MR. HORSMAN'S EXCUSE TO HIS CONSTITUENTS FOR HAVING BURKED MR.
GROTE'S MOTION. (From the Carlisle Journal 28th May.)
"London. May 13th.
"Since I last wrote to you, there have been two questions of much interest —the principal one, the Ballot, which ought to have come on, was adjourned for want of a House. As I was in some measure the cause of this, many of those whose absence caused the adjournment have been making an attempt to
i
get the blame off their shoulders by putting it on mire. But my answer s a short ye. I moved that the House be counted, not to prevent the subject being discussed, but to prevent it being discussed in a House of 27 Members ; and I will do the same at any future opportunity, when a motion which I think one of the most important and interesting to the country that can be brought forward, is attempted to be virtually avoided by such a thin attendance of Menibers as to render the debate no debate at all. On Mr. RI PPON'S motion relative to the Bishops, the whole thing, division and all, was over in an hour ; and those who voted with him were laughed at, from their measure being treated with such contempt. The same thing might have been done with the Ballot ; and, so long as I am a Member. I will do my best to prevent that question being discussed unless there is sufficient interest excited about it to secure at least a decent attention on the part of the House. Mr. Gaorx has Just informed me, that he has again given notice of it for this session ; when I hope there will be a good attendance. Many of those who were out of the way before have had a lesson."
TO TIIE EDITOR OF THE SPECTATOR.
30th May, 1836.
SIR—After this, Mr. EDWARD Ifoasstast may spare himself the trouble of answering my interrogatories. I sin obliged to his constituents for having pub- lished this excuse ; which is peculiarly unfortunate on the face of it, as I have pretty exact information that Mr. Iloasainsi moved the counting of the House about twenty-five minutes before five o'clock,—that is, half an hour nearly before public business begins; consequently that there could, on the pretence Let up, be no ground for his doing so, as the Ballot motion was not before the House. Besides this, which is of itself decisive, at the time above stated some forty or fifty Members " went off" (I quote the Spectator's account,' ) " AND THEN MR. HORSAIA N MOVED."
I believe this will be deemed enough. But I will settle the matter at once. I do not ask if he did so, but I charge Mr. HORSMA Di with having made the following statement to an individual as an excuse for his conduct,—namely, that he "assured that individual, that he (H.) had been misled by being in- formed that it was Mr. Grote's wish to have the House counted out, aud that it was only under this belief that he consented to make the motion."
These two excuses are perfectly at variance—utterly irreconcileable.
The question is now reduced to a narrow compass—it is for Mr. HORSMA to answer it as best he can.
The publication in the Carlisle Journal is a complete surprise upon me. I believe it was elicited by two or three pointed queries of mine, which appeared in the lnitehaven Herald of the 231 May. As far as I can do so, I have laid the matter fully and fairly before the public.. If I were at liberty to publish my information,—Which comes from the highest source,—there could not be the slightest doubt. I believe Mr. iloasarasr will not find it so easy to satisfy that public as he has done the electors of the little country town he is one of the Members for. If I have been misinformed,—if I have been in error,—I will cheerfully, readily, antl earnestly make reparation ; but if not, nothing shall draw from me a single word in retractation of that which, in good faith, there is every reason to believe is true. I am, &c.
A COCK ERMOUTIIIA N.
• [In this particular, however, the Spectator followed the report of a Morning Paper.—E n
Previous page
