The Sun.
London, England, 1834-02-06 00:00:00

Mr. O'CONNELL hoped the House would bear with him.

Mr. HUME rose to order. He was as anxious as any man
to afford Hon. Members an opportunity of explaining their
conduct, but he would put it to the House, if they would
allow speeches that had been made out of it, to be the
subject of a proceeding within it. If that course
was adopted, there would never be an end to such proceedings.
He was fully aware of the difficult situation in which the
Hon. and Learned Member stood, but he trusted the House
would not allow the proceeding to go on.
Mr. O'CONNELL said that it was a subject deeply interest,
ing to the constituents of Irish Members to know what their
conduct in that House had been, whether the line they
had pursued was or was not consistent with the
opinions they had stated previous to their election. It
was upon that account that he pressed upon the Noble Lord to
answer any other Honourable Member. Two had already
been vindicated by him of the imputed charge, and he
trusted that the party who had been guilty of it, or who had
been represented as being guilty of it, would be stated by
the Noble. rd.
Mr, HE Inr GRATTAN contended that the discussion
ought to be allowed to proceed, since there was a charge
against a Member of that House. If it were not
allowed to
proceed, he should feel it hi. duty to move that the speech

great impression on him till his attention was drawn to it by
the sensation it created. Upon this he looked into the pub-
lished reports of it, given in the newspapers. He found three
reports published which differed materially from each other,
and though he could not trust entirely to his memory as to the
exact expressions used, he thought he could confidently say
that his words were not those stated. As far as he remem-
bered, the words were these ;—That he had been informed
that a Member of Parliament (he did not even say go Irish
Member) who had spoken violently against the Coercion Bill,
and voted against it, had had communications with Govern..
ment upon the subject, and stated to the Government that the
Bill was necessary, and ought to pass.—(Cheers.) He (Mr.
Hill) had not considered it necessary before this time, to make
even this explanation, and he thought that the different reports
of the expressions given in the papers, would have been suffi-
cient to create a doubt of their authenticity, and rendered
explanation unnecessary. But as soon as he found that they
had created a sensation in Ireland, and among the Irish
Members, he inserted a short letter in the newspapers, oircr_
ing, ing, f the Member to whom he alluded asked the -question,
to say whether or not he was the man.—(Hear, 'hear.) Many
Irish Members availed themselves of that offer, and he
(Mr. Hill) now confidently appealed to there if he had not,
in each instance, given a prompt answer.—(Hear, hear.)
He was compelled by his feelings as a man and as a gentleman,
to do this much, and he could not do more.— (Cheers.) He
had since seen statements in the newspapers,and had received I.t-
-ters calling on him to give up his authority. Of course he
could not have done so.—(Cheers.) He would have Crept out
of existence before he would have placed another iii his situa-
tion, or shifted the responsibility of his words to another from
himself.—(Loud cheers.) He felt disposed to agree with those
on the other side who asked for examination into the subject.
He trusted that no slight irregularity in form would be allowed
to form a bar to inquiry—(Hear, hear)—for it was important
that it should be examined into, seeing that the Parliamentary
conduct of Members was impugned, and it was evident from
the tone with which the House received the subject, that it was
considered by them no light matter,—(Hear, hear.) If any
gentleman on .the other side would move for a Committee to
examine into the matter, be (Mr. Hill) would second the mo.
tion, and he pledged himself to prove before that Committee
every word which he had said,—(Hear, hear.) He could not
do more, neither could he do less.—(Hear, hear.) He ac-
cepted the concession made to him by the Hon. and Learned
Member for Dublin.—(Cheers.) He could not, however, help
saying that it came heavily upon him from those charges hav-
ing been made at a time of great domestic affliction and cala.
mity.—(Hear. hear.) The Hon. and Learned Member offered
further concession out of the House, but that he declined, feet.
ing satisfied with what was already said.—(Hear, hear.) He
had only further to add, that he begged the pardon of the
House that any action of his should have cost them so much
trouble.—(Cheers.)
An IRISH MEMBER then asked if he was one of those; alluded
to ?—(The question created some laughter, and lesti'd cries of
" No, no," and we heard no answer given.)
The SPEAKER then said, that it was Impossible lie could
allow the discussion to terminate in its present state, andmuch
as he regretted that an Hon. Member bad considered it his duty
to bring the subject under the consideration of the House,
and regretting also the manner in which the Noble:laud had
thought it necessary to answer the question, joinini.alio with
the Hon. and Learned Member for Hull in his regret, that so
much public feeling and private pain bad ensued from the ex-
pressions made use of (as that Hon. and Learned Member said)
unguardedly—but which expressions conveyed charges against
Members of the House, which were serious in themselves, but
ambiguous. He said, however, this without imputing any
improper motives to the Hon. and Learned Member.—(Hear,
hear.) He thought it, however, his duty to suggest, that as
the case had been brought under the consideration of the
House—as an appeal had been made, and the subject was
thereby brought *ithin their jurisdiction, and the House could
interfere, it should not be permitted for the parties concerned
to carry it to any tribunal, but that the matter should be settled
entirely within the walls of the House. He was sure that
there was no old Member of the House but would acknowledge
that if the speeches of Members, during a debate, were picked
up and made the snbject of proceedings out of the House, there
would be an end to all freedom of debate, of the dignity of the
proceedings of the House, and of their usefulness in the public
eor
service.—(Hear, hear.) He hoped, therefore, that whether
the
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that he would be allowed to bring
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pass without a public investigation ; and he, h
-orward to-morrow (this
clay), as the first business of the day, a motion for the appoint-
ment of a Committee of Investigation ; and he accordingly
now gave notice of that intention. He was sure that no one
' could he more delighted than his Friend (the Member for Tip-
perary), that an investigation should take place, for he (Mr.
O'Connell) had no doubt but he would come out of it tri.
umpharitly.—(Hear, hear.) He could assure the Hon. and
Learned Member for Hull, that had he known of the domestic
affliction to which he had alluded, he (Mr. O'Connell) would
have smothered his feelings for a time, however he might have
been goaded by them. He thanked the Hon. and Learned
Member for having accepted of his apology. He (Mr. O'Con-
nell) was not a person whom the Hon. and Learned Member
could have called upon to give satisfaction in any other way ;
and he had, therefore, thought it his duty to be the awn em.
phatic in his concessions.—(Cheers.)
The SPEAKER then again rose, and hoped that the House
would coincide with him in the course which he ',A 45 about tc,