The Sun.
London, England, 1836-04-23 00:00:00

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it is by
he was fully justified in the use which he
no means my intention to say that
.! port is not a correct one—that it is not a full and eon-1-
P_ tete acquittal of Mr. O'Connell ; but at the same time that I
sa_Yths am I sure that the Committee of the House of
z‘-aeitrinons considered that it was incumbent on them to do
ithe than to inquire into the mere personal matter connected
the case. Sir, my opinion is that they thought the gra•
Vonvamen of the charge was the imputation of personal eort'ap'•
k, andthat it never once entered their contemplation that
rwas their duty to ascertain and determine whether or not
• O'Connell had been guilty of a breach of the privileges
of Parliament.—(Cheers ) I say, Sir, that the Noble 'Lord
i
had no •
rght to dictate to us the course wtleh we ought to
..Itake, or to say that the Report of a Select Committee is to
.rozr, the decision of the House of Commons.—( Cheers.)
\ , Sir, with respect to one passage of that Report, l
by it.
confess I am far from certain as to what is rcelly meant
that h t states that " your Committee cana,st help
lettert observing
e whole tone and tenour of this (Mr. O'Connell's)
Thadvewas calculated to excite much suspicion and grave ant-
-0,,
this rsion." What, I ask the Noble Lord, is the meaning
, le —
Passage;and I should also like to know from him if
12,
°has attended to the words " grave animadversion," and
badthose words are intended or not to imply a censure
L'i_; Ir. O'Connell, after the whole of the evidence produced
'leo been fully discussed and considered by the Committee ?
--(Great cheering.) If those words are meant to imply a
cclsure on Mr. O'Connell, then, perhaps, the Noble Lord
will state to the House the ground upon which that censure
proceeds. Is it meant by them that Mr. O'Connell was,
'n, the opinion of the Committee, guilty of a breach of pri-
,:lee? And if that is the meaning to be given to the
and why, I ask, did not the Committee define the nature
It is S.
nu extent of
. Mr. O'Connell's ff nce ? (Renewed cheers.)
o e
, tr, ite ible that the tone and "of Mr.
°'ClAtiell q'
u s lettepross might, previous" to the inquiry,tenour have excited
suspicion," but it is equally certain that neither could have
.1
varranted "animadversion." " Suspicion" was a justifiable
course for instituting- the inquiry ; hilt I should have thought,
if the charge had been deemed merely a trumpery one, based
Only on "suspicion," that such a term as " animadversion"
"ordold not have been used.—( Vehement cheers.) The Noble
L, however, adopts the words "grave animadversion."—
(Cheers.) There are, Sir, other parts of the Report respec-
ting which I entertain miens doubts, and if I am called upon
to adopt it I should like to'ltlffe some explanation respecting
Pathe Passage to which I allude before I concur in it. That
ssage is as follows:—" It appears also that this money has
been expended under the immediate direction of Mr. Vigors
and Others connected with the county of Carlow, on what may
be called legal expenses, or so unavoidable that your Co-
mmittee see no reason to question their legality." Now, Sir, I
e
oritend that the necessary expense to carry an election is not
a test of the legality of that expense, for we all know that ex-
pense may be necessary though at the same time illegal.
Lord J. RUSSELL—The word should be unavoidable,
not necessary.
Sir R. PEEL-... 1 have stated only the formula of the Noble
Lord's own resolution, which says that expenses which are ne-
cessary cannot be corrupt.—( Cheers.)
Lord S.
nightRUSSELL—I must -beg leave to interrupt the
Hon. Baronet. I directed my resolution to be copied,
d it
word that the person who copied it substituted the
necessary for unavoidable. I did not observe the error
until to-day.
Sir R. PEEL—I do not think the alteration at all mate-
-114, nor does either word in the slightest degree interfere
with rnY argument • for neither the one nor the other can be
a test by which the 'legality or illegality of election expences
arlbe ascertained.—(Great cheering.) When the Noble
Lod calls on me to assent to his resolution, he not only opens
the report, but the whole of the evidence • and if he will not
censent to pass on to the other Orders of the Day, he renders
it int ~ ,
possime for me not to enter on a review of the whole of
the
transactions. The question is, were those proceedings
gal and constitutional ; and if you oblige me to record my
liote on that question lam bound to look at the matter on
constitutional principles, and as affecting the purity of elec-
tion. These considerations were altogether slurred over ; but
t,b.og to ask whether the House of Commons will take a step
°
aiolt will go the length of sanctioning such proceedings ?
