The Sun.
London, England, 1834-02-07 00:00:00

et-Z.2le ez
t

be instituted, and that it should be as extensive as
possible. That wits the mote necessary, as the Hon. and
Learned Member • for Hull had given a kind of
pledge, that if he .had an opportunity he would
prove the facts. He ot4v took that publication as the
basis of this inquiry, in order move that the Committee
of Privileges should investigate .-1;:is breach of privilege,
and then he would endeavour to extend the powers of that
Committee, so as to include every mode and 4-.Lape in whirl,
the accusation as to the integrity of his Ht;:q. Friend,
the Member for Tipperary, should be investigated. He
.
would now hand in the Examiner newspaper of the lOcit'
of November, and then he meant to propose to refer it to
the Committee of Privileges, in order to investig,te the
facts, and to report upon them to the House. The Hon.
Member then handed in the paper.
Mr. STANLEY wished to ask, before the paragraph
was read, whether it was a necessary consequence of read-
ing it that any steps should subsequently be taken against
the publisher ? He did not intend to object to its
being read, but he would afterwards state his opinion re•
specting it.

The SPEAKER said that the reading of the paper did
not necessarily affect the printer, unless it attributed
Assertions that amounted in themselves to a breach of
privilege.

Mr. STANLEY thought the House would agree with
him that, in a case of so much difficulty and delicacy,
they ought not to enter upon the course suggested by the
Hon. Gentleman without due deliberation. Any person
who had witnessed the painful discussion which took
place upon this subject could not but feel deep regret that
There was indeed an absolute necessity for bringing,
forward the question again at all.—(Hear.) It was a mat-
ter of deep regret to him to state that it was the opinion
of his Noble Friend, that he felt himself called upon to
give a public answer to the charge which bad been so
publicly brought against him.—(Hear.) Though he
could not blame the feeling by which his Noble Friend
bail been actuated in taking that course, be regretted that
at an earlier period the House bad not interposed its autho-
rity.—( Hear.) He thought it must be evident to every mad'
that such a course must be attended with no inconsider •
able danger, not only to the private comforts of society,
but to public character and influence.—(Hear.) He held,
'hat though the House of Commons [night, for the pro-
'ection of its own principles and the liberty of the subject,
exercise a power which might almost be called inquisitorial,
yet there was no subject which they should hesitate so
much to approach, and which they ought to approach
with such shrinking caution, as one involving private
conversation, so as to make it a matter of public
discussion.—(Neat•, hear.) Not only would such
a proceeding have a tendency to check the freedom of
debate—not only would a clog thereby be hung upon
them, but it might prevent them exercising the ordinary
right of speech in that House, for fear of some unguarded
expression,which they might let fall ; nay (throughout their
interemise with private society), it would create a lurking
suspicion, unfavourable alike to the character of that House
and degrading to every gentleman in the kingdom. Notwith-
staneing he had said this, he felt that the Hon. and Learned
Gentleman, in the ♦indication of his own character, did
that which he had a right to expect that House would
illow him to do.—(llear.) He had a fair and honest
claim upon that House, though the precedent on
which he acted was encmnpassed with difficul-
ties and dangers, for a further and a full investiga-
tion.—(Hear, hear.) The House interfered very pro-
perly to vindicate its own dignity in the discussion of
last night, and the House had taken the whole
matter into its own exclusive jurisdiction ; and
whatever might be the result of the proposed inquiry,
he trusted the House would understand that every gen-
tleman who might be more immediately implicated in this
transaction would be allowed to take part in the inquiry,
and that it would not be attempted to prosecute it in any
other way. If he hesitated at all on the subject it was
only in reference to the expediency of the course suggested
by the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. O'C.), and not from any wish
to debar the Hon. and Learned Gentleman from the fullest
means of investigation, or to debar any gentleman from ten-
dering his personal evidence on the question ; but, in a ques-
tion of so much difficulty and delicacy, and of so unpre-
cedented a nature, he would rather suggest that no imme-
diate steps should be taken. He thought that a delay of
two, three, or even four days, could not be too much to
let the excitement which prevailed subside, that they might
seriously and deliberately come to the discussion, and con-
sider what might be the best means of eliciting the truth, the
most expedient mode of arriving at the conclusion, the fittest
tribunal before which to try the question, and what
should be the specific limits of the accusation to he made,
or the real nature of the question to be submitted. He
wished to express no opinion on the course suggested by the
Right Hon. Gentleman, but he trustest the House would not
proceed further until they had sufficient information to
enable them to consider the question in all its bearings,
and to come to a calm consideration on the matters in in-
vestigation. He did not suggest delay for the purpose of
preventing the Hon. and Learned Gentleman from enjoy-
ing his full right to inquiry ; but be was convinced, and
he hoped that gentleman was also convinced, of
the paramount importance of proceeding in this
smatter with all due deliberation. There was another
point for farther consideration, which he trusted the Hon,
and Learned Gentleman would not neglect to notice,
namely—it was most important that it should be fully
understood what was the charge made, and what was the
charge in reality. The Hon. and Learned Gen leman
made a declaration last night in the most solemn and
formal manner possible, and it should he recollected
that the word of a gentleman, a Member of Parli iment,
given in that House, before the representatives of his
country, was the most solemn and strictly binding asseve-
ration that could be uttered in any place, or under any
circumstance. He begged pardon, if, in the course of his
address to the House, he had said any thing offensive
or hurtful to the feelings of the Honourable and
Learned Gentleman; but he really felt that on such a delicate
subject, it was very difficult altogether to avoid fs,
He suggested that the Hon. and Learned Member should
withdraw his motion, for the purpose of giving notice,
on as early a day as possible, to bring it under the con-
sideration of the House, when there would be means of
knowing the course that it would be most proper to
pursue.

