HC Deb 22 June 1832 vol 13 cc951-2
Mr. O'Connell

begged to take that opportunity of calling the attention of the House to a breach of its privileges, to which he had before alluded. He had but a very few words to say upon it, which would cause no delay of business. He had complained to the House, two days ago, of a breach of privilege, in the publication, by The Times newspaper, of a matter which had not yet been uttered in that House. The Speaker had been pleased to ask him, from the Chair, whether he was disposed to bring forward any motion upon the subject. If he believed the Breach of Privilege to have been wilfully and intentionally committed, the right hon. Gentleman seemed to intimate that he ought not, from his own feelings, to abstain from following up the matter, and bringing it under the notice of the House. He had, in consequence, felt it his duty to make inquiry since, and he had ascertained that the persons concerned in the management of the paper were not at all to blame for the insertion of the report. So far as the conductors of the paper were concerned, not the smallest blame attached to them; and, although they were legally responsible, they had not personally been guilty of neglect. He had seen the person who reported his speech. He had waited upon him (Mr. O'Connell), and most satisfactorily explained the matter, in such a way that he could venture to pledge himself to the House that no intentional disrespect to the House had been meant, and that the mistake had arisen from the manner in which the reporters were circumstanced in the gallery, and from their quitting the gallery at particular periods. He was fully satisfied, therefore, that what had occurred arose from no disregard to him, and still less from any disrespect to the House; and he should comply with the intimation of the right hon. Gentleman in the Chair, and not pursue the matter further. He repeated, that he was convinced no blame was attributable to the Editors, and that the person who was in fault had no intention whatever of showing any disrespect to the House.

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