The Sun.
London, England, 1842-05-12 00:00:00

GRAND JURY OF DONEGAL.

Lord CLEMENTS said, seeing the Noble Lord the
Secretary for Ireland in his place, he begged to ask him
a question with respect to the Secretary of the Grand
Jury of the county of Donegal. That individual, had in
September last, been found guilty of forgery before her
Majesty's Court of Exchequer. The case had been'
brought under the notice of her Majesty's Attorney-
General for Ireland,• and he wished to know whether
The Government intended to prosecute the individual
for the offence.

Lord ELIOT replied, in a tone which made the
answer very difficult to be understood; but, us far as we
could learn, his reply was in effect that he had written
to the Attorney-General of Ireland upon the subject,
.and the opinion of that officer was that any attempt to
convict would fail.

Lord CLEMENTS was aware that the Noble Lord
was waious to do his best in this matter, but he was
not quite so sure respecting the other authorities in Ire-
land. The present was really an extraordinary case.—
(Cries of " Order' order.") 'The question he wished to.
task the Noble Lord was with respect to the decision of
the Chief Remembrances, whether he would have any
objection to lay before the House the Report of the
Grand Jury of the County of Donegal on the subject.
Lord ELIOT, as we understood, said it was impossible,
under the existing circumstances of the case, to furnish
those papers.
. Lord CLEMENTS then desired to know from the
N-oble Lord, whether the Secretary to the Grand Jury of
the county .of Donegal had been dismissed, or if it was
the intention of her Majesty's Government to do anything
towards his dismissal.

Mr. SHAW said that the Government had no power
to interfere, as the Secretary was not their officer. There
could have been no conviction, as the individual referred
t, had never been ttied for forgery.
• THE NATIONAL PETITION.
Mr. T. DUN COD IBE said that when he had had the
honour of bring:l'l,g - under the consideration of the.
House the:Nationa; I Petition, an Lion. and Learned Gen-.
tleman (Mr. Roebuck) had stated to the house that that
petition had beent, drawn up by a cowardly and malig-.
narit demagogue--I(Cries of " Order, order")—and that
he Would name that individual were not the rep-
tile beneath his co ntempt. Now he (Mr. Duncombe)
wished to ask the II on. and Learned Gentlemen whether
he had ascertained the real authors of that petition, and
if liehad, whether h a intended those terms to apply to
those individuals ?
The SPEAKER. :said that he thought the question
which was put by th a Hop. Member was most irregular.
Mr. T. DUNCOIII3E wished to observe, in explana-
tion of the cote. to he had taken, that, very offensive
tf:tans had been u sed against parties who were not pre-
sent to defend the mselvesl, and the statements made, by
which many chart-, eters were maligned, had gone forth
to the puhltc.--(Cl:ie.-4 of " Order.")
The SPEAKEIi: again interfered, and stated that the
lion. Gentleman was o zt of order.

BRIBERY. AT ELECTIONS-
Lord JOHN RUSSELL raid that it certainly ap-
peared tf.i. him desirable, for tile regularity of their pro-
ceedings, that such questions siNcitild not be allowed to be.
put ; ,and he was happy to find the. Speaker had inter-
fered on that occasion. lie wi, tied to ask a question
himself of the Hou. and Learned Gentleman the Mem-
ber for Bath, which would be in 7rder. The Hon. and
Learned Member had a notice on the papc.r for
to-night for naming the Members on the Select Com-'
inittee to inquire intu certain Plection proceedings.
The inquiry was a most important one. Upon that in-.
quiry the Honourable and Learned: Gentleman proposed
to i'ound a Bill. of Indemnity . for the protection
of witnesses, which would requiro the sanction of the
other House of Parliament. The at lbject was therefore'
one of great importance. . The question which he
wished to put to the Honours Me and Learned
Gentleman .ytr& this, whether. h a meant to bring
on his tgetiOn, appointing the. Commitee, at an
early ItotO that evening ? It was . t manifestly desirable
that the,subject should be brought, ..under the notice of
;NM.