You mean to sanction the principle that a certain defined
sum
, may be paid down, and if not absorbed that the surplus
P-in): go in aid of the funds, a Liberal Club, and be applied in
ing the year's, or half year's rent, of those tenants who,
g in arrear, yet vote against the wishes of their landlords.
"--(Cheers.) By your resolution, I assert, you either expressly,
°r
taeitlY, sanction all this • but why do you confine your
thrapensation ,to tenants, why.' do you not at once declare
at every voter, whether in town or country, who alleges
Hitt he is injured by the way in which he gives his vote
•u his neighbour, is entitled to compensation from the
if,!iLiberal club ?—(Renewed cheering.) In each case the viola-
° Compensation ris of election is equally great therefore,
~. be valid in the one, it follows that it is just
this °Pening the door to a flood of irresistible bribery and cor-f.
Great- cheering.) Now I do ask the House p
Ci°rornons whether a case has not been made out which, in
°t°ol' times, and under different circumstances, would have
rendered it necessary for them to inflict punishment? I think
ere has, be and, therefore, if I am to record my vote, it must
against the resolution of the Noble Lord.
GMr. R. COLBORNE begged to assure the Right Hon.
Gentleman that he had withdrawn his motion of the previous
tluestion, without the knowledge of his Noble Friend. When
rated how the Hon. Member for Bradford's resolutions were
Sheeting them ; but if the House were now content to dispose
be the subject by the previous question, he, for his part, would
. . perfectly satisfied. He thought that nothing could be more
UThJudicious than bringing forward such a motion, and he could
but deeply lament that it savoured a little too much of
Accution.—(Hear.) If the object was to depreciate Mr.
fait°onell in the eyes of the public, it most certainly would
. ; and if his influence in England should ever be as great
tas it was in Ireland, an event of which he (Mr. R. Colborne)
ad no fears, he might well look upon the Hon. Member for
I.4mdford as one of his most liberal benefactors.—( Hear.)
yids ROEBUCK rose, amidst loud cries of "Divide, di-
ti --," and made several fruitless attempts to address the
jaclu.se, but on each occasion his voice was altogether drowned
cries of .. Oh, oh," and " Divide," which succeeded.
Th
oh, e SPEAKER
e„ ,-erred that tranquillity was the surest means by which the
-`41,„.0f the discussion would be arrived at.
pu"',.; r• ROEBUCK said the matter in hand related to the
few'43' of election, and, therefore, he felt it his duty to make a
i.iebservations.—( Renewed cries of " Divide," and " Oh.)
de "°a• Members opposite thought that he was to be put
t,O by this species of clamour they were much mistaken.
bringc should persevere.—(Ph, oh.) What he wanted was to
sitie Ibis matter home to some Hon. Member s on the other
ine°l_ the House. He wanted to ask those Hon. Members
Which YerY.pertinent questions—( Ironical
.cheers)—questions
tow had immediate relation to the subject of purity of. elee-
hars(Hear.) The Hon. Member for Bradford, he believed,
1,11 himlf been three or four times accused of having cor-
(1‘1)/ted :e purity of eleetion.—(Hear, hear.) Now he
a,r. Roebuck) wanted that Hon. Member to stand up and
the'Loo his honour as a gentleman that he was not guilty of
M cuarge so imputed to him.--( Cheers from the Ministerial, fr ember, and cries of " Order," " Divide," " Chair,'
tieT the Opposition.) He wanted to ask the same ques-
lpn of the Right Honourable Baronet 'the Member for
beavorth, and he wanted that Right Honourable '
tleroranet also to stand up and declare on his honour as a gen-
of 440 'that he had never bought a seat. (Renewed cries
ja Order," ~
ord t Chair," and much confusion.) The Noble
be „: (x), the Member for Hertford (Lord Mahon), could
that'land op and declare, on his honour as a gentleman,
sittest!,e bad never bought a seat ?—( Cries of " Question,
house.l"," " Order, order," and much uproar in all parts of the
\ He had
done., Lie one more question to put, and then he had.
gation 1"I had in his hand a report of the judicial inv.esti-
Su d 'which took place in Scotland into the case of Sir E.
