00

COMPLAIN.!

'LEGE.

The committee met on Thursday soon after 12 o'clock,
The interest evinced as to the proceedings of this in.
quiry appears to be greatly on the increase, for through-
out the day the room was completely crowded.
The first witness called was
Mr. Dillon Croker—He said, I have been for many
years connected with the county of Cork. I was a ma-
gistrate of the county of Kerry. My son was a magi-
strate of the county of Cork. I was anxious, in 1851,
to get an appointment as resident magistrate for my son.
I applied to Lord Clarendon, who required testimonials.
I wrote to my son in London to obtain testimonials.
He was in London, and a person who knew he was
seeking this appointment met him in the street. He
was a brother to my agent. He told me he could put
me in the way of getting a situation for my son if I could
lodge a sum of 5001. in the bank by Saturday. I de-
clined. I was averse to the transaction, and was also
unable to raise the money within the time. Mr. Thos.
Lane was the name of the person. He said the party
who could do the thing was a person in the city. He
said that the money was not to be drawn from the bank
until my son's name appeared in the Gazette. I have
represented the conversation accurately. This occurred
in June or July. lam ready to verify this statement
on oath.
Mr. T. Lane was then examined—l have not the
slightest recollection of the conversation just declared to
have taken place by Mr. Croker. I most unequivocally
deny the statement of Mr. Croker. I nevershad a con-
versation at all with Mr. Croker about a Government
appointment, at any place, or at any time. lam pre-
pared to swear to the evidence I have just given.
haomining practicesco mopnatnhye.
To Mr. Keogh—l am secretary tow
I am brother to Mr. Lane, Q.C.,
Munster circuit.
By Mr. Butt—l cannot state that I never had any
conver-ation with Mr. Croker as to the sale of a stipen-
diary magistracy, but I can positively say that I never
asked a sum of money. To the best of my recollection,
we never discussed the question about the purchase of
an appointment. Such a conversation might have taken
place, but as it is four years ago, it is very hard to re-
member a particular conversation. I will swear posi-
tively that I did not originate it, but I night possibly
have followed it up.
Mr. G. H. Moore, M.P., was then called to the wit-
ness chair. He stated that he had read Dr. Gray's evi-
dence, and had seen a report of a speech inserted in the
Tablet attributed to him (Mr. Moore).
The Chairman said it had been reported to this com-
mittee that he (Mr. Moore) could give some information
on the subject of their inquiry.
Mr. Moore said before stating anything, he wished to
can the attention of the committee to a passage in the
speech of Sir Robert Peel in the House of Commons on
the abandonment of the appropriation clause by the
Whig Government, It was as follows :—" What a pic-
ture the noble lord draws of his Irish allies when he says
_ that the moment the personnel of the Government
was changed their clamour on the subject abated."
Lord John .Russell: "No, it was three years after-
wards." Sir R. Peel : "W€ll, it took the noble lord three
years to make them cool. I appeal to any man whether
it would have been decent for them to lose their heat at
an earlier period. They were gradually exposed to the
mild influence of office ; it is no imputation upon them
whatever to say that under a Whig Government they
got their fair share of official patronage ; and about two
or three years afterwards their hostility to the Established
Church abated, and they plainly told the noble lord they
could give him no cordial support in an attempt to divest
it of its revenues." In reference to these circumstances,
as mentioned by Sir R. Peel, and in relation to the state
of politics existing in Ireland at the time these circum-
stances occurred, I said at Ballina, on the 25th of Nov.,
1851, " In consideration of this cry, you sent to Parlia-
ment the very refuse of your citizens—in consideration
of this catcall you entrusted with the defence of your
country and your faith men to whom you would have en-
trusted nothing else, and whom you knew went to Par-
liament for no purpose but to sell you, And what was
the result ? Why, that you were sold, and sold at a price
so base that the very misery of the traffic became more
contemptible than its iniquity. I dare say many who hear
me know the price at which Post-office and Custom-house
appointments used to go. I do, at :ill events ; for I have
been offered the money, and told that that was the or-
dinary market prices."
The Chairman inquired if he could state any case in
reference to those observations?
Mr. Moore—Yes, and the circumstances were these.
