§ Mr. William RocheSir, the subject matter of the Motion which it becomes my duty to bring before the House, in obedience to the wishes and instructions of a considerable and respectable portion of my constituents, is certainly one which at all times demands, and has indeed at all times commanded, the most serious attention and jealous vigilance of this House, involving, as it does, the all important considerations of freedom of election, the rights and privileges of the people, and the dignity and character of this House, which must needs rise in the estimation and confidence of the people in proportion as it is felt to be the free emanation of their choice. The petition, Sir, which I hold in my hand, contains the complaint that forms the ground of my Motion, and charges the Irish Government with unduly interfering and exercising their influence during the last election for the city of Limerick against, not my return, but that of my hon. colleague Mr. David Roche, who is not now in his place, being at present in Limerick. But, Sir, as I have no wish to portray this complaint with the slightest shade of higher colouring than the allegations contained in the petition call upon one to do, I think my better way will be to read those charges from the petition itself; but before I do so, allow me to explain why it has not been earlier brought under the notice of this House. Sir, the petition has been in my hands for some weeks, and the delay of acting upon it arose from the following circumstances. Perceiving when I received it, that it contained such grave charges against the Irish Government, I conceived that justice and 196 courtesy alike called upon me to apprize the then right hon. Secretary for Ireland of its object, and, in order to enable him to inquire into the matter and be prepared to defend the conduct of his Government. He did accordingly write over to Ireland, and obtained an answer from one of the gentlemen, Mr. Yokes (Chief Magistrate of police in the city of Limerick, and stated to be an agent in conveying the desire of Government on this occasion) denying that he, Mr. Vokes, used any such influence on the part of Government, or was at all authorized to use it. This reply the then right hon. Secretary for Ireland (Mr. Stanley) communicated to me, and I transmitted it to my constituents, the petitioners, on which they held a meeting and adopted the following Resolution—' Resolved, that the reply of Mr. Stanley to our respected Representative (Mr. William Roche) in reference to the complaint of undue interference with the freedom of election, contained in a petition from 146 electors of this city, is unsatisfactory, inasmuch as it contains but the denial of one of the parties implicated, and leaves undisturbed the facts which, as the petition alleges, can be sustained by irrefutable testimony. That therefore, we call upon both our Representatives to demand, with that uncompromising energy by which their parliamentary career is already distinguished, that thorough investigation which the petition claims, and the future freedom of election requires.' Sir, this "Resolution" necessarily left me no alternative but to bring the matter before the House, and as the petitioners demanded only investigation, as the case is one of such general importance, and as the petitioners say they can substantiate the charge by irrefutable evidence; I conceive that their prayer ought to be granted. I have no personal feeling on the subject, and am acting solely in obedience to the duty I owe my constituents and the public in moving "That the petition be referred to a Select Committee, to consider the matter thereof, and to report their observations thereupon to the House."
§ Sir John Hobhousecontended, that the hon. Member opposite had laid no sufficient grounds for the appointment of a Committee, and he should certainly resist the Motion; for the appointment of such a Committee would amount to pronouncing a sentence of condemnation upon the 197 conduct of the Irish Government. The hon. Member had said, that he made a sufficient case by merely presenting a petition from certain individuals, who were no doubt respectable; but that fact did not constitute evidence sufficient to substantiate all their statements. He did not say, that the hon. Member had acted improperly but he had not brought forward sufficient evidence to support his proposition.
Mr. O'Connellsaid, that the case for the Motion was, that Major Yokes had interfered most improperly with the Limerick election, and that Mr. Kenney had done the same. To that, he contended, the right hon. Baronet had given no answer.
Mr. Stanleyaffirmed that the conduct of the Irish Government had been perfectly impartial during the whole of the election; and read two letters, one from Major Yokes, and the other from Mr. Kenney, in which both gentlemen denied the interference imputed to them.
§ Motion negatived.