The Sun.
London, England, 1854-06-29 00:00:00

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_
sell; Mr. /ones Fair, sia,:sprolettioe to m taloa*, told
him.in ISIS that he.had been in negotiation with a mom•
ber of. Parliament, through the Dublin agent of that mem-
ber, for the purchase of bis. interest to procure- him an
appointment as paid ~-tiardian ; the sum to be paid was
3001. Mr. Charles O'Hara, jun., of Westport., was said to
be the agent.
"Mr. P. Somers, then representing Sligo, was the mem-
ber alluded to. •

[PRI-C SD.

"Mr. James Fair, being examined, admits having made
a communication in substance such as has been stated by
Dr. Gray.
" Your committee have examined Mr. Fair, Mr. C.
O'Hara, jun., and Mr. Graham. It is impossible from the
nature of his evidence to say how far Mr. Fair was or was

then accidentally absent in London. The remarks of the
Times had been referred to as unfavourable to the un-
dertaking, but there seemed, notwithstanding, to be a
feeling in favour of carrying it out, and one of the
aldermen had immediately subscribed 1001. towards it.
The Mayor of Liverpool was also unavoidably absent,
and the rest of the corporation had postponed taking
any step until his return, but the same feeling seemed
to exist there as in Manchester.

not justified in drawing the inference he seems to have
done from his conversation with Mr. Charles O'Hara.

" Your committee have examined the Solicitor-General
for Ireland and the hon. member for Mayo with reference
to their speeches.
" The evidence given by these hon. members is not, in
the opinion of your committee, sufficient to sustain the

general allegation of corruption they are reported to have
expressed at Ballina and Wexford respectively.
Mr. Patrick Tottrell, Mr. P,indon, and Mr. James
Walker, the persons beforenanqed by Dr. Gray, were ex-
amined. The result of the examination of these witnesses

Mr. MEcni stated that he had visited Oxford with
Mr. Causton, and the municipal authorities of that place,
after they had explained to them that their object was
not of a local character, had promised to co-operate in
receiving their foreign friends in a manner worthy of the
nation. (Hear, hear.) They had visited Sheffield, Leeds,
and Hull with the same result, and he believed they
should also be supported by the press.
The resolution was agreed to.
Mr. GEACH, M.P., moved,—

has not sustained the expectation of Dr Gray.
" Mr. Ackans, also named by Dr. Gray, gave evidence
about a subscription got up for Mr. Reynolds, late member
for Dublin, but that transaction does not appear to have
anything to do with this inquiry.
Mr. Henry Stonor, the other witness named by Dr.
Gray, is out of England.
" Dr. Gray having said that, during his examination by
this committee, the hon. member for Meath had, in the
course of conversation, spoken of rumours affecting Mr.
Burke Roche and Mr. Daniel O'Connell, as having sold
places, or as having obtained a pecuniary advantage by
disposing of them, your committee examined Mr. Lucas
thereon.
" Your committee are of opinion that the story, so far
as Mr. Burke Roche is concerned, had its origin in an
anonymous letter, published in, the ,Standard newspaper,
and is false and unfounded. Nothing came before the com-
mittee to show why Mr. D. O'Connell's name had been
mentioned.

