The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-25 00:00:00

were required by themselves or agents to deliver in to the
Select Committee appointed to try the merits of such election,
tha list of voters intended to be objected to, giving the heads
of the objections, and dislinguiehing the same against the
names of the voters. It further enacted that these
objections could not be lodged later than six o'clock
in the evening of the day before the nomination of the Com-
mittee. Noss, bow did he stand under this Act. 240 elec-
tors had voted for him. and not less than 96 bad been objected
to.— ( Hear, and laughter.) What he asked, .hen, was his
position ? The fair meaning of the clause, he apprehended
was, that they would give to every man accused of bribery the
chance of meeting the charge. He trusted that the House in
that case would give him the same chance of meeting the
charge that would be given in any tribunal in the country,
He was in the meantime as ignorant es any Hon. Member in
the House what particular charge would be brought against
him, or what voter would be objected to, and, under those cir-
cumstances, he would put it to the House whether this was the
fair course to adopt with respect to a Member of that House ?
As he had said before, he conceived that the meaning of
the clause was, that the parties objecting should have
stated their case distinctly, and have at once in-
formed them what charges they intended to bring forward.
He mentioned this, not so much for his own sake as for their
guidance in future election cases, for how was it pos-
sible for him to meet objections when he did not
even know what witnesses woald be called against him?
His only intention in rising was to submit his case to the
House, and to show how the parties who opposed his return to
Parliament were disposed to act towards him in the matter.
He would not, however, trespass on the House further than
to say, that he was absolutely in the dark as to the exact
charges which were to be brought against him, and that it
would be to the interest of Members placed in a similar
position, if the House would consider whether the Act of
Parliament ought not to be clearer than it was, so that
Members whose return might be petitioned against might be
put in possession of the allegations which would be brought
against them in Committee.

Lord G. SOMERSET, who spoke in so low a tone as to
be hardly audible in the gallery, said he understood the Hon.
Member objected to the clause as it now stood, but it was im-
possible to avoid the inconvenience which it imposed on Mem-
bers whose return was petitioned against.
Mr. J. COLLETT said the Hon. Member might think him-
self fortunate that so small a number of those who voted for
him at his election had been petitioned against. On one occa-
sion his return was petitioned against, when the whole ol his
supporters were objected to.—( Laughter. )
Mr. O'CONNELL said, when his return for Dublin was
petitioned against, 4,000 of his supporters were objected to.
Sir R. H. INGLIS said, if he understood the Hon. Member
rightly, he wished to obtain a list of the names of the persons
whom he was accused of having bribed.—(Laughter, during
which Mr. Cochrane dissented.) Then he apprehended many
Hon. Members had so understood him ; but it appeared that
his charge was against the law as it stood, and not against in-
dividuals, and because 96 out of his 210 supporters had been
served with notices of objections, of the exact nature of which
he complained that he had not received information. If it had
been his misfortune to have bribed—(Laughter)-96 persons,
he (Sir R. H. Inglis) could not understand why he objected to
the serving of notices, or their objecting to their votes on that
account.
Mr. B. COCHRANE appealed to the well-known candour
of the Right Hon. Baronet, and was at a loss to know how he
could have so understood him. He had always understood
that the Act pi ovided ir, the affording of opportunities to Mem-
bers whose returns had been objected to, in order that they
might know the charges against them, and to provide rebut-
ting evidence. This opportunity was even given to criminals
in all the tribunals of the country.
The SPEAKER called the lion. Member to order, and he
resumed his seat.
Mr. AG LION BY understood the Hon. Member to object
to the clause in the Bill, and did not believe that the Hon. Ba-
ronet the Member for Oxford intended to say that he admitted
there was any ground for the charge of bribery. Every Mem-
ber present had so understood him. He thought there was no
means of getting rid of the difitulty except by means of costs.
Lord J. MANNERS would be glad to know what the real
intentions of the framers of the Act were, and thought a clause
so incautiously worded ought to undergo some revision.
The ATTORNEY- GENERAL said they had fallen
into a most irregular dircussion, for the House
had nothing whatever to do with the question before
them. It was for the Committee down stairs to de-
cide whether the notice was valid or not, or whether the
notice was so framed as to be an evasion of the Act of Parlia-
ment. 'I he Act itself put a check upon improper objections
by giving the Committee power to award costs, and that was
the only possible means by which the Legislature could guard
against improper and frivolous objections.
