Star.
London, England, 1819-03-06 00:00:00

4

lean to the side of mercy, but they could not have
done so without sactificing justice—if they had shewn
mercy to the petitioner, they would have been unjust
to the sitting Member. He knew nothing of either of
them, but had acted according to the impartial dic-
tates of his own judgment.
Mr. ABERCROMBt•wished to disclaimall intea-
tion of making any illiberalremarks on the Members
Of the Committee; nothing he had ever spoken gave
him greater satisfitction than what he had said on
this subject, as the tendency of his remarks was to
amend this law.
Mr. W. WYNNE deprecated discussion on this
subject at present: He thought that the petition,
although it only prayed for the amendment of the
law, implied a reflection on the Committee. Fifteen
gentlemen, sitting on oath had come to a decision,
and it was not fit that that decision should be Aries-
tioned. It was at present inconvenient to discuss the
propriety of amending the law, and it was at all
events unnecessary as the House had ordered minutes,
and notice had been given of a motion to amend the
act. He concluded by expressing a wish that the
Learned Gentleman would withdraw the petition.
The Petition, however, was read, and ordered to
be printed.—lt states,
That on the first day of the present Session of Parliament, a
Petition was received by the house, praying a determination of
the right of Election, and complaining of an undue' return fur
the County and City of limerick.
That the Petitioner entered into the recognizances required
by law, under the several Statutes passed in the 28th and 53d
years of his present Majesty's reign.
'that the Petitioner served S notice on the sitting Member,
apprizing him that it was intended to apply for a Commission to
take evidence in Ireland.
wt.... ea... a...mumv having been appointed to try the
merits of such Petition, the 'Weiner& and lists were exchanged
on Friday, the 27th of February.
That in order to prove the Petitioner's right as Candidate
to proceed, the poll-books were produced in the hands of the
proper Officer—the Town Clerk and Clerk of the Peace for the
City of Limerick.
That the Returning Officers were proved to have received the
• poll-books at the immediate close of the last Election, and to
have soon after delivered them to the Town Clerk and Clerk of
the Peace, as the proper autos.
That the poll-books were tendered to the Select Committee
by the Tows Clerk and Clerk of the Peace, in the same state
as when he had received them, and with the seal of the Return-
ing officers unbroken.
That no evidence, 'or even suggestion was offered, to shew
that the poll-books had ever been out of legal custody.
That in every Irish case since the Union such evidence had
been uniformly received and acted upon, as sufficient to authen-
ticate the poll-hooks. •
That it Nevertheless aperared meet to such Select Committee
t) reject this evidence as insufficient, and to refuse the Petitioner
oppoi tunity of produ:ing the witnesses, whose attendance
was rendered necessary by the strict rules now for the first time
so enforced.
That. however deeply the Petitioner lamented a determination
which has affected Lis own hopes and interests, and has pre-
vented a large and respectable body of liiectors from laying their
claims before the Muse of Com:dots; and from obtaining 'a re-
dross for the injustice of which they complain, still the Petitioner
bowed with submission to the anti! yof the Select Committee.
Titat the Petitioner could not but feel more strongly the hard-
ships of his situation, when he considered that he, obeying every
. enactment of the-L.,:eslature, every standinz order of the House,
and porrting the uniform course of usage and precedent, was
yet excluded from the remedy he had sought to obtain ; whilst
other Petitionene who have tic,,Aected the positive tnactmerits
of statutes, and who are therefore barred by the ordinary con-
struction of law, are yet, by the equitable jurisdiction of Parlia-
ment, admitted as Petitioners at the Bar.
That the Petitioner begs hctc to represett most strongly the
dangerous consequences to which the decision of the Select Com-
mittee must inevitably lead, by subjecting fri,h Petitioners to
peculiar dificulties and enormous expenses; by investing Re-
turtling-Officers with a most arbitrary power ; by counteracting
the intentions of the Legislature in providing for the examine,
tins, of evidence in Ireland; and placi* the claims of Yeti-
%loners and the rights of Electors at the mercy of a single De-
puty-Sheriff, or Poll-Clerk.
Your Petitioner begs humbly to sureest, that if all Returning
Officers were bound to insert the times of 411 candidates, and
the fact of a poll, In the indentures of return, and that such re-
turn, duly authesiticated, were made evidence of all the allega-
tions it contained, the evils which have pressed on your Peti-
tioner with such severity, would for the future be obviated.
De therefore prays that the House will take the premises
into consideration, and will make thereon such order as to their
wisdom should seem meet.
FINANCE COMMITTEE.

Mr. CALCRA FT inquired whether it was intended
that the Committee of Finance should ever meet? or
whether it had been appointed as a Committee of
Privileges at the beginning of the Session, and as a
matter of form ? The reason why he asked the pies-
tionwas, that he had moved last year in the Com-
mittee for very important papers, respecting the im-
mense accumulation of public money under the heads
of Management, &c. amounting to eleven millions
of money, in which he was in hopes a considerable
saving might be effected. He hid also moved for
certain papers respecting the office of Storekeeper-
General, in which, he understood, a larger estab-
lishment was kept than necessity required. These
papers had rot been produced, and must he moved
fur again in the present Committee. But if it did not
meet at an early period, it would be impossible to
act on any of the documents for which he intended
to call, in the course of the present Session.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER was
as anxious as the Honourable Gentleman himself for
the early assembling of the Committee ; but it had
hitherto beeri unavoidably delayed by the absence of
'Members who Were engaged on Election Committees.
lie hoped. that it Would speedily be able to meet,
anti he trusted it would.not be later than next week,
when the motions of the Honourable Gentleman
would be immediately submitted to its consideration.
Mr. CALCR AFT suggested the practicability of
collecting a sufficient number of Mentisers to Make
a quorum, in order to enable him to niove for the
. papers which he thought necessary, and hasten their
production before the Committee should enter upon
any mote complicated labours.
• The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said.
that he should.have no Objection to adopt such a plan
for the purpose mentioned by the Honourable Gen-
tleman, as Members were still too much overloaded
with business to enable them to enter upon the great
objects of the Committee.
Mr. TIERNEY did not see the necessity of the at-
tendance of the Right Honourable. Gentleman him-
self in the Committee at its early sittings. He might
be represented by somebody else, if the Committee
had not been appointed solely to carry. into effect the
measures of his Majesty's Ministers. But the whole
was a mockery, as he had announced it from the
first. • The Committee had been 'appointed a whole
month, and had never met to this very day. The
cuiarrnan had. not thought proper to collect the
)webers even once. But therp was, be believed, no
7 The Noble Lord (Castlereagh) had come
be &nu in. a great hurry, •
saying, give me