The Sun.
London, England, 1857-06-27 00:00:00

PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES. b

ROCHDALE ELECTION.

At the sitting of this committee yesterday—Sir J.
Y. Buller in the chair—the first witness called was—
Mary Ann Hughes, wife of Richard Hughes, who
stated that she and her husband now live at Liverpool.
She formerly resided at Rochdale. Her husband was
a voter at the last election for Rochdale, but did not
vote. On Thursday, March 26, she saw Thomas
Henessy at her own house- He asked her who her hus-
band was going to vote for. She 6aid she did not
know. Henessy said he would give her 51. if she would
send for her husband, who was then at Liverpool, and
got him to vote for Ramsay. She told him she could
not do it. Henessy also mentioned a man named
Martin Daly, and Henessy said he would give him 3/.
to vote for Sir A. Ramsay. She told Daly the same
evening what Henessy had said. On March 28, her
brother Henry called at her house and said he should
give her husband 51. for his vote. She replied there
had been so much bother she would have nothing to do
with it. Her brother then said he should give her Si.
in seven clear days after the election if she would send
for her husband and get him to vote for Ramsay. A
person named John Reilly afterwards gave her Si.
On the Sunday following Reilly came to her rind said
her husband could not come tp vote, whereupon she re-
turned him the 51. in the presence of a third party. On
the Sunday after, her husband came home, and in con-
sequence of what he sa'd to her, she sent word to Reilly
that if he did not return her the 51. her husband would
put him in the county court. Reilly said if he did so,
he must pay it out of his own pocket, but he should take
a solicitor's opinion about it.

Martin Daly, a labourer and lodging-house keeper at
Rochdale, confirmed the evidence of the previous
witness.

John Mills, the next witness, proved that a voter
named Dominick O'Hara told him that Richard Mills
and Henessy gave him 1/. 53. to take his clothes out of
pawn. _

After some further evidence, the committee then ad,
journed.

$.1..1 ...NI Mim•

COUNTY OF MAYO.
This committee reassembled yesterday morning at 11
o'clock—Mr. William Scholefield in the chair. The room
was greatly crowded during the inquiry.
Mr. Prendergast, solicitor at Claremorris, was the
first witness called and examined by Mr. O'Malley. He
said—l live at Ballygore, in the County of Mayo, I
am a voter of the County of Mayo, and I know Mr.
Burke and Mr. Rutledge. On the sth of April I was at
Ballinrobe with Mr. J. Burke. Mr. Rutledge escorted
a body of voters to Ballinrobe. When we got there we
turned up a lane to avoid a mob. The voters went up
the lane with the escort and an additional military escort
met us. There is a wall on each side of the lane. The
voters were attacked in that lase by a party on the wall.
There were a great number of persons on the wall. Mr.
Peter Patrick Conway headed the mob. I have no
doubt it was him. The mob was acting under his di-
rections altogether. I heard him speak repeatedly as
we were going up the lane. I speak Irish, and I heard
Peter Conway speak in Irish. He addressed the voters
over and over again in Irish. He said, " May the
curse of God, and the curse of the flock, fall on any man
who votes for Colonel Higgins." (The witness here re-
peated the expressions in Irish to the great amusement
of the committee.) I am a Roman Catholic, and have
been all my life acquainted with the peasantry and the
class of persons to whom it was addressed. The priestly
imprecations were very excited, and with great solem-
nity of manner. I have heard priestly imprecations
before.
Mr. M. Smith took objection to this line of examina-
tion, but the objection was considered too leading in its
character.
The witness continued—The words were used in the
way of denunciation. It was calculated to overawe the
Ca.tholio population, and I have no doubt it had that
effect. I was at Ballinrobe on Tuesday and stayed at
Monaghan's Hotel. The town was in a state of excite-
ment land ferment the whole time. There was an in-
furiated mob ; he never saw one more so. That mob
was on the side of Moore. It was necessary for the
voters to have a miiitary escort to go out ; no man in
his senses would g. out without protection. I was con-
fined to my hotel. The voters were restrained from
going out by the violence of the mob, who had posses.
sion of the town. I afterwards saw Conway on horse-
back and on foot. Conway had the control of the mob.
Hardiman, the paesh priest of Ballinrobe, took no part
in the mob. The polling took place on the Monday
and Tuesday. I left on Tuesday. I was escorted to
the polling booth. I could not- have got to the booth
without ; certainly not.
By Sir J. Hanner—lt is not a general rule for voters
to be escorted to the poll, but I have been escorted
before.
Cross-examined by Mr. Buchanan—l took part in the
election at Mayo in 1826. The military were employed
there then. Ido not remember whether at every con-
tested election in Mayo the military and strong bodies
of police ha'e been brought in. At Ballinrobe when the
voters walked up the lane, both ends of it were stopped
up by the military. I did not hear Mr. Conway say
anything about going to mass. I did not bear Conway say
that it was wrong for the people,who oughttobe at mas,
instead of being there. Mr. Conway got off the wall
very quickly. 'the reason was, because stones were
ccming very fast, Mr. Dean Burke upon that drew a
pistol, and presented it towards the wall, saying, "If
any more stones come I will give you this." Mr. Con-
way then got off the wall, and I think he did very right
too. The stoner then sopped. When Mr. Conway
spoke it was notin a playhouse whisper, but he meant
it to be heard. If the country people came into the
town to see the On at the election, I did not consider it
fun at all. While I was at Ballinrobe I did not see
voters go to the booth without an escort. Every man
who was in the hne plumped for Col. Higgins.
Re-examined ly Mr. O'Malley—I think the priests
began to interpore in elections in 1826. The " curse of
the Church" meant the curse of the congregation, not of
the building. Sones were constantly thrown after the
Irish words were used. My carriage was struck with
stones. I cannot say I saw the horses' heads interfered
with. I cannot lay whether I saw Mr. J. Burke nearly
pulled off his hove. When a pistol was presented at
Mr. Conway on ,he wall, he took the hint, and the mob
that was with bias. When I got away on Tuesday I had
an escort, and it would have been unsafe to go away
without.
B
—There is not such a resemblance
betweenythe eair
thehlrirl nwords for church and flock that one
could be mistaken for the other by any one who under-
stands Irish.
Mr. Joseph Berke, examined by Mr. O'Malley—I am
son of Mr. Isadore Burke. Several of my father's ten-
ants were voters or Colonel Higgins. I assisted on the
4th of April in oallecting his voters, and on Sunday I
accompanied there. The voters said they were afraid to
go without an escort, but when I told them they would
have a large military escort and police, they said they
were willing to ge. There was a holiday at Claremorris
on Thursday, 20t1 of March. Mr. Reynolds, the priest,
addressed the people, and asked them to meet him at
chapel on Sundae to consider about it. He advised
them not to vote ;or Colonel Higgins, as he was a pledge
breaker. I was at Naas Chapel on the Sunday when
Mr. O'Donohue addressed the people in reference to the
election—that a placard had been signed by four bishops
against Colonel Biggins—that he had never heard of
such a thing before, and that he must be a verylad man,
or he would not deserve it. There was a disturbance on
the way from Clarernorris to Ballinrobe. When we got
rtoeetehiveelathnee it was
The voters got up as far as Monag-
han's black with heads of people waiting to
Hotel before they were molested. The mob at-
tempted to pull one of my men off his horse, when I rode
up and assisted him into his saddle, That man's name
was Micbael. Kane. At that time Conway was on
foot. The men then attacked me, but one of the dra-
goons drew his sword and rescued me. I then called
out to the drivers of the cars on which the voters were
to come into the yard of Gildea's Hotel. I then saw
Peter Conway and seven or eight men on the wall. Con-
way then took off his hat and spoke to the people.
Stones were then thrown. I saw Conway put down
his hand to a stone, when I took out a pistol from a
courier bag, and said that the first man who threw a
stone I would blow his brains out. His reverence
then retired from the wall, and I succeeded in
getting the men into the hotel. I then gave up the pis-
tols to a Mr. Arabin, a magistrate, stating that I had
done what I wanted, and did not want them any more.
The streets were full of an angry mob, most of the men
having sticks in their hands, and I could not go out into
the streets without an escort. I afterwards saw Con-
way in a booth, and saw him shake his fist in a voter's
face. I wile in the booth at the time. I said it was not

