The Sun. — 1842-04-27 (London, England)

PAKINGTON—Did Obadiah Barwick Lucas reside with you in Bond-street, Ipswich, in the month of April, 1837 ? yes. Do you recollect any conversation taking place during that month between your brother and a man named George Schoberg ?—Yes. Do you recollect that the day subsequent to that conversation George Schoberg committed suicide ?—Yes. State to the [louse what was the effect which the suicide of Schoberg produced on the mind of your brother. —The effect produced upon my brother's mind was such that we were afraid to leave him alone. Were you in the habit of seeing your brother since 1837 ? —Yes.  Has his mind recovered from the shock of that excitement ? —Never. Has he b?en, since that time, in a state of nervous excitement ?—Yes. Do you consider his memory was impaired?—l do. Did you see your brother on the evening p-eceding his examination before the Election Committee ?—I did. In what state of mind was he then ?—He was exceedingly excited. Did you see him since his commitment to Newgate ?. In what state did you find him ?—ln the same state. The witness was then ordered to withdraw. The Surgeon of Newg-ate next appeared at the Bar, and, in replyto a question from the SPEAKER, said that he had known Lucas since the time of his confinement in Newgate. He had seen Lucas that day. He had seen him professionally. Lucas was out of health. He considered the man was in a gloomy state of mind. In answer to a further question from Mr. PAKINGTON, the witness stated that he had particularly directed his attention to the state of mini of Lucas within the last day or two. The man appeared to witness to be labouring under great nervous excitement. Witness considered it quite possible that the state of nervous excitement under which the man laboured, might so have affeet9d his mind as to render it probabl, that he could not give c irrect ovid..nce with respect to a transaction in which he had taken part nine or ten months ago. The witness was then ordered to withdraw. Mr. PAKINGTON then rose and said, that he did not know whether the conclusion to which he hasl come, from the evidence just given, might be the same as that. at which the House had arrived. Ile hoped, however, that it would not appear to those Hon. Gentlemen with whom he had the pleasure of acting in the Committee, that he was going to pursue a eourse at all inconsistent with the step which they had taken in ordering the commitment of Lucas to Newgate for the false evidence which he had given ; and that it would not be supposed by the House that he was at all deviating from the opinion he had expressed on a farmer occasion, that Committees were bound to resort to the powers which they possessed, when he expressed his opinion, that the statements which had been male at the Bar, raised a strung presumption that the false answers which Lucas had given them, were, in a great degree, occasioned by his infirmity. The Hon. Gentleman accordingly moved, that Obadiah Barwick Lucas be discharged from her Majesty's gaol of Newgate. Mr. PARKER thought that the end which the House had had in view in showing its determination to cause the authority of the Committees to be respected, and their questions to be answered truly, had been attained, and he supported the motion. Mr.O'CONNELL doubted that the man ought to have been committed at all. Upon reading the evidence, it seemed very probable that his contradictions were occasioned by fatuity— ( Hear, hear)—and that no Jury would convict him of wilful perjury.—(Hear, hear.) After what the House had heard, there scarcely could be any opposition to his discharge. Mr. DARBY als.) concurred in the motion for discharging the prisoner. Sir C. B. VERE read a certificate from a surgeon attending Lucas, stating that he was labouring under strong nervous excitement. After a few words from Mr. PAKINGTON, the question was put and carried.