The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1844-03-17

much of il as we please, and we will reject the
rest " They have the power TO take he entire OF IL
if they pleased tor reject the entire OF II; but am
entitled 10 the benefit, il II be ne cessary, OF the
whole of it, The learned gentlem an then read
extracts from the second pamphlet, emitted, Plan
Tor the renewed action Of the Irish II ouse OF Com
mons stating that repeaers ecogniZe and acknow-
Ledge the right Of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, her
heirs and successors TO all the rights and privileges
inherent In the crown OF Ireland-that they would
pear most faithful allegiance 10 Her Majesty, her
heirs and successors and that they acknow lodged
they would maLtain all hereditary privileges OF the
peers OF Ireland as before" This, gentlemen, IS
the evidence Tor the prosecuuon-rhis the evidence
to prove conspiracy and Illegal means and objects.
Gentlemen OF the Jury, we did not call for this
evidence, though | admit that IL contains an adj
mlrable defence for us; but II as produced by the
| Attorney General and on that he calls on you TO
find us guilty, There Is the plan Of the repeal, and
what faults do you nd with IT! II discusses, and
insist my right 10 discuss, the great constitu-
tlonal question as 10 the competency of the Irish
! parhapsnt to gess che act OF union That Question
was discussed before the union was thought of, if
] may so speak. In Locke on Government"
treatise written to prove that William was tho
| lawful monarch by reason of the occurrences
which had taken place, a book which at the time
of the union was class book in Tnnty College,
although since Withdrawn from the course-but
still book of authority and one OF the Instruments
by which the revolution of 1858 was Iustifed-a
revolution which no one admirss more than do
In that work passage occurs 10 which i demand
your serious attention. Mr. OConDell read the
passage in which it Is laid down that parliament
| had the power OF making laws, but not eglsla-
lures, and that II could not delegate that power TO
others He also read ex,rac, from Mr. Sau-
| rms speech, delivered on the 18th March, 1900, in
which that gentleman asserted that the union
would be nulhty, If forced on the Irish people
! against their will; and another passage in a SUBJ
| seqLent speech in which Mr. Saurm gave it as
| his opinion, that although they might make the
| union binding as law, they could not make it
obligatory on conscience, and resistance TO IL in
the abstract would become a dutv) MIR Saurin,"
continued Mr.. O'Connell, "dld not mean by the
term resistance, other than we mean--that is
slstence, by means peaceable and legal, but
adequate 10 our purpose" Mr.. O'Connell then
read extract from Lord Plunkefs speech
against the union," In which that nobleman
denied the competence of the Irish parliamen 10
pass the act of unon and although they might ex-
tingulsh themselves, they could not obterate the
parliament-as well might the frantic suicide hope
that the same act which destroyed his miserable
lords, insist on the truth OF that constitutional
doctrine. | take the qualification that has been
laid down by Mr.. Saurin that the act Is binding
| law, while It continues to have form and shape,
but II is not binding conscience, principle,
| or on right. 1t has been said that pronounced
| the acts passed since the union 10 be void. ] did
not say so, for they only voldable, and give me
the repeal of the union, and we will soon come to
terms about the emancipation act. | may be
wrong in my position, but have right 10 argue
these questions-every man has right to argue
them Gentlemen OF the jury, the point arose in
1852, aud the Irish parliament then declared that
power earth could bind the Irish people, but
Tile King, LORDS, ana commons oil HeI010, ana
| act passed to that effect. The consequence of
that was TO do away with all the laws Ia reference
| to Ireland made in England. But they went even
| lurther, and passed laws which deranged the whole
property of the country. That state of things was
| not permitted TO exist an hour for Chief Baron
| Yeverlon brought in "A bill which provided that
all laws passed 10y the British Parliament, whether
| with regard 10 Ireland or any part of the United
Kingdom, should apply equally TO both countries II
mas also (said Mr. OConnelD been said that this
was inconsistent with, allegiance deny IT, If
the authority existsin the Queen can be exercised
| by the responsible minister; and shall be told
that IN country where Richard the Second was
| dethroned by Parllament-where Richard the Third
was dethroned by Parliament, and Henry the Sc
venth set up IN his place-in country where the
royal succession was altered by Henry VII. shall
be told there lis any thing illegal IN discussing and
pressing these questions? There may be- error, but
there cannot be crime IN Discussing them openly
You have Saurn, and Plunket, and Locke in
his theories confirming them You have Lord
Grey giving his opinion in favor of them. You
have these principles announced, and these doc
trines held forth, by the high authorizes | have
| named. Even the Attorney General, did not
| give TO the subject the importance ! have done,
| and have only gwen it weight because think
IL Is principle we have a right to CANVASS
| am now nearly drawing 10 close but must
first go back to the evils OF the union, and show
The necessity OF every man exerting himself 10 OBJ
| tam repeal. ask you, flrst, would II not the
hIdeous evil of absenteeIsm A very talented gen
uemen, Mr.. Hayes, of Cork has calculated that
nine millions surplus revenue passes OUT of this
| country tNtTy year ne TdliWdy commissioners
| reduce 1t to six millions ] take the reduced
| amount, and ask, # ever any country suffered so
| much this from the drain consequent upon
| ibsenteeism : We don't want English cap
| lta give us our own Fix millions, we
want no more, we have enough for our own
purposes if II is only allowed TO remain with U.S.
| The surplus revenue, gentlemen, Is another exhaus
| non of the resources OF Ireland Ii amounts IN
! some years To Two millions Last year think II
| vas solow as Zoo 600; but whether one amount
or the other 1t Is drained out OF this country never
20 return. Again the woods and forests department
got E14,oO year IA quit rents and crown
| ~ Ireland. How has that been spent for the last
| ten years! Why IN making the Thames tunnel
| ADD beauiIiying Trdalgar-square We want an adj
| dlticnal bridge here, and why should not have
| that E7i,0O TO erect III Have not good a
| right to It as the citizens Of London II We had
rlsh parliament sitting would we permit these con-
| tnued dralnsl No; and,i gentlemen, will YOU
| give your consent-your votes ! will say--to the
| ending over OF all tins money To ornament Traal-
gar square! or will you raise your voice on behalf
81 those who honestly contend that Ireland should
| nave the benefit OF her own resourcesl There
| are other evils contingent with this drain upon
| our country heard IN Parliament quoted from
| work by Mr. Young, political economist, who
travelled through Ireland IN IT'S, and who In writ
ng the subject OF the Increase Of the population
observed that all the children grew up TO be men
| aud women, and he accounted for that by their
never falling to have belly full of potatoes Was
| that the case nova Had not the condition of the
| people and OF the country declined and could they
| now get belly full of potatoes9 Are you not al
lnshted at, and your country degraded by, perio::
deal famine, six or eight Of which have occurred
-lnce the union Quantities Of provisions were
Exported to England at the very moment the poo
pie here were expiring from famine The history
Il distress In the report of the Poor Law Commis-
sloners was appalling and The Population Com
nnssloners report which has ust come out exhibits
the evil in aggravated shape. The gentleman
who framed it, Captain Larcom, states that thirty
per cent of the population of the cities and towns
in Ireland are in state of the most abect poverty,
| and that seventy per cent OF the agricultural
population are IN like condition. Whers is
| he bellyful of potatoes now, and where
| i the advantage Of the union when such things
| il in existencel And are these grievances To re-
main1 Are we who seek Il remedy for them to be
hunted ont of society AZ consplrators, and those
smiling and exuung in the honors Of Office to be
supported praised and sustained while the friends