SELECT COMMITTEE ON BRIBERY AT ELECTIONS.
503 Clonmel I had advanced money out of my own pocket, a part of which is still Dr.
M'Donnell.
due to me, in order to liberate him, being an aged and infirm man.
8912.
Then you consider the son was bound in gratitude ?—As
a citizen, but as a *7 Ju]y l835-clergyman I have nothing to say to it.
8913.
Did you continue to use any influence to make the man change his vote ?
No more than that.
8914.
Did you hold out any other threat?—Nothing
more than that to him.
8915.
Did you hold out any threat to any other voter whatever?—I
am not aware that I have done so.
8916.
You combine in yourself the two characters of a citizen and a clergyman, it appears ?—Yes.
8917.
Pray how do you make it known to the members of your flock with whom you hold these communications, in which of your capacities, of clergyman or citizen, you are speaking to them ?—I
make it known to them by my conduct.
8918.
How?—In
my conduct as a clergyman I speak to them spiritually; in my conduct 1 s a member of society I appeal to their reason and to their judgment, so"far as regards temporal concerns or temporal interest.
8919.
Then when you speak to them on spiritual matters you do not address yourself to their reason and judgment?—I
do, but then I address myself also to another world ; I have reference then to another world far beyond this ; I do not come here to represent any opinions, I am a humble clergyman, I speak can¬ didly and sincerely my own opinion as a clergyman; I spoke from my altar on perjury, on drunkenness and on rioting, and all their dreadful consequences, in my spiritual capacity, but when I was speaking to those persons in their individual capacities as citizens and as members of society, I addressed myself to them as far as regards their temporal interests, and showed them that one man was better than another, and I will give you my reasons why.
8920.
Do the peasantry in your county speak Latin as they do in Kerry ?—I
do not know ; some of the peasantry can understand reason, and can distinguish their friends from their foes in political contests.
8921.
When you met such a man as Barry in the street, and you addressed him as to the person he should vote for, how do you make him understand you?—I
gave him to understand it was better to vote for Mr.
than Mr.
, and I told him the reason why.
8922.
In giving him reasons why he should sooner vote for Mr.
rather than Mr.
,
did you draw any of your arguments from the considerations dependent on a future state?—Certainly
not.
8923.
Did you ever say to any of them that the interests of their church demands from them that they should vote for the candidates you recommend ?—I
never said so.
8924.
You never said that ?
—Never ; I defy any person to the proof of it.
8925.
Where do you address the people: j^ou say you have spoken to them from the altar?—I
have spoken to them from both places, that is, the altar, and outside the sanctuary, but outside the sanctuary merely upon their temporal concerns.
8926.
Then you distinguish between the altar and the outside of the sanctuary ?
—I do.
8927.
You have spoken to them outside the sanctuary?—Yes.
8928.
And on electioneering matters?—Yes.
8929.
Was that in your chapel?—Never
in the chapel on temporal concerns.
I have spoken to them outside the chapel as a citizen, as any other man might do.
8930.
In the chapel yard ?—No,
not in the chapel yard, but from the platform where Mr.
had arrived.
8931.
Do you think that you have given them to understand so distinctly that you were addressing them merely as a citizen that they did not attribute any weight to your character of clergyman ?—They
would attribute weight, and they would have confidence in me had I never been a clergyman.
I have found that a great many men, who, without flattering myself, appear to me to have no extra¬ ordinary advantage more than I have, have considerable influence as citizens from their education and from their integrity.
I could instance a case where a young man, who is now no more, and who had been in the same college with me, was able, by his education, and by his integrity of character, and by the consequent confidence reposed in him by the people, to rally the whole county of Tipperary against the very high aristocracy in that Yorkshire of Ireland.
On leaving college, 0.12.
3 R 4
he
