§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. SULLIVAN) moved that an Address be presented to Her Majesty, praying her to cause an inquiry to be made into the corrupt practices reported by Baron Fitzgerald to have existed at the last election for Cashel.
§ MR. VANCEsaid, he hoped the Motion would be postponed, as he would have to object to the names of some of the Commissioners. The three gentlemen chosen were all members of the same political party, and were all Roman Catholics. With regard to the latter point, he might observe it was notorious that three-fourths of the Irish Bar were Protestants, and therefore it was extraordinary that three gentlemen of the opposite religious opinions should have been selected.
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. SULLIVAN)defended the appointment. The three gentlemen named were of the highest honour and ability. He did not inquire into the religion of the gentlemen he appointed to such offices, and in this case there was no question either of religion or party politics involved in the matter.
§ Motion agreed to.
§
Resolved, That an bumble Address be presented to Her Majesty, as followeth:—
Most Gracious Sovereign,
We, Tour Majesty's most dutiful and loyal Subjects, the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, in Parliament assembled, beg leave humbly to represent to Your Majesty, that the Honourable Baron Fitzgerald, one of the Barons of the Court of Exchequer in Ireland, and one of the Judges selected for the trial of Election Petitions, pursuant to the Parliamentary Elections Act, 1868, has reported to the House of Commons that, from the evidence at the trial before him of the Petitions relating to the last Election for Cashel, he had reason to believe that the corrupt practice of bribery did extensively prevail at the said Election.
We therefore humbly pray Tour Majesty, that Tour Majesty will be graciously pleased to cause inquiry to be made pursuant to the Provisions of the Act of Parliament passed in the sixteenth year of the reign of Your Majesty, intituled, "An Act to provide for more effectual inquiry into the existence of Corrupt Practices at Elections for Members to serve in Parliament," by the appointment of George Waters, esquire, one of Her Majesty's counsel, Constantine Molloy, esquire, barrister at law, and William Griffin, esquire, barrister at law, as Commissioners for the purpose of making inquiry into the existence of such corrupt practices.
1936
Address to be communicated to the Lords, and their concurrence desired thereto.—(Mr. Attorney General for Ireland.)