The Sun.
London, England, 1854-03-04 00:00:00

COMMITTEE OF COMPLAINT OF BREACH

OF PRIVILEGE.

This committee stood adjourned to yesterday at noon,
but, in consequence pf difficulty in forming a quorum of
members,, the - proceedings did not commence till two
o'clock.
Mr. E. B. Roche, M.P., for Cork county, addressing
the chairman, said, that he and Mr. D. O'Connell con-
sidered that certain statements made by Dr. Gray at the
last sitting of the committee contained an imputation upon
their characters as gentlemen and members of Parliament,
and that they had taken the earliest opportunity of attend-
ing the committee to ask them immediately to go into an
investigation of their case.
Mr. F. Lucas M.P., for Meath, was then called as a
witness.—He said he id not think the course taken by the
committee was a perfectly fair one. When Dr. Gray men-
tioned his (Mr. Lucas') name he was pressed by the com-
mittee to mention everything he had ever heard from any-
body's mouth ; and he had, therefore, no alternative be-
tween either being guilty of contempt against the com-
mittee, or mentioning the merest rumours. His (Mr.
Lucas') name had been, therefore, connected with rumours
which he had never the slightest, notion would be brought
before the committee, and which he had made up his mind
not to bring before them. With regard to the case of Mr.
E. B. Roche, a paragraph had appeared in some of the
papers,—in the Standard, he believed, and in the Cori;
Constitution, relative to the appointment of Mr. Nagle to
some law office in Ireland, obtained through his (Mr.
Roche's) influence. That paragraph naturally gave rise to
a good deal of talk ; but he had no accusation to bring
against Mr. Roche, nor did he know of any thing tending
to implicate him stronger than what that paragraph con-
tained. Up to the time that he (Mr. Lucas) made some
observations in the House of Commons, he had heard of
no case in which the name of any member of the present
Parliament had been mentioned, even in rumour. Had he
known anything stronger than rumour, anything positive,
he would not have left the case to this or any committee ;
he would have brought the proofs under the notice of the
Solicitor or Attorney General for Ireland, in order that the
parties might be_prosecuted as for a misdemeanour.
Mr. Keogh—Did you mention any names to Dr. Gray ?
Mr. Lucas—l think I recollect mentioning the names of
Mr. Roche and Mr. O'Connell.

Mr. Keogh—Did you state to Dr. Gray that either Mr.
Roche or Mr. O'Connell had been positively engaged in
selling places ?
Mr. Lucas—l stated the rumour I had heard. I stated
nothing positively as a fact.
Mr. Keogh—Give the committee the exact words you
used ?
Mr. Lucas—l am unable to do so ; and, though I could,
I should not, for I could not help mentioning names that,
with the greatest possible respect to this committee, I have
no intention to mention. I have made up my mind not
to communicate any further information upon a case which
in my opinion ought never to have been mentioned in this
committee, and I therefore respectfully decline to answer
any questions which might lead to the result I am deter-
mined to avoid.
Mr. Keogh—Are you the proprietor of the Tablet news-
paper ?
Mr. Lucas—l am.
Mr. Keogh.—There appears in that journal, under date
the 11th of February, an article entitled " Sale of Govern-
ment Places by Irish members," which says—" As it is
apprehended that the Government and their Irish sup-
porters will make some desperate attempt to hush up and
hurry
'system
the parliamentary investigation into the scan-
dalous system of place-selling, the assistance of every one
who can throw any light on such proceedings is wanted.
All those who think they can be of service in this way are
earnestly pressed to communicate at once with some Irish
member in whom entire confidence is placed." Did you
write that article?
Mr. Lucas.—l did not, but lam ready to take the re-
sponsibility of it
Mr. Keogh.—And do you consider that you are carrying
out the recommendation contained in that article in now
refusing to communicate to the committee the information
they demand of you ?
Mr. Lucas.—l do not think my conduct is at variance
with it. I never intended Dr. Gray to mention the names
of Mr. Roche and Mr. O'Connell to the committee.
Mr. Keogh.—The statements you made to Dr. Gray
were made to him in the lobby, while the room was clear
on the last day of the sitting?
Mr. Lucas.—They were.
Mr. Keogh—Then, being a member of Parliament, and
so privileged to be present in the room, what reason had
you for going and communicating in the lobby with Dr.
Gray, at that time a witness under examination ?
Mr. Lucas—l can give no reason. It was an indiscre-
tion on my part, that is all ; but I thought at the time
that Dr. Gray's examination was concluded.
Mr. Keogh—Do yon withdraw any charge against Messrs.
Roche and O'Connell ?
Mr. Lucas—l have made no charge.
Mr. Keogh—Have you then, the slightest foundation for
making any charge against either of them ?
Mr. Lucas—l say I have made no charge.
After the room had been cleared, the Chairman commu-