" That a subscription be entered into for carrying into
effect the object of this meeting ; that the Right Hon. the
Lord Mayor be appointed treasurer, and the Right Hon.
Lord John Russell, M.P., Lord Viscount Ebrington Mr.
J. Master man, M.P., Sir J. Duke, M.P., and Baron Lionel
do Rothschild, M.P., be respectfully requested to act as
trustees, and the bankers in London and the country be
solicited to. receive subscriptions ; and that the mayors,
provosts, chief officers, and magistrates of the cities and
boroughs of the- "United Kingdom be also requested to
sanction the addition of their names to the committee,
with a view to the augmentation of the funds, by opening
subscription lists in their local districts."
He thought that the people ought to have an oppor-
tunity of showing their approval of the union between
the Governments of France and England, and he hoped
that they would do so by subscribing towards this un-
dertaking. He might mention that the subscriptions
already entered into were for sums varying from 100
guineas to one shilling. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. UzrELLI, as a British merchant, who had had
transactions with the French nation, heartily seconded
the resolution.
Mr. DUNFORD said he was a working man who had
worked his way up to the position he now occupied,
and, as it was chiefly upon the working classes that the
weight of the expense of the war would fall, he was
practically interested in maintaining a good feeling be-
tween his countrymen and the French. He was the more
interested in this, because one of his sons was in the
Guards, and two others were with Admiral Dundas—
(hear, hear)— and he therefore heartily supported the
present movement.
The resolution was agreed to.
Viscount EBIIINGTON moved, "That the noblemen
and gentlemen whose names appeared in the printed lists
be constituted a committee to conduct the entertain-
ments, with power to add to their number." He hoped
that they should never hear the expression which Mr.
Dunford used—" the working classes"— uttered invi-
diously. (Hear, hear.) He believed that no one in the
country worked harder than the Sovereign who presided
over our destinies—(hear, hear)—and many of those
who were born in a high station worked with their heads
quite as hard as any labouring man among us did with
his hands. It was desirable that we should all recog-
nise the dignity of work, and do nothing that would
tend to introduce class distinctions, and he hoped the
time might come when, instead of work being considered
a disgrace, selfish indolence would be scouted by all
ranks. (Cheers.) It was no longer true that the chief
burden of a war fell upon the working classes, as all legis-
lation had recently tended to decrease the burdens of the
lower and increase those of the higher classes. It was
desirable that there should be union and friendship,
not only between the Governments, but between the
people of France and England, for the knife of an
assassin, or some accident, might upon any day change
the head of the Government of a State, and if an
alliance depended upon the life of one individual there
would be little security indeed for its permanency. He
therefore rejoiced that we were now met to stimulate
and encourage a national movement of this sort, and
to invite our French friends to partake of our hospitality.
Sinco the days of Henry IV., of glorious memory, no
monarch had sat upon the throne of France who had
given evidence of so much goodwill and cordiality to-
wards England as the present Emperor—(cheers)—who
had acted with us without jealousy or arriere pensje,
and seconded by able Ministers, had, in a straightfor-
ward manner, promoted the joint interests of the two
countries.
Mr. OLIVEIRA, M.P., in seconding the resolution,
bore testimony to the good feeling towards the Eng-
lish nation which prevailed throughout the whole of
France.

Your committee are also of opinion that both those
gentlemen have just reason to complain that they have been
made the subject of false and injurious reports and impu-
tations.

"The lion. member for Meath being examined, in con-
sequence of a correspondence in the Tablet newspaper, of
11th February, admitted to be written by him, made,
among others, a distinct charge against the Solicitor-Gene-
ral for Ireland of corrupt conduct, and with having made
promises and oaths which were deliberately broken.
"Mr. Lucas, when asked to explain this accusation, dia.
claimed any intention of imputing to Mr. Keogh that `ho
had been connected with the sale of places for money, or
that `ho had ever heard his name mentioned in connexion
with such practices;' neither did he mean by the charge
that he ' had given votes corruptly to obtain patronage from
the Government;' but he explained and persisted in his
accusation, as referring to the circumstances under whicb.
Mr. Keogh accepted office in a manner, as Mr. Lucas al-
leged, inconsistent with his previous conduct and pledges.
" In support of this charge Mr. Lucas referred your com-
mittee to speeches of Mr. Keogh, and incidents in his po-
litical conduct, which he alleged gave to his acceptance of
office, on the formation of the present Government, the
character which he attributed to it. It appeared to your
committee that the charge resolved itself into an impeach-
ment of the public and political conduct of the hon mem-
ber referred to, matters upon which they do not consider it
their duty to offer any opinion to the house.
" The publication in the Tablet contained other charges
of matters within the cognisance of your committee. With
reference to these charges Mr. Lucas was also examined,
and your committee are of opinion the hon. member for
Meath has not substantiated them in proof.
" The hon. member for Dublin University (Mr. Napier),
for Youghal (Mr. Butt), for Mayo (Mr. Moors), for Antrim
(Mr. Macartney), and Manchester (Mr. Bright), having been
named by Mr. Lucas as being able to give evidence material
to this inquiry, were severally examined.
" The cages, however, with which these hon. members
were presumed to have been acquainted, have been ex-
amined into and found groundless.
" At the close of the inquiry Mr. W. A. Dane, a solicitor
of Dublin, came before the committee and informed them
' That a gentleman who was in my house within the last
fortnight told me that a situation had been promised to be
obtained by a member of this House (the situation of a re-
sident magistrate); and that in consideration of that pro-
mise a gentleman accepted bills for 1,0001. for the hon.
member;' that, having failed in obtaining that appoint•
ment, `there was another appointment obtained, and the
gentleman referred to was absolutely filling it at the pre-
sent moment.' The office was in the Excise.'
" It came out in examination that the member referred
to was the Solicitor-General for Ireland; that Colonel
Smith, formerly Assistant Adjutant-General at Athlone,
and resident there, was the person said to have accepted
; the bills and that the place in the Excise was for his son,
Mr. Lambert Smith.
" This story appears to have arisen from the facts that
Mr. Lambert Smith holds a place in the Customs, and that
pecuniary transactions connected with election expenses, in
1847, had taken place between Colonel Smith and Mr.
Keogh, not in any way connected with the appointment.
"Mr. Lambert Smith's appointment took place in 1845,
ono year and a half before Mr. Keogh entered Parliament;
and it has been shown to your committee that Mr. Keogh
had nothing whatever to do with it.
" When your committee separated on the 30th of March,
before the Easter recess, your committee understood that
the evidence to sustain the charge against the Solicitor-
General had terminated ; but when your committee met
again after the recess, a letter addressed to the chairman,
from Mr. W. A. Dane, was read, in consequence of which
your committee permitted the caw to be reopened, and re-
ceived more evidence. The charge assumed an unaltered
shape ; but having carefully examined all the evidence
that was adduced on this head, your committee are of opi-
nion this charge is false and unfounded.
" The name of Mr. Patrick Somers, late member for
Sligo, having been by several witnesses brought before this
committee, it is due to that gentleman to say that no proof
has been made to implicate him in any improper or corrupt
',rausaction.

