OBSERVATIONS. (Hansard, 4 March 1870)

MR. O'REILLY-DEASE

said, he rose to call attention "to certain occurrences which took place at Louth at the last General Election, and to the manner in which recommendations for Peerages were made by the Ministry then in Office." he applauded the determination which appeared to exist on both sides of the House to grapple with the great difficulty of the age and do justice to Ireland, and was emboldened in consequence to ask the House to condemn some occurrences which had caused a strong feeling of irritation in the county of Louth, and had tended to weaken the respect due to the discharge: of a high prerogative of the Crown. He had wooed the constituency of his native county with the devotion of a lover who would not be denied; he shrank from no labour, and spared himself no sacrifices, to gain the object of his ambition; he might say to his constituency, as the minstrel knight in the old legend— The blood that I shed for this daughter of thine I have poured forth as freely as flask gives its wine. But a gentleman employed in the house hold of the Lord Lieutenant of that; time, allured by the promise of an English Peerage to his paternal relative on; condition that he would oppose him (Mr. Dease) before a constituency with which he had no more connection than with the moon, addressed the constituency, canvassed, the county, but dared not appear at the poll. The whole proceeding was calculated to bring nobility into disrepute, and depreciate the respect I due to the authority of the Crown. He was rejoiced to say that the gentlemen of the county, who were almost all Conservatives, although he believed they; entertained strong feelings of dislike towards himself and his Colleague, yet I were men of honour, and refused to countenance any such proceedings. The promise made was however faithfully kept, and the new Peer was enabled to use his fire-new stamp of honour, by voting in Ids novel capacity of a Roman Catholic Peer against the Irish Church Bill of last Session.