The Sun.
London, England, 1834-03-15 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS. MICR 14.

The SPEAK P.ll did not take the chair until 25 minutes
past five o'clock.
The returns from the office of the Accountant-General
were l,id on the table.
Petitions were presented from the inhabitants of Upper
Thames-street, respecting the approaches to the New
London Bridge, by Alderman Wool); from Middlesex, for
the building of a bridge over the Thames at Staines; from
Hampstead, for the better observance of th- Sabbath-day ;
from the pariah of St. James, Westminster, for the paving
and cleansing the same, ► y Mr. BYNG.
Mr. BUCKINGHAM gave notice that on the 22d
May he would introdure a bill for the suppression of the
practice of duelling : also on the 27th March for an
inquiry into ti .e causes of habitual drunkenness among
the lower orders of the pe ple. The hon. member then
presented a petition from the Protestant Dissenters of
Wig in, against the union of church and state.
Mr. GEORGE EVANS presented a petition from a
person named (we believe) Thomas Goold, in the county
of Middlesex, against the great western railway.
A petition was presented from the dissenting congrega-
tion of the chapel of Ebenezer-lane, Knaresborouglt, by
Mr. RICHARDS.
Mr. O'CONNELL presented a petition from Newfound-
] ind, from an individual named James Kidd, complaining
of severe treatment experienced by him from the local
authorities of that place, on the 25th December last. The
learned member said he had laid the matter belore the right
hon. Secretary of State, but having received no satisfac-
tory reply, he had thought it bis duty to bring the petition
before the house.
CASE OF LAURENCE DUNDAS.

Mr. O'CONNELL said, that io consequence of the
statements made by him in that house a few nights since,
he had received a letter from Laurence Dundas, dated
Liverpool, March 7, 1834, which he would read
with the permission of the house. The honourable
and learned member proceeded to read the letter,
itrhich stated that the writer did not expect that he
t(Mr. O'Connell), one of whose constituents be was, could
have brought such serious charges against hint, without
having given him an opportunity of explaining them,
which be should be able to do, if permitted. The oc-
currences had taken place nearly seven years since, and it
would be difficult for him now to bring forward facts to
prove his innocence, but he had given bail to appear
to the charges preferred against him, which were made
many years since; and he could prove that he had never
been a defaulter in his accounts to the amount of 3001 ,
much less 11,0001., as imputed to him in the re-
port which he had seen in the public papers ; that
he never had committed any intentional error in his
accounts, and that his object in procuring the situation of
which he had been deprived, was merely to provide for the
support of a large family; that he thought it right
in justice to the respectable individual who had recom
mended him to Mr. Stanley, to state, that that
Gentleman was not aware that he had ever
held any situation in the Irish constabulary ;
that he thought it hard that Mr. O'Connell should be
leagued with enemies, whose object it was to injure his
family, to have him dragged before the public, seven
years after the matter had occurred ; and finally, that he
respectfully called upan Mr. O'Connell to make this state-
ment in that house, and allow the public to judge
between them —(Hear, hear.) The hon. and learned
member had observed, that he was not before aware that
Du as, .liad ever resided in the city of Dublin, but
iv duty, as he had received the letter,
t6,do tvo thl'"g-. sa,2flist, to read the letter, on the earliest
house,it • d • •
v",:foppornin,w, xtir- .oat as contained very distinct
rand bold assertions of innocence, and then to make inquiries
of tlite.6iitleman who bath been called his informer, as to the
A., ... facts which bad bran communicated to him, and he thongi.t
it but justice to that gentleman to read his reply. The
member then read the letter, which stated that in the
year .024 the magistrates of Wexford wrote, to Lord

.‘

I Melbourne, apprising him that they believed a very seri-
ous defalcation had taken place in the accounts of Mr.
Dondas. Mr. Gregory replied refusing the application
investigation ; in a subsequent letter Mr. G. said he
had investigated the cliarg-, which had proved to be
ground] as—that an investiga•ion had at length taken
place at the Castle of Dublin, Ina the witnesses not having
been sworn, did not tell the truth ; and it was ascertained
,hat a witne,s named Powel, who held a similar office,
had given Dundas 101. to go off to Lon on— that
Powel subsequently acknowledged that every thing
he had stated on the investigation was false. Dundas said
he was ill, and asked leave to wiihdraw, which was agreed
to, and next day Dundas not having appeared, a warrant
was issued by the magistrates for his apprehension,
as Powel confessed that he had forged the names
of stationers to accounts which were supposed to
have been settled, and I ad made false returns and vouchers
as to the number of men and horses. Warrants were
sent to the several packet offices after Dundas, bur in
vain ; and it was then admitted by Powel that the
irregulari•ies in the police establishment of Wexford
existed in every county in Leinster, mire or
less, and that the sum which had been over-
charged in the county of Wexler!, far the four years
during which Powel and Dundas acted in that county
amounted to no less then 800/. per annum, making a
sum of 3,2001., one half of which had been lost to
the public, and the other half to the county.—(Hear.)
The letter he had just read was signed by Mr. Waker,
member for the county of Wexford. He had also been
furnished with certain documents from the member
for the town of Wexford, but still he felt bound to
move for a copy of the warrant that had been
issued against Mr. Laurence Dundas, formerly chief
constable of Wexford, and a statement of the pro-
ceedings that had been taken upon that warrant, of
the prosecution if any that had followed, and the manner
in which such prosecution had terminated. In doing so,
he disclaimed having the slightest personal feeling on the
subject. He had heard of all these circumstances, anb
could not help laying a statement of them before the
proper quarter.
Mr. HUME gave notice of his intention to bring in a
bill to repeal the statute of the 6,11 Goo. 111., chap. 9.