The resolution was agreed to.
Mr. F. BENNOCH proposed, and Colonel FREESTUN,
M.P., seconded a vote of thanks to the Lord Mayor,
which was carried unanimously. •
The LORD MAYOR, in returning thanks, observed that
those who imputed to him anything like the personal
motives for' connecting himself with this movement
which he had seen very vulgarly imputed to him were
never more mistaken in their lives. (Hear, hear.). lie
had motives for acting as he had done, because he desired
to see the advancement of this country, and the exten-
sion of the freedom of which we boasted to other nations,
and he firmly believed that the best mode of attaining
those objects would be to cement the friendship that
existed between England and France. The French were
a sensitive people, and he asked whether we ought to
refuse to meet those advances which they had of late
made to us ? Should it be said that the French people
had invited and welcomed us, and that we had not re-
turned their hospitality ? (Hear, hear.) If the feel-
ings which animated Lim were sound and proper they
would be responded to by the country ; and, if they
were not, it was remarkable that the opinions he had
expressed should not have been controverted in a meet-
ing like the present. Not a single dissentient having
been found to the objects which had been proposed,
he had a right to assume, with all respect to the press
of this country, that the meeting fairly represented
the opinions of his countrymen at large, and that they
desired to cement their friendship with the French people
by means of social intercourse and the practice of the
common courtesies of life. (Cheers.)
The meeting then separated.

" Mr. Somers attended before your committee, and was
examined, and not only denied that there 'was any founda-
tion for the charges imputed against him in tho evidence
of Mr. Kelly and Dr. Gray, but also corroborated the evi-
dence of Mr. Howley, and further explicitly and solemnly
denied that be had ever received any pecuniary considera-
tion for recommending any one to the patronage of Go-
vernment.

