HC Deb 12 March 1858 vol 149 cc75-6
SIR JAMES GRAHAM

brought up the Report of the Select Committee appointed to inquire into the petition of Edward Lees Coffey, as follows:—

THE SELECT COMMITTEE appointed to inquire into the Allegations of the Petition of EDWARD LEES COFFEY, stating, that ISAAC BUTT, Esq., a Member of this House, did, in 1856, enter into an Agreement with his Highness AMEER ALI MOORAD KHAN, or his Agents for a Sum of Money to advocate the Claims of his Highness in the House of Commons for the Recovery of his Territory; and who were empowered to Report their Opinion, together with the MINUTES OF EVIDENCE taken before them, to The House;—HAVE considered the Matters to them referred, and have come to the following RESOLUTIONS, which they have agreed to Report to The House.

  1. 1. That Isaac Butt, Q.C., a Member of this House, did not, as stated in the Petition of Edward Lees Coffey, "in or about the months of July or August, 1856, corruptly enter into an agreement with his Highness Ameer Ali Moorad Khan, or his agents, to the effect that the said Isaac Butt should for a sum of money stipulated 76 to be paid to him, advocate and prosecute in the House of Commons, with Her Majesty's Government, and the Honourable East India Company, the claims of his Highness for the recovery of his territory, of which he had been deprived by annexation by the Honourable East India Company; "nor," in pursuance of such corrupt agreement, have divers sums of money been actually paid by the said Ameer Ali Moorad to the said Isaac Butt."
  2. 2. That Isaac Butt, Esq., in or about the month of July, 1857, did enter into an agreement with his Highness Ameer Ali Moorad Khan to go out to India to assist him in prosecuting his claim with the local Government of Bombay, in consideration of the sum of £10,000, of which the said Isaac Butt received £2,000 (£1,099 net), and the remainder was to be paid in bills proposed to be drawn or accepted by the Ameer.
  3. 3. That Isaac Butt, Esq., did, in the period which elapsed between the month of June, 1856, and the month of September, 1857, advise and assist his Highness Ameer Ali Moorad Khan in prosecuting his claim against the Government of India, and with that view had frequent personal interviews, in the year 1S57, after the meeting of the present Parliament, with the President of the Board of Control, and also some communications with the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the East India Company, and with one other member of that Board.
  4. 4. That, on the 11th day of August, 1857, Isaac Butt, Esq., received from his Highness Ameer Ali Moorad Khan a cheque for another sum of £300, but it has not been shown to Your Committee that such payment to Isaac Butt, Esq., had any reference to proceedings in Parliament.

Report read; to he on the Table.