Mr. P. BORT HWI CK was glad to find that his Hon. and
Learned Friend had now so much confidence in the law of
Election Committees, and trusted that this increased confidence
arose out of reforms which had taken place since a memorable
instance in which his Hon, and Learned Friend and himself
were ergaged.—( Hear and laughter.) Both of them had
good reason to recollect that instance, and if he
remembered rightly the case was precisely similar
to that of his Honourable Friend the Member
for Bridport. He remembered that there was a great number
of objections, many of which turned out to be of so frivolous
and trivial a character that the Committee declined to entertain
them. He thought lion. Members should, for their own pro-
tection, see that the law was properly amended so as to prevent
the recurrence of such cases as these. The Hon. Member for
Bridport deserved the thanks of the House for calling atten-
tion to this subject.
The question that the Committee should meet at eleven
o'clock to-morrow was then put and agreed to.
Mr. O'CONNELL, who spoke in a tone so low as not to be
heard in the gallery, was understood to move for certain returns
connected with the present state of Ireland.
Captain LAYA RD moved for a return showing the number
of men who had volunteered to regiments in India from the
last five regiments that had been ordered home from that
country. The Hon. and Gallant Member also moved that
the petition from Chelsea Pensioners, complaining of deduction
of five per cent. (presented April 21) be printed.
WIGAN ELECTION.

On the motion of Air. BRIGHT, the minutes of evidence
taken before the Wigan Election Committee were ordered to
be laid before the House.
COLONEL STODDART AND CAPTAIN CONOLLY.

Mr. B. COCHRANE rose to put a question to the Righ
Hon. Baronet at the head of the Government relative to the
families of the two unfortunate gentlemen who lost their lives
at Bokhara, namely, Colonel Stoddart and Captain Conelly.
Those officers were employed in the service of the Government
at the tirae they lost their lives in Bokhara, and therefore he
(Mr. Cochrane) was of opinion—he was sure that it would
only be an act of justice towards the families of those officers to
give some tribute of respect to them. He was not aware
whether Colonel Stoddart had surviving relatives, but he was
sure that Captain Conolly had, and he (Mr. Cochrane) hoped
that some provision would be made for them.
Sir R. PEEL said that the only sum which was left dis-
posable in the hands of the Crown, as rewards for public services,
o as 1,2001. per annum ; that 1501. per annum had been allowed
to the two surviving sisters of Colonel Stoddart, and he was
not aware that there were any surviving relatives of Captain
Conolly; if there were, he was sure that that very eminent
and wealthy body the East India Company would, in accord-
ance with their accumstomed liberality, act with what they
considered due regard to their servants.—(Hear, hear.)
Ile regretted very much that there was not a larger sum
left for this purpose in the hands of her Majesty's Govern-
ment.—(Hear, hear.)
STATE OF IRELAND.
On the question being put that the order of the day be now
read, to the effect that the Home go into Committee on the
Customs and Corn Importation Bill.
Mr. W. S. O'BRIEN rose for the purpose of asking the
members of the Government whether they intended taking
any steps towards rescuing Ireland from that appalling state
of starvation in which it appeared, by the returns lately laid
upon the table of the House (and which he hoped every
Member of that House had carefully read), that
that count, y was in at this present moment ? These
returns represent many places as a ctually suffering under the
effects of famine. After this report, he would ask, would the
Government invite the House to consider a measure for the
purpose of abridging the liberties of the people of Ireland, rather
than one for the relief of the poverty which so alarmingly
prevailed? As they had failed, however, to do that,
he should feel it to be his duty to call the attention
of the House to some of the statements that were to be
found in the report of the " Scarcity Commissioners."
(The Honourable Gentleman then read extracts of the
report for the month of March.) In many places in the county
of Clare large bodies of the people could only purchase one
scanty meal in the course of the day. In one parish 500 or
600 families were in a state of complete destitution. In the
parish of Clare Abbey, out of 200 families, 50 of them were
only able to procure one meal in the day. In Naas,
also, the supply of pota'oes was so small as to
leave the people in a state of the greatest want.
