Commons Sitting of 11 March 1819

COMPLAINT AGAINST MR. WYNDHAM QUIN.
The order of the day being read for taking into consideration the Matter of the complaint against the hon. Wyndham Quin,
Sir R. Wilsonsaid, that as it had fallen to his lot to present the petition on which the House was now about to institute an inquiry, it became his duty to put such introductory questions to the witnesses who might be called to the bar, as would serve to bring forward the facts as far as he had been made acquainted with them, and to connect the chain of evidence which it was in the power of the petitioner to offer. His object was to obtain truth, and that in the most explicit and unequivocal manner; but he; begged to say, that if he trespassed on the rules of the House,' or violated the laws of evidence, he hoped it would be ascribed, not to wilful error, but to his inexperience in such proceedings. He was convinced that no gentleman had come to the H6use to act the part of a judge without endeavouring to divest himself of previous impressions, and wishing to guide himself entirely by the evidence; but he could not conceal from himself that an unfair impression had been made on the minds of the House by untoward circumstances. They had nothing to do, generally speaking; with the abstract motives of petitioners, unless when they seemed likely to influence the truth of their statements. He did not conceive that anything which had been proved against the petitioner or his father should induce the House to relinquish the inquiry into an alleged public offence of the first magnitude. The time was now come for him to say, that neither the petitioner nor his father had any part in the fabrication of the matter of the charge; but that it rested entirely on the evidence of a gentleman; whose character stood as

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high as that of any gentleman in the House. It would be now for the House to say whether he had forfeited that high character. He should now move, that Mr. Carew Smith be called in.
Mr. CarewSmith was accordingly called to the bar, and underwent a long examination In the course of the evening, Mr. Stuart Wortley gave notice, that if any part of the proceedings were published before their completion, he would bring the individual offending before the House for a breach of privilege. Mr. Carew Smith having in the course of his examination, delivered in several letters, the said letters were referred to a select committee to examine the same, and to select so much of the said letters as should appear to have material relation to the matter of the said complaint. Then Mr. Goold was examined; after which, the further hearing of the said complaint was deferred until to-morrow.