" Your committee reports that, having followed up and
exhausted such sources of information as have been sug-
gested by the various witnesses, no case of corruption has
been proved.
" It appears to your committee that the persons who have
preferred against a section of the Irish members the charges
whloh have led to this inquiry have failed to support them.
Your committee have given every facility for this purpose,
and extended their inquiries to a latitude which has not
unfrequently involved them in the reception of idle gossip
and the investigation of groundless calumnies. Your com-
mittee are of opinion that those who gave to the public
these statements ought to have been prepared to support
them ; and they cannot but regard it as matter both of
regret and animadversion, that even the excitement of
political passion should have induced gentlemen to place
before the public allegations so vitally electing the honour
of one class of Irish representatives—allegations which
when they had the opportunity of sustaining them, they
failed to substantiate by any reliable proof.
" Your committee have, however, to add, that respect-
able witnesses have stated that in Irish society there is a
general belief that practicos of the gross traffic indicated in
these charges have existed. Not that such practices have
been general, but that in some few instances there have
been Irish members who have been in the habit of using
influence over Government patronage to obtain pecu-
niary ry
advantage for themselves. The extent of the impres-
sion.has been described to your committee, 'as far as it
can be traced, as resolving itself into an accusation against
not more than three or four.' This impression appears to
have existed for some years, and the period over which it
ranges to have included many Parliaments. With every
anxiety to discover the origin of a belief which is too general
to be entirely disregarded, your committee have not been
able to trace it to any ground more satisfactory than rumours
and suspicions which have acquired a certain hold upon the
public mind. In estimating the value which is to be at-
tached to this general belief, it must not be forgotten that
many cases have been brought before your committee which
at first appeared to warrant that belief, but which, when
thoroughly sifted, were found to supply no foundation for
it at all. Your committee have had many instances which
establish that in Irish society there is a readiness, upon very'
light grounds, to accept conclusions detrimental to the
character of political opponents, and, to some extent, a
willingness to damage that character without very scrupu-
lous inquiries as to the grounds upon which the impeach-
ment rests. It is impossible to reconcile the notoriety of
such transactions alleged by some persons with the un-
questionable fact, that with all the anxiety manifested to
establish the charge, and the latitude given by your com-
mittee, not a single case has been proved.
" At the same time, considering the secrecy which would
most naturally be observed, the unwillingness of parties to
place themselves in the position of accusers, the fact that
your committee had no means of searching for evidence,
but were limited to such as might be offered, and the want
of the power of examining witnesses upon oath ; and fur.
ther, that in more than one instance their inquiries have
been stopped by direct contradiction in the evidence of
those examined, your committee are of opinion that no
investigation of the nature, and with the powers of that
intrusted to your committee, can satisfactorily ascertain
to what extent there may have existed grounds for the
belief to which so many witnesses have deposed.
paragraph in the Times
of ‘t‘hTeh6atth,
owfiFtharreufaeryrenlcaest,toyotuhre
committee
reinf eel
ell bound.
o Preferred,t 0
report to the house their conviction that there existed no
and
et oc
os
ttha teed twh eaisr
"June 19."

CHARACTER OF THE IRISH MEMBERS.

The following is the report of the Select Committee of
the House of Commons, to whom it was referred to
examine into and report to the house upon the matter of
the complaint made to the house of a paragraph in the
Times of the 6th of February, as containing calumnious
reflections on the Irish members :

