The Sun.
London, England, 1842-06-15 00:00:00

age. It did not give actual indemnity to witnesses
but it gave power to Election Committees to indemnify
witnesses if they honestly and impartially gave answers -
to every question which was proposed to them. Thus;
were many pet eons who would not come forward, unless
they knew that they themselves were tube indemnified ;
but there was another, and perhaps a larger class, Whet
having been acsomplices with others,
would not *sine forward unless indemnity were promis
to themselves and to their accomplices—to those aeons'
lices this Bill afforded an indemnity. A declaratorl
whichc accomplices
was also added to the Bill, upon the advice of the
Noble Viscount, late Speaker of the House of Comma,
The whole of those measures referred to one individue
ease, and that was the case of the last general election ;
they had no prospective or retrospective view, but the
provisions referred to the last general election aka?'
He, for one, should have been content to say that, deal'
1 as was the extent, frightful as was the mass of bribe
1 and corruption, and intimidation which took place at .e,
1 last general election, that to obtain the possibility h 0:
stemming that vile torrent of corruption, he gave IIP tit
, chance of punishing the offenders at that election, be '
bygones be bygones for this once, he looked only tort
trospective legislation and prevention, and if be ecitie:
prevent such offences for the future, he should be contet
With that view and upon that principle, that rnessll:i
was framed, and sent down to the other House. He' 0
every reason to believe, and he hoped and trusted he IL
entitled to believe, that there prevailed the same detr
to prevent the recurrence of these practices in the OtL
House of Parliament, as animated their Lordships. T'7
House was, if possible, more nearly and more deeply ,4r
terested in the prevention of these practices thane
Lurelships. Ile wished to speak with respect of that's
sembly—he would go further, he would respect it :1Q
only in proportion as, by its conduct, it respected 1?/n
but he would give it that larger measure of respecelP
proportion to what its conduct ought to be. All t;
tual measure was sent down to the other Hoare, ens eh,,,
them to get at the truth if they were so disposed.," '-'ll.
first thing they did was to say they would not hitte:a
They said it would enable them to do what they e'en
but they would not take it because it was sent frorre._l
Lordships. That Bill was sent back to their.Lerdiseter,
What did they lose by that but time ? In three
that that measure might have become the law of . theisfa
They might have altered it, but instead of that the
was entirely throWn on one side, and another was infL,
duced in its place; the only consequence of which 7,
that there was a delay of several weeks. The Billr7of
up by the Commons had to go through all the reefele
a new measure. It required all the charity he pose
e,,,e7re
to come to the conclusion that there prevailed else
the same earnest desire which animated their LoraP--'e
to effect this important investigation. Privilege Ville
reason assigned by a great number, and he believeta
with some that was a real ground ; but he had 1141 Mt;
nor of doubt but that there was something more 0_17.41
than this reason. He hoped their Lordships- 76;11K
agree to this Bill, however objectionable, - in
eitie
that there might be no loop hole for avoiding 1/16dse
He was prepared to show, if a Committee of that ~..efte
had sat upon the Bill, that the highest names !risied
country had been made use of—that intimidation*
existed to a most frightful extent, which would ne
necessary that the matter should be inquired into in If,
fullest manner ; and now that inquiry was taken-Slei
from that House at least, because it related. to *Los
places only. He was of opinion that it would
much good, or nearly as much good as the ansPiereeedi
sure which had been proposed: He had, he contest
very great confidence in the names of many offi-01
men whom lie saw upon the Committee in, the 110 r ei
Commons, who he was sure would perform their ci
with honour and credit. When this Bill shou o
ld s 1 ge
those men would be armed with great powers ; an f ty
was sure they would exercise them to the benefit °lefi,
country. Let them, then, pass the Bill without elet
There was little time for the Committee to exerciseld
powers before the end of the session. Let not the lief
lie at their Lordships' door. They had donefiliAil
could to assist the house in this object, and they ,Ttor
to progress, and to continue to aid them until tVolti
qairy should be constituted. When a similar power Siote)
be offered to their Lordships, he (Lord 13retig but
would again offer the aid of his humble assistance ;00
until real powers were given, he should esteem teig
worse than a mockery to proceed any further in44o
matter. The other House had refused to let their Ines
ships have a copy of the evidence taken before them for
the Bribery Bill ; yet any one could purchase tot;
sixpence. Their Lordships could not perliap..,ol„se ei
stand the nice distinctions observed by the. neelisil
Commons. Be it so. Let them keep their evidelowiel
let not their Lordships act in the like mannere'slo,
them rather return good for evil, and by passing !" ill
expedite as much as they possibly could this inellirAfed,
conclusion, he begged to move that the Standing,,
be suspended, in order that the Bill be committed
se
read a third time.
The Earl of WICKLOW trusted that his Noble ~e
Learned Friend had not been correct in the re 01
which he had assigned for this Bill coming 11Prricr
House. The Bill which his Noble and Learned poatitij
' had proposed and he (Lord Wicklow) had so? wite,
was for indemnity to witnesses before all Comm lot
inquiry respecting bribery at the late elections.
present Bill related only to one election, and tbfir
could not have been intended as a substitute for tP4,001
sent down from them, nor could he think that theV
of Commons had treated their Lordships' Bili„:l,o,°A.
Noble and Learned Friend supposed. He th°l4ot,
house of Commons, and influential llembers • o.os!lipi
House (the Commons), thought that it was ne..ita.,45.4
competent tribunal by itself to try these quester-ir‘
that if it continued to be the exclusive tribunens
morality and evils of all kinds would go on i° -
eiir
But he did not think that there was any .reaSol.oll
case for the unusual course proposed, of suspeow
Ivo
standing orders. He should, however,
his support, hoping, however, that their Lordsblevilss
not agree to the present motion, for which the
necessity, as the Committee to which the Biulkr,
had been a long time sitting, which showed
.ipell
Commons themselves did not see any reason for r7S!
lag haste. e‘ *eol
.
