The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-06-11
n ,rning Slar and Catholic Messenger.
se~ "Ri.KANs SUNDAY, JUNE ie7,.
xKtract from the speech Of John Martin, ON the
Coercion Bill, in the House Of Commons. :


Sir, before the passing of this bill wisl
with the permission of the house, to max
. few remarks upon the character of tfl
measure and upon the state of things j
ireland. do not, however, intend to vot
upon this bill, nor, indeed, upon any othe
proper to ask in respect to the government
of my country. 1t is, sir, contend, tn
inalienable right of the Irish people to b,
free people and, as free people, to b
bound only by laws made by the Queer
and free parliament of the kingdom
(cheers from the Irish embers.) 1t il
true that in 1900 the English parliament
usurped the power of making it's laws
and for the last seventy years her Majesty's
Irish subjects, yielding to a superior force
have been ruled by the will of her Males
tvs English subjects. Bnt the Irish nation
has never consented to that usurpatiOn,
and the right of Ireland to a free paria-
ment Of her own, and to a distinct govern
meut from that of this country, under the
Queen, is as valid in principles of law at
the present as IL was in the year 1888,
when the English parliament solemnly de-
ciared that right to be established and as
certained forever, and one not to be ques-
1rish representative, therefore, holding the
national sentiment prevailing amongst the
tho vast majority of the people of Ireland.
ana which 1T seems, is we'll known to gem
faemen who have spoken in favor OF this
bill does prevail with the vast majority of
my countrymen-as an Irish national rep
resentative, do not intend to vote. In
deed, If could prevail upon myself to
vote at all in this house, it would be idle
and vain for me to think of voting in the
present case, because this tiii being intro
duced by the government, and having for
1ts object to put the people of Ireland un-
der new coercion, it being new coercion
DILL for Ireland, the measure will be sure
70 have the support of the great majority
0S members on both sides of the house
4cheers from the Irish Liberal members).
many OF the Liberal supporters of the
right honorable gentleman at the head of
the government might fall away from him
when the question was o match tax or an
additional twOpence in the pound income
tax-at least many of the right honorable
As to the gentlemen on the opposition
aide of the house, they are NO doubt maxi
ang fierce and obstinate fight against the |
ministers' Army Regulation Bill, but when
tue question is merely to cast new insult |
. upon sne people OF Ireland, they will, with
asters any powers which, in the very wan
GOnness of despotism, they NAV ask for !
There is a falsehood implied in the titles.
OF all these bills when it is alleged that in
Areiahd the crimes are more numerous and
OF greater atrOcity than those committed
In England-that life and property are less
saIe II ireland than in England, and that
the peace is more difficult to preserve in
Ireland than in England. Now, the fact
10, that both life and property are much
-: Tess insecure in my country than they are
In Engiand-that crimes are both fewer in
mum Ger and as general rule. less afro
clous morally in Ireland than they are in
England, and that it is quite as easy to
Preserve the peace in Ireland as it ia in
England, provided that the same means
nv M ynR krAv, - mn
able and learned member for Southamp.
ton, on the first day when this question
was debated, called the attention of the
mouse to the returns of crimes and outrage
That had been reported by the police to
have been committed in Westmeath during
1870, to the 2Sth of February, 1871, and lie
told US lis cases of crime and outrage
were reported by the police as having
taken place within that period, but he neg.
lected to analyse them. If he had done 60
he might have told the house that of tina
lis cases, IS were for sending threatening
letters and notices, and So cases of intimi-
dalton, reducing the number to ID, and of
Shese three were for murder, and four for
attempts at murder. l remember when 1
was last IN attendance in this house, the
assizes for the county of Chester were
being held, and I recollect reading Mr..
Justice Mellor's charge to tue grand iury.
in which he stated that the calendar for
that single assize contained fifteen cases of
homicide, and as to the comparative crimi-
naliiy of the Irish and English county, it
appeared to be three times less in the irish
than in the English county. As to the ar.
gument dwelt on by great many speakers
chat it il very difficult to detect crime in
ireland and bring the criminals to punish
ment, have seen q statement which gives
the number of coroners' inquests for murder
In England within the last ten years at
2497, whilst only 2A8 criminals out of that
number were detected and punished. that
is to cay, less than one in ten. If, then.
the suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act
be q proper means to employ for detecting
and Furnishing crime, it seems to me Won
have very great need for it in England. ]
consider the proper way to deal with the
disorder that really exists in Westmeath is
the right honorable gentleman the member
for Dublin University described, with an
attempt to be very funny, when he men.