44 co and Mr. Gordon. That was a case of corrupt bar-
lam it--;-(Renewed confusion.) Now, the Right Hon. Baronet
ther ts,i(ed those on his (Mr. Roebuck's) side of the House whe-
Wher_ucY bad ever omitted to press home to the parties
.a case
that tehiconviction was clear. His answer to that question was
Liberals) s very case of Sir E. Sugdcn was one where they (the
ion,,, had not pressed it home.—( More cries of " Ques-
the ,„ and renewed confusion.) He repeated that he wanted
an the Noble
Member for Bradford and the Right Hon. Baronet
th,t , :Noble Lord to stand up and declare, on their honour,
Ahu.e, had never been guilty of any corrupt practices.
used ri ARD Y rose to reply. There were now many ac-
the liParties before the House.—( A laugh.) First there was
the s.On• Member for Dublin.—( Cries of " No, no," from
tiereanoisterialists, and " Divide, divide.") He hoped Gen-
hibitiors*
aceoseendwould do him justice, and hear him, for he had been
(Cite, ill a most indecorous and improper manner.—
) Not, however, that he had ever expected any ex-
litoc.h.arof Not,
from that side of the House.—( Cheers and
Iss-,;Z,,,e He did not know the number of the accusations
Ifeobl. Ought against him, but he would begin with the last. . The
tke
ea•nd Learned Member for Bath, unsupported by anything
too4nient Pro ee, and unpreceded by anything like notice, had
ad- per, in defence of the Hon. Member for Dublin,
I_ opt the tii quoque line of defence—a line of defence which
oFtr,leoed hardly say betrayed not a little weakness on the part
tathe Ilgusieitwychhoi used it,. and one which was a tacit admission. of
,Y the to c suen persons sought to affix on their opponents
e the
gueq"e•--( Hear, hear, and laughter.) lie now told
Le
~..a_nd Learned Member for Bath, and the Hon. and
their'ett Alember for Dublin, if he were in the House, that
h., accusation of bribery , was unjust.—.( Oh, oh, from the
trZsisat,.e.r,oiaili I)enches, and cheers from the Opposition.) The
alleers'.`)'
neferred to occurred ten years before.—( Ironical
0(1 Petitionedc (Mr. Hardy) was then candidate for Pomfret,
the.. on the o-round of bribery. He put himself into
b. ribel,N;tlo,rchsisi.-tbowxasto be'-'
examined on the counter-charge of
Isow ask him cella made against him ; but they did not dare
Y questions._( Hear, hear.) That was his an-
agthe txeehellarge.—( Cheers.) The Right Hon. Chancellor
ainsta ,_Chequer also had thought proper
.to make a charge
th him that he delighted in persecution ; but he could
14 ilia e Right Ho Gentlemanas .that he came into that House
tosinlfr o,as much as the Ri,VI-r,
seen"
i•-;ePendent a Member andG that he disliked. p.er-
( Hear hear'', and oan..laugehnt.l)ema;lf dthisilsikmedotlimon-
_,
~,, ,axes..—
Thl:e'arueen brought forward at the time when the Hon. and
rone, ti.qember Was denounced in the. Speech from the
lie beenuYthtehes very me.n who now sat by his side, would there
1.8, to c ame anxiety, on the part of some Hon. Mem-
„Position. ‘ool7e.nforward in his defence ").—( Cheers from the op_
,orf.,_ " yr was it that no one of those self-styled Re-
lit
au era„--e who clamoured so loudly for purityof election
thi 'I or boroughs—did not come forward and denounce
, s Monstrous •
had
'Di . Lase before the House of Commons ?—( Hear,
9.d felt :y,nad not done so ; and he (Mr. Hardy) therefor
aid not
_t_Leol duty to do that which they had left undone. 11ee
ni an
ugn the justice of the decision of the Com-

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