The Times this morning gives, with a " leader," a
long address from Mr ALEXANDER KAPIIAEL to the electors of the County of Car- low, the professed Object of which is to justify the abandonment of his seat in the House of Commons after the case had been only partially gone into before the Election Committee appointed on the petition of Messrs. BauEN and KAVANAGH. This is the professed object of the Ex-Sheriff ; but his real aim is to vilify Mr. O'CoNNELL ; and with this view he publishes a series cf letters from that gentleman, which must have been intended as strictly private. Still, however, lie makes out no case against O'CoNsist.t.; while lie has afforded ample evidence that the electors of Carlow have had a lucky escape from Mr. A LEX- ANDER RAPHAEL. . The facts, as we gather them from this ex pane statement against O'CONNELL, appear to be these. Mr. Raphael had long been desirous of obtaining a seat in the House of Commons ; and, in May last, applied to Mr. O'Connell for his aid in procuring one. The representation of Carlow County soon became vacant, in consequence of the sitting Members being unseated Oil petition ; and Mr. O'Connell advised Mr. Raphael to start for Cal low—as it might be long before he would again meet with so safe a " speculation." After some demur, Raphael agreed to be. 0 rue a etmdidute ; and O'Connell undertook to pay all his expenses for a certain sum. The terms of this contract will appear from the folow- ing letter of O'Connell.
"9, Clarge. Street. 1st June.
"My dear Sir—You having acceded to the terms proposed to you for the election of the County of Carlow,—viz. you are to pay before nomination 1000/, (say WOOL) and a like sum after being returned—the first to be paid absolutely aud entirely for being nominated, the second to be paid only in the event of your having been returned,— hereby undertake to guarantee and save you harmless from any and every other expense whatsoever, 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 immutable engagement that you should not possibly be required to pay one shilling more in any event, or upon any contingency whatsoever. "1 am, my dear Sir, your very faithful "A. Raphael. Esq." "DANIEL O'CONNELL."
O'Connell had some difficulty in procuring the first 1000/., as Raphael paid it to his own solicitor, Mr. Hamilton ; but eventually the money was given to O'Connell. Raphael and Vigors were returned. A petition was presented against them ; and a Tory Committee appointed to try its merits. It became necessary to prepare for a defence ; and Raphael was required to pay the second 1000/. This he refused ; alleging that he was only bound to furnish the additional sum after his seat was safe :—the letter of O'Connell given above, which was written in Raphael's presence, and delivered into his hands by O'Connell himself, proves that he was to pay the second 1000/. on being returned. At length, after an angry note from O'Connell, this sum was also paid. It soon became evident that the sitting Members had not the least chance before the Tory Committee ; but still Raphael wished to proceed, at O'Connell's expense. This, it appears, was not the plan of the latter—he was not such a simpleton as Raphael seems to have supposed him. So, after a little further struggling on the part of Raphael, the case was abandoned, and the Tories were reseated. Well—what is there in all this against O'CONNELL? He received the 200/. ; and it is not pretended that be did not expend it in the charges of the election. RAPHAEL does not say that he paid a farthing beyond the 2030!.; a very small sum for the expenses of a contested county election and a defence before a Parliamentary Committee. That he was defeated, was no fault of O'CONNELL, who did all he could for him. Mr. Vinons, RAPHAEL's colleague, contributed nothing to the expenses ; but it is a very common arrangement that one candidate shall pay all the money. In this instance, Vizi:ins had reputation and popu- larity, in the benefit of which RAPHAEL shared. The Times pretends that RAPHAEL has dealt a hem y blow at O'CONNELL: it is one which the latter will not feel ; and in the mean time we have yet to hear O'CONNELL'S account of this transaction.
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