passed both houses. A new bill was passed by the commons, and sent up
to the lords in the beginning of April. The second reading of the bill,
however, in the house of lords was negatived by thirty-eight against
twenty-two. On the 11th of June Mr. Hume moved in the house of commons,
that the issuing of the writ for the borough of Stafford should be
suspended till ten days after the next meeting of parliament. This
motion was carried by a great majority.

Another question touching parliamentary purity attracted still greater
attention. In May, 1835, the election of Colonel Bruen and Mr. Cavanagh
for the county of Carlow had been declared void by a committee. Messrs.
Vigors and Raphael were elected in their stead, by the interest of
Mr. O'Connell. Upon a petition, however, these members were likewise
unseated; and Mr. Raphael, who resided in London, believing that Mr.
O'Connell had broken faith with him, published an account of the bargain
by which he had secured his influence. It appeared that Mr. Raphael had
begun to negociate with the agitator while the petition against Colonel
Bruen and Mr. Cavanagh was still pending, and that the pecuniary treaty
was concluded on that petition having terminated unfavourably for these
gentlemen. Its terms were contained in the following letter, dated the
1st of June:--"My dear sir, you have acceded to the terms proposed
to you for the election of the county of Carlow, viz., you are to
pay before nomination L1,000--say L1,000, and a like sum after being
returned; the first to be paid absolutely and entirely for being
nominated; the second to be paid only in the event of your having been
returned, I hereby undertake to guarantee and save you harmless from any
and every other expense whatever, whether of agents, carriages, counsel,
petition against the return, or of any other description; and I make
this guarantee in the fullest sense of the honourable engagement that
you should not possibly be required to pay one shilling more in any
event or upon any contingency whatever." Mr. O'Connell wrote to the
electors on behalf of Mr. Raphael; and, on the 10th of June, Mr.
O'Connell received through his son, likewise a member of parliament, the
first sum of L1,000. On the 21st he was returned; and, Mr. O'Connell,
apparently in the prospect of a petition, wrote thus to his protege:--"I
am glad to tell you our prospects of success are, I do believe, quite
conclusive. If only one liberal is to be ret