Mr. O'Connellsaid, that he had received a letter from Mr. Dundas, against whose appointment as a stipendiary Magistrate he had on a former day remonstrated. He thought it but just to the individual to read it. It appeared to be dated from Liverpool, on the 7th instant, and stated that the ground of charge connected with the police force of the county of Wexford had occurred seven years ago, when the writer had resigned his situation as Chief Constable. He had made good all deficiencies to the utmost farthing that had been demanded, and had appeared at the head Police-Office of Dublin, where he had given bail to appear to answer any charge that might be subsequently brought against him. No charge had been brought, and he denied, that he had been guilty of any malversation in the discharge of his office; but having resigned it, and having a large family to provide for, he had applied for a situation in the colonies, the individual who recommended him being quite ignorant that he (Mr. Dundas) had held any situation in Ireland. He deeply regretted, that Mr. O'Connell had thought it necessary to bring forward the case at so distant a date, when proofs of innocence were so difficult to be procured, and claimed the benefit of the maxim, that every man was to be considered innocent until he had been found guilty by a Jury of his country. The hon. Member added, that in consequence of the receipt of this letter he had applied to his informant, Mr. Walker, a Member of the House, who had acted as a Magistrate of the county of Wicklow in the original investigation of the case against Mr. Dundas, and from him he had received a statement, in answer to the foregoing bold assertion of innocence, which he would also read. It represented that the original suspicion of the inaccuracy of the accounts of Mr. Dundas had arisen in 1824, and in 1827 distinct charges were brought against him. A Commission had been appointed to investigate the whole case; and on the thirteenth day of the inquiry it appeared that Mr. Dundas had given 10l. to one of his clerks to go to London, promising him more money to enable him to proceed to America. The name of this clerk was M'Cann, who subsequently confessed that the evidence he had given in favour of Mr. Dundas was untrue. Mr. Dundas then pleaded illness; and being allowed 193 to withdraw, made his escape, and warrants were issued for his apprehension. Another person implicated in some way with Mr. Dundas was a Mr. Powell, who stated, that the frauds committed in the county of Wicklow, in connexion with the police force, were carried on in all the other counties of Ireland. It appeared that the charge for the quarter, after the removal of Mr. Dundas, was 220l. less than for the preceding quarter; and that, in the whole, the sum of which the country had been defrauded, was 3,200l., or about 800l. a-year, since Mr. Dundas had held the office of Chief Constable. It further appeared from Mr. Walker's statement, that after his removal, Mr. Dundas had applied to the Irish Government for some new appointment; but that he had been more than once silenced by a renewed inquiry into the transactions of the year 1827. He had subsequently obtained from the Secretary of State for the Colonies, the situation of stipendiary Magistrate in the West Indies. He (Mr. O'Connell) thought, that the letter which he had just read formed a curious contrast to that written by Mr. Dundas; and, in order that that Gentleman might have an opportunity of proving, if he could, the truth of his statement, he should move for "A copy of any warrant issued against Lawrence Dundas, formerly Chief Constable of Police in the county of Wexford, and an account of the proceedings, if any, taken in consequence of the issue of the said warrant, and of the manner in which those proceedings terminated."
§ Motion agreed to.