fair. My votersvot;datCiarernorris: and the priests
were very active there. I heard a priest named Barrett
say to a man, •' Take care what you do." I saw a priest
named Reynolds there, but he held his tongue. I saw
another priest with Conway on the steps of the polling.
booth. I only asked one man to vote for me, and he
did not.

Cross-examined by Mr. Buchanan—Dean Burke was
i the seconder of Colonel Higgins. I was told that Wal-
ter Burke, who bad a deputation from the sheriff, had
• come in with voters, and that the police had been pelted
with mud. I camp with the voters three miles round,
and met Mr. Prendergast at his own plAce. When we
met Mr. Prendergast, I do not remember saying,
"Hurrah for Higgins." I heard Reynolds call upon the
people to meet birn at chapel on the Sunday following
to speak to them about the election. We went round by
Crossboyle from Claremorris to Castlebar for the pur-
pose of avoiding the people at mass. I do not know if
my men shouted at all or not ; but of this lam sure.
that, if they did shout, it was for Colonel Higgins. I
am sure I saw Peter Conway move a stone in the wall.
It was not as big as a man's heath It might have been
as large as one of those books (pointing to some). I saw
him get a grip of it. The people could not look over the
wall without hateg something to stand on on the other
side. I did not }rear Conway say that the people ought
to be at mass. Ile told the mob not to touch the mili-
tary or the police. I did not draw my pistol until after
the stones were ttrown. Conway might have said it was
a great shame that the voters were not at mass.
By Sir J. Hanrrer—l do not know of any person in
the county of Mayo being prevented from voting for
Colonel Higgins—not of my own knowledge. My pistols
were both cappedand loaded.
By Mr. Buchanan—There was but one case of pistols
used. I heard Captain Brabazon make a speech on the
hustings; he spoke pretty hard of the Browns of West-
port. I heard him say something like the words, "The
old Orange ascendancy, whose yokes were iron and
whose badge was brass." I only know two deputy.
sheriffs of the county. I know Dr. Burke, of Westport,
but only slightly. Mr. Thomas Burke was on the com-
mittee. Dean Burke supported Col. Higgins, and se.
conded him. Mr. Pugh supported him, and those were
the only priests who voted for him, I saw three voters