A young man came to me one day, and asked rue to get
him a particular appointment in the Post Office that was
at that time vacant. Seeing me hesitate, he said, "I aim
ready to do the usual thing." I immediately replied--
" What do you mean by the usual thing ? " upon which
he seemed surprised that I did not know what he meant,
and said he was ready to give the first year's salary for
it. As I did not accept his offer, he hoped, he said, that
I was not offended, and I said " Certainly not, as I
never took offence when none was intended ; but that
after what he had said I could not think of recommend-
ing him for the appointment, even if I had the power of
obtaining it." I have heard that there was a regular
tariff for situations that had been mentioned by people
to me, who said it was the usual thing, and were sur-
prised that I had not heard of it, as certain men were in
the 'habit of selling appointments—and that there was a
price paid as an equivalent for such transactions. I
heard the statement generally made, and I have con-
versed in public with men of all parties, and I will ven-
ture to say that no man expressed his disbelief that
amongst a certain portion of the Irish members that this
practice has prevailed.
The Chairman—When was this offer made ?
Mr. Moore—l cannot very accurately ten • isist_l
-csays-rs-asnentlek-s amendment to Lord Palmerston's mo-
tion (as was understood) on the affairs of Greece. The
only appointment I ever received was one at Ballina,
and by a strange coincidence it was soon after the only
important vote I ever gave in favour of the government,
against Mr. Roebuck's motion.
The Chairman—Can you give the committee any clue
that they may trace or get specific information that such
practices prevailed 1
Mr. Moore—l can give no further information upon
that point. I may, however, state that when I was first
returned to parliament I had hundreds of applications to
me for situations. I told all of those who applied that
it was of no use, and that I could not get them, as I
was a vehement opponent of the Government. They
said that my predecessors were equally vehement
Repealers, and that they had got situations, and
they further said they were sure I should get them
if I applied. I accordingly wrote letters, stating that
persons were applicants, but to only one did I obtain an
answer. I had but one appointment sent for my dis-
posal, and that was for a situation at Ballina.
To Mr. Bright—l had voted with the Government on
the Greek question, and it was after that vote that the
appointment was put in my hands.
To Lord Barrington—I sent the appointment to Bal-
lina, telling them to select the fittest person, and I knew
nothing of the person who was appointed, or have I
ever seen him.
Mr. Macartney, M.P., was called, and in reference
to what was said by Mr. Butt on his appointment on
the committee that he could speak to a dozen cases of
corruption, said that was not to be taken literally, it
meaning five or six, and when Mr. Butt said a dozen
cases, it was only an Irish way of enlarging on all sub-
jects. (A laugh.)
Mr. Bright, M.P.was called.
The Chairman—Dr. Gray has stated in his evidence
that the hon, member for Manchester could give us some
information on the subject of our inquiry. Are you
able to do so ?
Mr. Bright—I can give the substance of a conversa-
tion in which a person stated a direct fact to me when
I was in Ireland about two and a half years ago, and
as he gave it as a matter that he knew on his own
knowledge, he had a right to presume that the facts
were correctly stated. I think it is a matter that it
would be material for the committee to pursue to its
conclusion. I was in Sligo in September, 1852, along
with a friend of mine, an Irish gentleman, and in
travelling we went up a short river to the sea at
Sligo, and for that purpose we made us of a boat
that is kept at the extreme end of the town by a
shoemaker. The owner of the boat, and a man who
worked for him in the capacity of boatman, pulled
us up the river, and whilst going along, amongst other
conversation, a good deal was said
aout Sligo elec-
both tion and the representatives of Sligo, when
the boatman and his man spoke of the sale of [ADVERTISEMZENT.I—TELESCOPES.—Iier Majesty's
Panes being notorious there. They gave as an instance Royal Letters Patent, for valuable and extraordinary im-
Lthat about 40 persons were going to the same place provements in the most powerful and brilliant Telescopes
ute, Wean _were going on one occasion, and that 39 got to know the distances of objects viewed through them—
liaraeranetro, fhoedllrtinh:tfo
t one of them who was a member of Par- of great importance to the army and navy. Messrs. S. and
the _the river. A man got him out, and B. Solomons, opticians, 39, Albemarle-street, Piccadilly.
