The Earl of Besboroughpresented the Report of the Select Committee appointed to examine the evidence taken before the Select Committee on the petitions of James Pym (presented to the House on the 7th and 8th of July), and to report what steps (if any) it might be necessary to take in the case of John Stinton, reported to have been guilty of perjury. The Report stated that the Committee had met and considered the subject, and the result they had arrived at was, that, although it was manifest to the Committee that John Stinton had wilfully contradicted himself, and been guilty of equivocation in his evidence given before the Select Committee on the petitions of Mr. Pym, respecting the Dublin and Galway Railway Bill, still 1305 they were, on the whole, of opinion that it was not expedient to direct a prosecution against the said John Stinton, by means of an indictment.
§ The Duke of Wellingtonasked whether the Committee recommended the adoption of any other course?
Lord Campbellobserved that the Committee was unanimous in the adoption of the Report. It should be recollected that, although it was not deemed expedient to direct a prosecution for perjury to be instituted, still the House might, if it thought proper, punish this person, by fine and imprisonment, for misconduct in equivocating in the evidence he gave before a Select Committee of this House. The Report was then laid on the Table.