Mr. O'CONN ELL said the only objection he had to wbaa
the Right Hon. Gentleman had stated was that the Right
Hon. Gentleman should conceive that any thing which
fell from him could hurt the feelings of any human being.
He had not exaggerated the importance of the inquiry;
he did not deny the anxiety of his (Mr. O'C.'s) Hun. and
Le trend Friend to have that inquiry speedy, but deter-
mination did not lessen deliberation, and taking time to
deliberate was not a proof that he was actuated by a
different feeling. On the contrary, it was more con-
sonant with his feelings that there should be every
facility of distinctness and deliberation—distinctness,
above all, in the nature of the charge, in the matter
of fact imputed, and in the facts into which the Con{,
mittee would have to investigate. He did not anticipate
that there would be any attempt to shrink from the
nature of the charge, or that there would be any attempt
to diminish the charge, or to limit the inquiry. He did
not impute any such object to the Right Hon. Gentle-
man ; on the contrary, he felt confident that there
was no desire, on the part of their accusers, to
rhTmwpeehneii
gtieniarittt,ef:btebewhtreyliieome4trnel.aldacn, nature of the requisition, or to word it
in such indefinite terms that it would be difficult to
that was
nq: only
laugh., j 1
on Wa3 to
have evidence to complete the charge or to disprove it.
He therefore felt justified and bound to adopt the sugges-
tion of the Right Hun. Gentleman, acccording to every-
thing that had fallen from him, having admitted a
right to the investigation. If it were possible
that they should have arrived at such a period
that the charge would be distinctly stated, he svauk4
now press it, but as such was not the case,
and as they were net prepared, he had nit
objection to postpone it to Monday nezt, His only dc,
sire was, that the charge should now be stated as it
would then be stated, that they should distinctly know
what they were to meet upon evidence. That there should
be such a specification was reasonable. The accusal on,
future, ptuliac
o theCthbaantctete,iirbiltlte,uodilivigrtiieenuelcienodifh:tialmetownhin,urciue::bidtiEbui
k,burtxneitc,h)::),l,wfoietin,hqi.tdbehtatredee,teril,iEtetnlhnlext(eoirniacuurdlle:iiiigs.meet—hqdtiilotuttsan(ieestiAvi
Members, certainly more than one—at least two; it
xtend to,
forty, but it certainly could not .xtend beyond that,
but it was certainly more than one.—(Loud cries cf " Hear,
hear.") He trusted that he had not done any thing to in-
crease excitement, and he certainly did not look for anything
hut a full, fair, and di‘pato.ionate inquiry. This was
all he sought or desired, and he trusted that they would
have it. He understood there was a difference between the
right Hon. Gentlemen opposite upon this subject, and
while he postponed his motion, he hoped they would be
prepared to sra e who were the persons chareed, and
with what purticul tr specific offence they were charged.
Mr. STANLEY begged to correct the impression that
any difference of opittiou Frevalled with n-ference to this
question between his Noble Friend and hor,s,lf. He
must decline, on ire part of his Nuule F, irdid as well as
on his own brhad, acceding to the request just urged by
the llon. and Learned M. amber for Dublin. Ile (Mr.
Stanley) did not stand in that House as a public accu,er,