§ Mr. Barronsaid, previous to the Order of the Day being read, he wished to call the attention of the House to what he considered to be a breach of privilege. He had made a statement to the House last night, and there appeared in the Times this morning what purported to be a report of his speech, it, however, was a totally false report, and the comments made upon it were written in a spirit not consistent either with truth or fact. It was stated, that his hon. Friend near him had contradicted his statement respecting the ejectments in Waterford, which was, that 1,200 tenants had been turned out of their holdings between the years 1826 and 1839. Notwithstanding what the Times said he re-stated the fact, and he held in his hand the original ejectment served upon one of the parties, signed by the agent of the noble Lord to whom he alluded, and involving no less than fifty-three tenures. The Times said, that what he had stated was false, and neither he nor any Gentleman in that House could lay under such an imputation. [Mr. O'Connell—Oh, if it be only in the Times] He was ready to produce the original ejectments; he was furnished with a list of the names of all the individuals dispossessed, and also the number of individuals in each family. The latest to which he had alluded affected no less than seventy families, comprising 382 individuals. The facts were vouched for by the magistrate residing nearest to the estate, and he was a man who would most unwillingly misstate any fact; he was ready to mention the name of that magistrate, for he wished for no concealment. He had refrained from stating any names until he had been asked for it by the noble Lord, and then he had stated them unwillingly, for he thought it highly objectionable to introduce names into any statement made in that House. If the matter should be properly reported in the Times to-night—he should not move that the printer be called to the bar.
Mr. O'Connell.If there is no motion we must pass on to other business. This comes of improper reading. If the hon. Member had not read the Times there would have been nothing of this.
Lord Ingestriesaid, that all he had asserted was, that if these tenants were ejected he was confident they had been removed from their habitations with their own consent, and, that a bargain had been made with each of them. If the hon. Member made these allusions, he was bound to substantiate them. He was ready when he got a perfect knowledge of the facts to meet the hon. Member on this and any other ground whenever he liked.
§ Subject dropped.