The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1853-04-21
our praties; are you ready to beging'
Quite ready answered Morgan.

: that strangely contrasted with the previou
: languor Of bis manner. 'Now Morgan, m
yiboy.' Morgan, affecting to read from hi
3 note book, commenced thus: The honorabI
: member said, that if
Och, be asy bit,' interrupted Jack
who was the honorable member?'
Morgan hesita,ed for nome Mt, WAS j
bis name you askedi Sure it was Mr.
!, Wilberiorce.'
MIR. Wilberforce? och, very we'll, then.
| Morgan resumed. 'Mr. WiIberforce said
that it always appeared to him beyond al
questioh, that the great cause why the Irish
Iaborers were, as body, so much stronger
and capable Of enduring 90 much greater
physical fatigue than the English, was the
surprising virtues Of their potatoe. And
he
Morgan, my dear fellow!' shouted Jack
At the mention Of the Irish po,atoe, bis coun.
tenance lighting up with ecstacy as be
spoke, Morgan, my dear fellow, this is SO
important, that we mus, give it ia the first
person.
do you think so9' said Morgan.
'Troth aud do,' answered Jack.
Very we'll said the other.
Morgan then resumed-'And l have no
doubt, continued Mr.. Wiberforce, that had
it been my lot to be born and reared in
Did the member say reared ? interrupted
Jack exultingly, evidently associating the
word with the growth Of potatoes in his own
blessed country
He said reared observed the other, who
then resumed, .-had it been nv lot io
Do born and raised in Ireland, where my
food would have principally consisted Of
the potatoe-that most nutritious and sau-
brious root-instead Of being the poor, in
firm, shrivelled and stunted* creature you,
cir, and honorable gentlemen, now behold
me, ! would have been a tall, athletic man,
and able to carry an enormous weight
Here Jack Finnarty observed, looking
his friend Morgan eagerly in the face
Faith, Morgan, ind tina. is what call true
eloquence. Go on
i hold that root to be invalua ble nd the
man who first cultivated it in Ireland, | re-
gard as benefactor Of the first magnitude
to his species. And my decided opinion is,
that never, until we grow potatoes in Eng
land in sufficient quantities to feed all our
aborers, will those laborers be as able,
bodied class as the lrish?' (Hear! hear
from both sides of the house.)
We'll, by St. Patrick, but that bate.
everything observed Jack, on finishing
his notes, 'thnt's rale philosophy and the
other members cried 'aear, hear!' did
they?
'The other members cried, Hear! hear !!
answered Morgan.
In quarter Of On hour afterwards, the
House arose. Morgan went away direct te
the Office Of the paper for which he was
employed; while Jack, in perfect ecstacies
At the eulogium which had been pronounced
on tho virtues Of the potatoe 'old Ireland,
ran in breathess haste to public house,
where the reporters, who should have been
on duty for the other morning papers, were
assembled.t He read over bis notes to
them, which they copied verbatim, and moi
being at the time in the best possible con
di,ion for judging Of the probability Of Mr.
Wilberforce delivering such speech, they
repaired to their respective Offices, and
actually gave copy oft into the hands Of
the printer. Next morning it appeared in
all the papers, except tho one with which
Morgan O'SulIivan was connected. The
sensation Of surprise il created in town ex-
ceeded everything. Had it only appeared
in one or two Of the papers, persons Of or.
binary intelligence must at once have
concluded that there was some mistake a.
bout the matter; but ito earing in all the
journals except one, and that one 80 very
obscure, that scarcely anybody know
whether the speech was in it or not, forced
az it were, people 10 the conclusion that i,
must have been actually spoken. The in.
ference was plain. Everybody, while re-
GREETING that the necessity should exist
saw that no other course was left but to pu,
Mr.. Wilberforce At once into a straigh,
jacket, aud provide him with keeper
In the evening, the House met as usual, and
Mr.. Wilberforce, on the Speaker taking
the chair, rose, and begged the indulgence
Of the House for one moment, to matter
which concerned il, as we'll as himself, per.
sonalIy. Every honorable member he
observed, has doubtless read the speech
which sm represented as having made on
the previous night. With the permission Of
the House will read it, (Here the hon
orsble member read the speech, amidst the
deafening roars Of Iaughter.)
Il can assure the honorable members thai
no ono could read this speech with more sur
prise than myself did this morning, when
| found the paper on my breakfast table
For myself, personally, l care but little
about it-though i'll were capable ofutter
ing such nonsense as is here pu. into my
mouth, il IL high time that, instead Of being
a member Of this House, were an inma,,
of some lunat,c asylum. 1t is for the digni
lty OF the House that feel concerned; for
4 il honorable members were capable oflsten
ing to such nonsense, supposing me capa bI'
Of giving expression to it, it were mucI
more appropriate to call this theatre 70
the performance Of farces, than place 70
legislative deliberations Of the representa-
tives Of the nstion.'
It was proposed by some members to cal
; the printers Of the different papers in whic
the speech appeared, to the bar ofthe House
for breach Of privilege, but the matter wa
eventually allowed 10 drop.