" That the article in the Times of the Gth of February
purports to have been founded upon allegations contained
in speeches of Mr. Christopher Kelly and of Dr. Gray, re-
ported in the Freeman's Journal of the 27th of January
last as having been delivered after a public dinner at Team
on the 24th of January ; but your committee are of opinion
that it was not founded entirely upon those allegations,
inasmuch as they find, by evidence brought before them,
that another article of precisely the same tendency, and
containing allegations much stronger and more comprehen-
sive than any contained in the speeches referred to, was
published in the Times some months previous.
readcyboofththebyremporr.t
KineutyheeePrdeboya
Dr.
Jour Journale gweeneeraeldameietut
Gray.
"In the speeches general charges of corruption are
brought against a section of tho Irish members, and a
particular instance is given both by Mr. Kelly and another,
Dr. Gray.
" The following instance of corruption was stated by Mr.
Kelly :--` I knew of my own knowledge in one of the past
Parliaments, not the present one, a stipendiary magistracy
to have been sold by an independent Irish member for, the
sum of 1,0001. The contract between the hon. memberand
the pure-minded magistrate were these :-5001. were to be
paid by the magistrate for the promise of the place ; the
seoond 5001. was to be paid upon the ratification of the
promise.' The `own knowledge' of this witness consisted
of a conversation said to have taken place in 1841 between
the witness and a Mr. Maguire, long since dead who was
said to be the solicitor of the member of Parliament re-
ferred to.
" Mr. Kelly stated to your committee that in the year
1841 ho was in the employment of Mr. John Ennis, wLo
was a connexion of Mr. Howley, the stipendiary magis-
trate referred to ; that in that year Mr. Bernard Maguire
applied to him to induce Mr. Ennis to exert his influence
with Mr. Howley to persuade him to fulfil his promise by
paying the sum of 5001. Mr. Kelly stated that, in conse-
quence of this, he did apply to Mr. Ennis, who indignantly
refused to have anything to do with the transaction. Mr.
Bernard Maguire, Mr. Kelly stated, professed to act on
behalf of a member of Parliament, but he was unable to
say whether the member was Mr. Patrick Somers or Mr.
Robert Dillon Brown, but he was) quite sure that it was
one or other of these gentlemen.
" Mr. Ennis denies any recollection of any such applica-
tion having been made to him, or having held any such con- -
versation. ESTRUCTIVE INCENDIARY FiRE.—A destructive fire,
"Mr. Howley has been examined before your committoe, .13.
and has denied that, directly or indirectly, he ever gave or which there is every reason to believe was the act of an
promised any consideration for the appointment, or was incendiary, broke out on Sunday last at the retired vil.
ever applied to pay any money to any person for obtaining lage of Hodson, near Swindon. Mr. Haynes, of this
it. Mr. Howley informed your committee that at the latter Wilts constabulary, has since been engaged in investi-
end of 1840, soon after which time he obtained the appoint-
ment of stipendiary magistrate, ho lent a sum of 400/. to gating the matter, and a man named Farr has been ap.
Mr. P. Somers, then member of Parliament for Sligo, n prehended on suspiciono f the. offence. It appears that
mortgage. Pon the flames, which were discovered to be on a farm in the
' loan-anait
appears" Th is t Ton; aoeutri ocno
mhas i t beentee t 0 chaarveef übl leye
been
nay
bonaes investigated, at
fideedoccupation of Mr. Baverstock, were first observed by
oCCIIpa
the tenants of a neighbouring cottage. Before any per.
suction, and that there is no evidence to prove that
of Mr. sons could assemble to render assistance a large stack
before the commitiwttaese
at all connected with the appointment to office of straw, containing nearly twenty tons, and a large
Howley. That gentleman produced barn were on fire. The flames were
evoinsitablieninfogrnmearanlyy
copies of the testimonials which were sent in when he oh- miles round, and in less than two hours two stables,
twined his appointment ; and Mr. Howley said that the several waggon sheds, a large barn,
late Mr. O'Connell had given him an introduction to Lord eighty sacks of unwinnowed wheat and a thrashing
Mp
ot 0 oi
support
pempt
ehon, r
tt b. y
themr
p. whichparticular
Christopherc huelcaor anslildeeg Kraetedillo_y
nhe.jhnadhisobstpesiench ;
edthe ap- machine, together with several other outbuildings, and
gave no other evidencether fboyu rwwa
sa gagl
soon
bs ,u wr
netr et
oentirelyocuonnds.o mwe
ed .r
egrAect ottot aagdedcLo
as:
acart-horse, cart-horse, worth 351., Perished in the flames; no person
fore your committee see no reason to doubt Mr. Howley s
denial, and aro of opinion that Mr. Kelly has failed in sub-
arriving in time to rescue the `poor beast. Four other
stantiating the charge which he has made. horses were standing in an enclosed yard, all of which
“ Dr. Gray, in his evidence before your commit ee,ni,u Robinson,st have been sacrificed but for the timely arrival of
t
quoted as an authority for the general charge of corruption
extracts of speeches said to have been delivered by the
Thomas carter to Mr. Baverstock, who, at
were all SoliCitor-General for Ireland after a public dinner at Wex- the risk of his life, succeeded in rescuing them from a
tsh:gteodi:e
and
dthtehepyoowr
ford, and by the hon. member for Mayo (Mr. Moore) after horrible death. So close were the flames upon them,
Is
bhuarndtlilisa tsaievlervaeirym places,ncll
a dinner at Balling, -.
on. the back. and other parts, by the burning embers
he're' Dr. Gray
of Mr.
eve to
etkoTeytoturren,commrm
Bititeedeena,smwri.tdn.elsyseaslktehre,
,11
Mr. "falling on them. A large number of fowls were burnt
to death. The fire also spread to a pigsty° belonging to
Mr. Ackans, the Solicitor-General forlereelualndd,iavnedin'
for.
Henry Stonor, who he stated ho believed give
Benjamin (,howler ; it contained a pig, which made its
malice of facts bearing on the subject of this inquiry.
" Dr. Gray also spoke of conversations held with the
escape, but when found it was discovered that its eyes
Solicitor-General for Ireland, Mr. Duffy, and Mr. Lucas,
on the same subject. . were completely burnt out, and it was immediately
" The particular case mentioned by Dr, Gray is this :3 killed.