Jude to the Parliament, as a testimony of his grab- Observe—opposite the York Hotel.—These telescopes pos-
sess such extraordinary powers that some, 3i inches, with
firs
that
niefor saving his life, promised him the
accordingly
snculod become vacant in the coast guard, an extra eye-piece, will show distinctly Jupiter's %son ,
It wasteof
bat
to him through Mr. Andrew Saturn's rin, and the double stea- viththe samem
tele-
Walker,
scope can be seen a person's countenance three miles
o3ot it was also stated to him the ne- and a half distant, and an object from 16 to 20 miles.
cessity of his giZ
notl. or 40/. for the place. They They supersede every other kind for the waistcoat-pocket,
said that the roan
been able to raise the money, and are of larger and all sizes, with increasing powers
or had any of hie Mends,hacind the place was given to accordingly.— The Royal Exhibition, 1851. -Small glass
some one else, and it
presumed that that man or for the waistcoat-pocket. A valuable, newly-invented, very
his friends had raised trlou
money. I made a memoran- small, powerful waistcoat-pocket glass the size of a walnut,
durn of the circurnetanoo
abrupt
1
purposeher
a-
re
agetereemaker—story of Pat opera-houses,
clearly seen
at 12 to 14 miles. They arerrnvaluablelpfsora shooting, deer-
Somers ; sold his patron
Bred boatmen a place in
coast-guard for 301. or 401. • stalking, yachting, to sportsmen, gentlemen, gamekeepers,
anotherfogroht .it through and tourists. Opera and race-course glasses, with wonderful
Andrew Walker, who did the business
On ray returnhim there— power; an object can be clearly seen from 10 to 12 miles
ore places for men .
sales notorious—got "I
in Sligo than distant. Newly-invented Spectacles ; immediately they
any man ever did before.''
to Dublin on are placed before extremely imperfect vision, every
that occasion, I mentioned that fact to /Ar
.Lu h object becomes clear and distinct ; the most aged, de-
was coming in the boat from Kinestown cas, w . . .
to Efolyhead fective sight is brought to its youthful natural and •
who had no doubt mentioned it to Dr, Gray. ' ginal state. Deafness—New Discovery—, The Organic Mr, W. Dame--I am a solicitor, living in Dublin.
°Wn s brator, ,an extraordinary powerful, small, newly-invented
can give the committee no information a my instrument, for Deafness, entirely different from all others,
sonal knowledge. I have been informed by a P" to surpass anything of the kind that has been, or pro-
man in Dublin that a member of Parliament hadgellt bably ever can be, produced. Being of the same
ceived money and bills for the purpose of selling an ap.. colour as the skin, is not perceptible ; it enables deaf
pointment for a person under Government. A gentle- Persons to hear distinctly at church and at public as-
man s ; the unpleasant sensation of singing noises in
who was at my house in Dublin told me that a the ears is entireloyc:ofredmilved and. it. affords all the assiet-
situation was promised by a member of Parliament for niece that possibly
Ilecarlilly. Observe, opposite the York Hotel.
wards the sum of 1,000/., but as it was not forthcoming the
ekoA;voerezilvsesoars.J HOLLOWAY'S PILLS FOR THE
bills were destroyed. A new negotiation was after-
wards opened, and a gentleman got an appointment in
srosiAEß COMPLAINTS, INDIGESTION, AND DISOR-
the Excise, and was filling the office at the present time. DERRD
Richard Haynes, of her Majesty's
As soon as he obtained the appointment the gentleman Dockyard
oytnenut
ofyrnouth, for several years had not had
passed a bond to a bank as a responsibility for' bills to the enj
a day's good health, constantly suffering
the extent of 1,000/. from indigeasion and liver complaint. He had the best
To ale. Butt—My informant was personally discon- medical advice frons both array and navy surgeons, but
netted with the matter, and I should be sorry to own the disease yielded not to e'r treatment, and various
any man as my friend who would be mixed up with such other remedies were tried with a like result. At last he
transactions I think I have a letter in my possession began to use Holloway's pills' and this fine medicine has
that
polfmhoisststomach and invigorateen
would go far to establish the case against the mem• so strengthened the tone
her of Parliament. A Mr. Lynch, living in Athlone, his constitution, that he is perfectly cured, and -
received a letter from a person who has the correspon- joys the best of health.—Sold
Professor Holloway's Establishment,yali
dence abut the transaction in his possession.
lru2g4g4i:ts,satnrdanadt,
To Mr. Keogh_ We have met before, but you were London-