IRELAND.
The case of the petitioners against the return of Messrs. O'Con- nell and Rutliven for Dublin becomes more and more desperate. In spite of the evidently favourable reception which all that can be urged on their behalf meets with from the Commissioners, —one of whom, Mr. Joy, could not be more zealous in their cause, had he received* retaining fee from Messrs. West and Hamilton,—it is plain that not only have they failed in breaking down the Liberal majority, but hart exposed their friends to most disagreeable consequences. Several cues of bribery have been proved against Counsellor Oulton, an avowed agent of West and Hamilton, by John Knaggs, a hairdresser. The evidence of this man was confirmed, in some of its essential points, by letters from Oulton, and three men whom he was employed to bribe. He was cross-examined by Mr. Joy, with all the fiery zeal of a partisan ; but his testimony was not shaken. There was a squabble in the Court on Monday, arising out of an imputation of Mr. West, that Mr. Commissioner Ardill had been in league with the agents of the sitting Members, and been guilty of "a barefaced trick," in connexion with the production of Oulton's letters. West was compelled to retract his insinuation ; and the Chairman en- deavoured to prevent the insertion of any account of what passed on the minutes of the proceedings. On this the correspondent of the Courier remarks-
" This impression of the proceedings of a public tribunal, Mr. Chambers chose to enjoin, in direct contravention to the wishes of the aggrieved parties, Messrs. /UAW and Murphy, and in subserviency to those of Mr. West. And Mr. Chambers chose, in addition, to issue a threat of pains and penalties against Mr. Hughes, (the short-hand-writer specially employed since the com- mencement of the Commission by the sitting Members,) if, through his agency, the paragraph in question should find its way into the public journals. To this threat Mr. Hughes decliued to make any direct reply. A second threat was fulminated, and there the matter rested. The scene was altogether an amusing one."
This is all of a piece with the manner in which the Chairman has conducted himself from first to last. It will, however, be impossible to prevent the evidence of bribery going before House of Commons Committee ; and we should not be surprised if the petition should be declared " frivolous and vexatious," and the expense of the proceed- ings be thereby cast on the Tory candidates.
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