fic or agreement
between Mr. Raphael and Mr. O'Connell for a seat in parliament, and the
second as to the application of the sum said to have been given. It does
not appear to your committee to be necessary for them to enter upon any
detailed summary of the evidence, but they feel it their duty to draw
the attention of the house very briefly to the main points as they bear
upon the question. It appears that Mr. O'Connell addressed a letter,
bearing date, 1st of June, 1835, in which the agreement for Mr.
Raphael's return for the county of Carlow for L2,000 was concluded; the
committee cannot help observing that the whole tone and tenour of this
letter was calculated to excite much suspicion and grave animadversion;
but they must add that, upon a very careful investigation, it appeared
that previous conferences and communications had taken place between
Mr. Raphael, Mr. Vigors, and other persons connected with the county
of Carlow, and that Mr. O'Connell was acting on this occasion at the
express direction of Mr. Raphael, and was the only medium between Mr.
Raphael and Mr. Vigors and the Political Club at Carlow. It appears that
the money was placed to Mr. O'Connell's general account at his bankers
in London. It was, however, advanced the moment it was called for to
Mr. Vigors; and though some of it was paid in bills, the discount was
allowed; the amount, therefore, was available whenever wanted, and
no charge of pecuniary interest can be attached to Mr. O'Connell. It
appears also that this money had been expended under the immediate
direction of Mr. Vigors and others connected with the county of Carlow,
in what may be called legal expenses, or so unavoidable that your
committee see no reason to question their legality; and that the balance
was absorbed in defending the return of Mr. Raphael and Mr. Vigors
before the committee appointed to investigate on the 21st of July,
1835." In moving that this report and the evidence given should be
printed, Mr. Colborne stated, that the committee had agreed unanimously
in the conclusion at which they arrived, and that he had no doubt
that the house would join in the same opinion, if the evidence were
considered without any reference to party feeling. To a large party in
the house, however, it appeared that the committee had overlooked some
important branches of the inquiry, and that matter had come out in the
evidence before the committee which rendered the whole transaction more
des