Lord BROUGHAM replied. His Noble -11d1,1
give the:.
posite was under a misapprehension as to the the
r,,,
the case. The Committee had not yet sat, and*Zoi
of the delay was that they were waiting for hiSeo
The object of his motion was to put an end to t.., ~e e
that no blame might be attached to their 10 )
hereafter, as having frustrated the objects of the: ' ,d
by not passing the Bill more quickly.
sal t).
Lord CAMPBELL had no objection to the 4 se
of the standing orders ; but he did not think bige„,er
house of Commons deserved the sareasnqfeoblci
Noble and Learned Friend applied to its rietei
amongst whom he was held in the highest ..cve it
and esteem. With great deference to his Letenie
Learned Friend, lie did not think that the
much
lost uch by the rejection of the clause which a,a
and Learned Friend lamented.Thatcleuse, if itlls ush!'‘
would have been known to posterity as the "P"10 ...rsd
clause, and would have led to the most danger°,
04,.,a.,,,
quences. With all respect for his Noble Fl',el,4eo
with unfeigned admiration of his talents, still
express his regret that his Noble and Lear,°:Tney
had formed such an unfavourable opinion 01
of which he had been so long an ornament. iiiiycli
Lord BROUGHAM returned with equal sill.letir)oo
expressions of respect, which he had rece. l'4,ta- islf
pleasure from his Noble and Learned Friencl.4.ool
could have made a better defence for the procee_, :zee,
he had taken under his advocacy. But that °e lel
supported by misapprehension and fnise'soolol
which was never surpassed even by his
rree
Learned Friend himself either at that bar or oe
House.—(A laugh.) He meant such miselee#ool
and false reasoning as an advocate falls into Iv. oioll,,ed
dertakes the cause of his client with a deteroll°o42
to see anything but right in it.—(Laughter.) '•eSsi
Campbell) seemed to suppose that there was 11°0,ie!rd.
for this Bill, and that the House of Co:01°0019
give indemnity without their Lordships' °Proem/0
What? was it not known that if the House °' 0071
gave an indemnity, the House of Lords w'oo 0t
ell
the Crown to prosecute ?—(Hear.) Was iti
,
the case when questions of privilege were onet?
against the common law, such disputes were fli.Oolville
of adjustment only by the concurrence ofbOt.000000;
He disclaimed any intention to cast imputes:tic/oil ' ,i(
other House of Parliament: .He confined I;t.' ,114
to that which was done with respect to tai.o.has.
they had adopted that Bill, the Committee Pt I!..estrle
been sitting for the last three weeks.
Lord CAMPBELL explained. . , iler-::7/f i
The motion was then agreed to, and the 'lOO .
into Committee on the Bill.
The House resumed.
- ' it
The Bill was then read a third time and
el.. Ili
The other Bills on the table were for 1' ''-,
and the House adjourned. t;
.try: l:
-
HOUSE OF COMMONS, J'ol'
'Ol
BELFAST ELECTION. 4,h.00.
Sir 11. PEEL said he quite agreed. Wll-0,. ;*
Hon. Friend that they had got into great teis, ' ;the
ments, in consequence of the allegations 00, wor0
,ies:d
But why had they got into them ? Wlasnit7oStre
compelled to adopt a course, which he ta.ef-fo'i
novel and not warranted by the precede° Act 7.0411_,'
Parliaments ? Because they had passed e° or rA r
liament dispensing with the neces4ity,,,ebn,;ro
agency as a preliminary to the proof of blreh',.°°'..., re
cause they had appointed Committees "ibree:.,oo
standing the imputations which had beel,,t tle!
them, had shown by their proceedings '''',.efecer,'lga
anxious to perform their duties, without
_ithiess, A
party considerations. One consequenee_, beCes7stele:
Acts had been the paralysing the tribunal-, 0%, Or;
evidence had been withdrawn from it. As 000.111. A,
before, he did not think the House of coripclifilielro
pointing a tribunal for the adjudication o
enees if ?e,
personal rights, had deprived itself of ile g fie
.1
/$OO
diction with respect to bribery at electionse in
_esti
believe that that was the original intentlyte°. ;
the Act, ncr did he believe it would be In tbit adite
the proper, exercise of their functions. upon 0 ",
case, as in the other, he should decide i;enie,l,Vri,,
grounds. He did not see any differencre.oibee ,PLipt.o:,"•
case and that of the Hon. and Gallant 311.'4. ea VY/il, by
ryn. In that case the House had deterran nit -epiel
an inquiry. With respect to , the ‘Pl'sese -. , ;,-..441
tboupiht that the documents which had u:ileilV V:4
by his Hon. Friend, showed clearly ths!,eysist ;le,
had taken place. His opinion, thereforeuro seesltor:,
such a state of things the House of Cow
_surnesTahOre
to convince the country that it was ill ,siv eeei",jelep
hear)—in preventing, as far as it 1)0551,y0e:elll:e1St ee
growing systems of bribery and comp Of: Oiser:tme ,
vented the exposure of them. The ce_stlinsingliirgrotp,
not exactly the same as the case of. Net
sumP 1 0 0
'Wing & C 4,33 Ini
was no vacating of a seat, or ag 1 ofa erreeffe
but there were distinct allegations
slit to p " yy! 0
He thought the course the House ollesniblevel:ititielito,
to apply themselves as quickly aspssheir lett fOr ise
the Noble Lord ; thereby founding.`Suelet °SA tl°
some principle. On the whole he.tinstileosoetv
sake of the character a the Partles