188 MlNX JTES OF E V I D E N C E T A K E N B E F O R E T HE Mr. S. Nicholls. those precise words, but I wished to communicate to the Committee that I had said as severe things before Lord Forbes as I said here. I merely stated it, lest 22 iviay 1838. t] ie Committee should imagine that Lord Forbes being dead, 1 took liberties with his name that I ought not to take. 10740. Did you ever state before Lord Forbes that he had induced Lord Anglesea to send down a registering barrister who was incompetent and partial ?— I did not; but I stated before Lord Forbes's face a case in which he had taken up a poor woman who lived by making besoms; she supported her mother and four or five children by making besoms. She was found on his lordship's bog pulling heath to make those besoms with, and she was sent to gaol. Her mother applied to me; there was a fine of 5s., or a fortnight's imprisonment, and I gave the woman 5.9. to go and release her, and because it was after four o'clock she was kept in gaol till next day; and I stated to Lord Forbes that he was a very unfit man to make laws for the poor, when he thought more about the grouse and partridges than he did about the peasantry of the county. 10741. Had that anything to do with the registry?— This kind of conduct certainly gave me grounds to form these opinions. 10742. Did it give you grounds to form the opinion that Lord Anglesea did so improper a thing as to send down an improper person to preside over the registry, on account of private solicitation ?— Yes. 10743. Because Lord Forbes, according to your view of the case, misused an old woman cutting heath on the bog, you believe that Lord Anglesea sent an improper person to revise the registry of the county ?— I mentioned that cir- cumstance about the woman and the heath to show what Lord Forbes's conduct generally was. 10744. Had Lord Anglesea anything to do with that?— I consider not. 10745. Then why should you accuse Lord Anglesea of sending an improper person because Lord Forbes sent a woman to gaol for cutting heath on the bog?— Because I consider Lord Forbes being the relative of the Marquis of Anglesea, and the Marquis of Anglesea being anxious that lie should repre- sent the county, without being aware of Lord Forbes's motives or his general conduct, he would take suggestions and advice from Lord Forbes as to the person he would send to preside at the registry. 10746. Those are the grounds of your serious charge against Lord Forbes and Lord Anglesea ?— Yes. 10747. Mr. O'Connell.] So far as this, there is no doubt that an incompetent person was sent down ?— Precisely so. 10748. There was no doubt that Lord Forbes had great influence with Lord Anglesea ?— He had. 10749. And there was no doubt that Lord Anglesea was in the habit of making appointments for the enemies of his party ?— Yes. 10750. Can you name any one appointment that he obtained for any friend of reform ?— I am not aware of any. It was generally imputed to him that he was more apt to appoint the enemies of his party than liis friends. 10751. Did not he appoint Mr. Joy, the chief baron?— Yes. 10752. And Mr. Dogherty, the chief justice ?— Yes. 10753. Mr. Litton.'] Do not you think if a man appoints those that are enemies of his party, he is more likely to act from pure motives ?— I believe that there are persons that will occasionally sacrifice the principles of their party to answer their own private ends. 10754. Do you mean to say that you attribute that to Lord Anglesea r— I do not. 10755. Then why did you give that answer?— He is a weak- minded man. 10756. Do you recal what you said in suggesting that it was from private motives ?— I dare say he might not have been one of those that would be so selfish, but I think, from either motives of friendship or some others, he made appointments that are injurious to his friends. 10757. With respect to the chief baron, have you not heard that lie was one of the ablest lawyers at the bar ?— I do not know anything about it. 10758. Have you not heard it ?— I have heard of him as a clever man. 10759. In the practice at the bar for 30 years ; have you not heard of him as a man of the highest legal character at the bar ? - I have heard very little of him. 10760. Have