The Sun.
London, England, 1860-01-04 00:00:00

INDEPENDENT OPPOSITION.

A curious correspondence is published between
Mr. M'Mahon, M.P. for Wexford County, and
Archdeacon Fitzgerald, parish priest, in reference
to the late acceptance by the former of the junior
briefs of the Woods and Forests Department. Mr.
M'Mahon, as a leading light of independent oppo-
sition, thus explains :

" Temple, Dec. 23, 1859.
" My dear Archdeacon,—Lest your Christmas-
day's enjoyment might be diminished by having
a thought lurking in your mind that I de-
eeived you, and sold the country for the consi-
deration of the chance of a few briefs for the
Woods and Forests, I sit down to set your mind at
ease. Wolverhampton is ato bvn in Staffordshire,
which has the laudable custom of returning, free of
expense, two very decided and advanced Liberals.
At the last election it invited Sir Richard Bethell
down, and returned him free of. expense. A client
and friend of mine took an active part in his re-
turn, and Sir It. Bothell professed himself greatly
obliged to him. When the vacancy in the post of
Counsel to the Woods and Forests arose, my friend
wrote to the Attorney-General, asked it for me, and
got it by return of post—expressly and entirely in
compliment to himself, and without:the slightest re-
ference to my political position. I got it—not be-
cause I was connected with Wexford—but because
I was connected with Wolverhampton ; and there is
not a shadow of a ground for suggesting that it in
any way compromises my political position and in-
dependence, or that the Solicitor to the Woods and
Forests could have any more claim to direct my
votes than any other solicitor who chose to give me
a brief. If he were to do so, I should at once de-
cline his business. Now, do you think that in
reason or common sense I was bound to reject an
advantage thus honourably acquired ? But I will
not argue it with you—l leave myself entirely in
your hands, and if you decide against me I will at
once inform the solicitor that his briefs must be
taken elsewhere. Wishing you a happy Christmas
and merry New Year, and many pleasant returns of
both, I am yours devotedly,

"Ven. Archdeacon Fitzgerald, ' d .3.M‘MAII°N.
The following is the portionelicluding..&"
of the
Archdeacon's letter in reply
" There has been, since the death of Primate
Crolly in 1849, so much of treachery
false-
hood, of perfidy and political corruoann,donthepart of the Irish representatives, that all trust in
public men seems nearly extinct in the minds of the
masses of our people. The men of Wexford know
you too well to dare to doubt you. Honest Torn
O'Shea will not doubt you, nor will the good Arch-
deacon, his brother, nor Aylward, nor Cahill, his
fellow-labourers in the good cause. George Henry
Moore will not doubt you, nor will John Dwyer of
Doon. But to the masses of the people, to tens of
thousands, your explanation of your casual connec-
tion with the Woods and, Forests will never reach.
The error will go abroad, that you have accepted
office under circumstances tending to compromise
your Parliamentary independence.; and the popular
faith in public men, and in the policy of indepen-
dent opposition, will he weakened. It was your
undoubted right, as I said before, to accept the
briefs in question, since they did not in the slightest
degree touch on your parliamentary independence.
In the full consciousness of upright meaning and
intention, in all the bona fides of stainless integrity
andf honour, you exercised your right of free action,
,Tntc.cnec!tiihon
yet
a, and unfettered judgment. But. the
Postle pronounced—''fake heed lest by any means
that libertyof yours become a stumbling-block to
brreotNivealc;'
spirit of the;v:Atriiiis and again he says—' If meat
r to ofi'end, I will never eat meat
while the standeth.' Hence it is, in the
tle, with great diffidence, indeed,
of my own
&ration, that 1 bleL,l,lt' but after most careful consi•
111 C the option,thajE
aftert:ausuggest to you, since you left
all,
to accept those briefs,
which must be,
t
tice, matter of little imi )otro a one in your long prac-
By so doing you
will compel even the malignant
sur-
cease their vile and venal slailnede.
and the base to
ers, and all will ac-
knowledge you in your true character
your true colours, as the sternly honest
aptiavteriootf
Patrick M'Mahon, the trusted representative
Wexford, or rather of Ireland—with all the caution
and wisdom, with all the information and ability ,