Mr. S. Nicholls. S E L E C T C O M M I T T E E ON F I C T I T I O U S V O T E S , I R E L A N D . 175 / 10760. Have you any doubt that lie was one of the highest men at the bar ? — I know very little about him ; so much so, that at the commencement of the thing I did not know what his name was. 22 M l8 8 10761. Has he or Mr. Perrin the highest legal character ?— I should think Mr. Perrin has. 10762. Who appointed Mr. Perrin to be the judge ?— I do not know. 10763. Was not he appointed over men of much higher legal character at the bar?— I think not at the time he was appointed. 10764. Do you think that Mr. Pennefather was not an abler lawyer than Mr. Perrin ?— I am not able to give an opinion as to that. 10765. Who appointed Mr. Gibson, of King's County?— I suppose it was Lord Mulgrave. 10766. Have you any doubt of it?— It would depend upon the date of his appointment; I am not exactly certain as to that. 10767. Mr. O'Connell.'] Did he ever appoint a better man ?— I do not know much about him. 10768. Mr. Litton.] Who appointed Mr. Hudson?— I suppose it must have been Lord Mulgrave. 10769. Did you ever hear that a Committee of The House of Commons had recommended a prosecution for bribery against him ?— I did not. 10770. But it was Lord Mulgrave that appointed him ?— From the time that his appointment took place, it must have been. 10771. Mr. O'Connell.~] Do you know that Mr. Gibson is a Protestant?— I believe he is. 10772. And Mr. Hudson?— Yes. 10773. you know that Mr. Gibson is one of the most amiable and excel- lent men at the bar ?— I do not know much about the lawyers at present. 10774. Do you know that Mr. Perrin was in the first common- law practice of any man that ever was at the Irish bar ?— I have heard Mr. Colquhoun speak very highly of him, but I do not know much about him. 10775. Mr. Litton.] Was not that Mr. Colquhoun a very great Radical?— I do not consider that he was what I would call a Radical, but he was an honest reformer. 10776. Was not he a man of the strongest politics on the side of what are called Liberal principles ?— He was a man of very sincere politics, but not so strong as many others. 10777. Did you ever read his paper ?— I did; there were two papers of his. 10778. Was not it most violent in politics on your side of the question ?— I do not think it was. 10779. Was not it a very Radical paper?— I consider that the paper went very cautiously to work, for it was edited by three or four lawyers. 10780. Was it Radical enough for you ?— No, it was not. 10781. Do you call yourself a Radical?— Not in the extended sense of the word. 10782. As we all understand Radicalism, is there a greater Radical in Ireland than you are ?— There are many ; I would like to see the laws administered for the good of the great bulk of the people. 10783. Mr. O'Connell Are you for universal suffrage?— No. 10784. Are you for the ballot ?— I am. 10785. Are you for short Parliaments ?— I am ; I am for household suffrage, but not universal suffrage. 10786. Mr. Lefroy.] You stated that Mr. Lendrick and Mr. Fosberry were in the habit of dining together ?— I understood they were, and that you used to join them. 10787. Who did you hear that from ; what information had you about these gentlemen being together ?— It was a general report. 10788. Do you believe everything that you hear by general report ?— I do not with things that are unlikely. 10789. Had you as good foundation for believing that as you had for the appointment of Mr. Fosberry ?— I merely heard the thing generally talked of, and I believed it. 10790. You have. no doubt of it, have you ?— That is a different thing. 10791. You will not say whether you have any doubt of it or not ?— I cannot say whether I doubt it or not; I believed it at the time. 643. A A 10792. But