In Mitchelstown, also in the county of Cork, there were 20/00
persons in a state of destitution. In Tipperary, too,
the distress was very great, and it was, instead of di-
minishing, on the increase to a most alarming degree,
( The Hon. Gentleman proceeded to read a statement to show
that hundreds of the population in the county of Mayo were
lying idle for want of employment ) The Hon. Member, who
was almost inaudible, made some comments on the scenes of
distress which had been witnessed by Captain Osborne and Mr.
Ryan, the magistrates, who were called upon to quell the dis-
turbance at Clonmel. Some people blamed the clergy of the
Roman Catholich Church for some of the evils, but he could
assure the House that they had done all they could to avert
some of this suffering. Government said this state of things
had ttken them by surprise, but how could they maintain this
position after the statements he had just read to the House ?
'the famine, Government admitted themselves, was anticipated
in November, and they ought to have taken steps then to avert
it. He would not go into the details of such a measure that
ought to have been adopted, but it was his firm belief that had
they encouraged labour in Ireland many of the evils would
never have arisen. He charged Government, then, with having
failed in the performance of their duty. Another ex-
cuse was, that they could do nothing without
the co-operation of the landlords. He did not know
hahhb
ioaassdwt
ueotbwofusannrcr, t
turned
:ttehui
round
county
complaint applied to the landed interest of
some parts of the country, but there was scarcely a parish in
•
ysnn hhdwa
Coercion
aboutoe
neter er cdi
oi
hsnet
twentyre distress sils
thadmaet nnendsm
foot.cai
nhd ea rt hgi tees
charged the
oahtupt
,erpeseGealronravfi
,nehtcr
hnerki that:,en
hers with having delayed the progress of the Corn Bill ; they
had said, " We cannot discuss the Cern Bill until the Coer-
cion Bill is read a first time." But he could not understand
how, if the Government undertook to carry on two great and
distinct measures at one and the same time, the progress
of one should be made dependent on the progress of the other.
.....(flear, hear.) But let it be understood that the Irish
Members had distinctly said before the Easter recess that they
aAyndhe night for
was the
sorry purpose
s oayf
were perfectly ready to let the Government have the command
pthroa(t.ee thdi
Y.—
of
g with every
th
English Liberals hhad,dion t(hielequue,shtieoanr,oufntthi elaulrgihshterC.)oercTiohn
Bill, behaved verya
English Liberal press, too,
had joined in the cry against the
the Tuesday
Corn and
Bi11.
as they conceived it was their duty
when
tthnedyed,ettheermveinryedatpopeoaptpaonsnee,
had been proposed
of such an odious measure
protecting life and property in
conduct of the Irish Members,
said that he was
Ireland. Every Irish Member had distinctly
progress of that mea-
"a's that which
eeeding Willi it.
ostensibly
determined f fur the
oppose purpose i
n
stagethe
sure, and yet the Government persisted in proceeding
the question of protection. if the Government
I 1.
down to the House, and told them that the people of re anis
They had no right to couple the question of Irishfahmadineci,v)mithe
pro-
vided means to have remedied the evil.
or
use the word, charge the Right Hon. Gentleman with hy,
were starving, they would have helped tHheemdttdo
not
tvwe
pocrisy,
d the Irish famine with the corn-
slatof
al English. No matter
corn-
law, which was a measure essen
Ireland,y
binutphuettidnigd consider that there was a singular want of
it had been called for
candour
pie, and not by the
English.reor hear.) He wordd
agricultural population of Ireland.—( tiear,
whatsolely
btsy
opinion the en ce mi golift
thebe in
frankly state his own opinions h
about to ask for those of the party opposite; a u
might acquire on his
atraid of any unpopularity which he
pen the subjectnd , ase hweaswnrt
Hear, hear," from the
isidd4e,)o,
an advocate by ating then, ash e was in
protectionists.)` NM& Lo'rd, 'whois he fOiow:e4 9r,
that occasion, had l'eft him in tlw
" Hear, hear ")—and the Right Hodourahle Gentleman
had shot beyond him again : on the question of general policy,
therefore, he had the misfortune to differ with his Honourable