The Irish standard., 1901-06-01

| llOhs IL tt1OSC OuC VI IL SilSc Ill WulCu
a man named Hughes grabbed farm.
l am not going at length into the old
question of right of combination in
Ireland. We hold in Ireland that the
farmer has the same right to combine
as the mechanic or the coal owner or
miner or decker in England. Yes; we
claim that we only follow at an hum
BILE distance the great profession of
which the attorney general is a mem
Der. Well, these men were charged
with intimidation because they, justly
and rightly, say, brought the force
of public opinion to bear upon the
person who grabbed the farm. What
happened? They were brought to Sill
go, and were tried before a jury. The
number ON the panel was about 200:
10 of them were Catholics; % were
ordered to stand aside Gall Catholics),
with the result that these two
Leaguers were tried by a jury exclus-
lively Protestant. Everybody knew
| luCll W UC lOlcS
attorney general; but l am wrong.
There was Thomas, Monson, who was
cross-eXamined by Mr.. Macinerney.
He heard, he said, the crown challeng-
ing jurors somewhere about %. He
thought that by curious coincidence
these happened all to be Catholics.
Everybody knew the jury was exclus-
lively Protestant, and that the % men
who were excluded were Catholics.
What is the defense? Mr.. McHugh
commented on this extraordinary pro-
ceeding, with which everybody was
disguised except the attorney general
Qaughter). Even the bishop of Elphin
was so disguised with it, and so in
suited by this slight upon his religion,
that he wrote that he was quite in sym
pathy with the members of the Sligo
branch of the League in protesting
against it Qrish cheers). He wrote:
This Ubiquitous practice of excluding
Catholics from serving on juries for
no other reason than this, because they
are Catholics" 1 ask the attorney
general, now, is that assertion true or
false? Qrish cheers)
The Attorney General for Ireland
Yes or no would convey a false i'm
preston. prefer to answer the ques-
ton later on Qronical Irish cheers.)
Mr.. Il. p. O'Connor-If any man will
say this is false, then he must be pre-
pared to say that the head of the Cath
Ollie body in Sligo, living in the midst
Of the people, and knowing their feel
ings and tire circumstances Of the case,
was base enough to put his name to a
lying statement. Cloud Irish cheers;
whilst l am told that even a section of
the Protestants of Sligo were disgust
ed, and protested against the practice
Orish cheers. But it is the question
Of iury-packing which we are going to
discuss here tonight Qoud Irish
cheersD That is the question which |
| " 1911 tlIoSt SClillChlNl olIlJpSltt w
swer, and the question which they ran
away from answering in Dublin Urisll
cheers). Prove, if you can, that MIR.
McHugh's language was violent; even
indefensiblc. That is not the point
you have to meet here. rhc case you
have to meet is. whether you packed a
| it,ryy p,, T,Sh rhnppCl I>1l, ,.itr #
honorable gentleman can read the ar
ticle till he is black in the face, but he
will be kept to the point. unless. m
deed. Ire is prepared to make the de-
Tense that, because the language is
| violent he, therefore, is entitled to
; pack the jury Qrish cheers). Even if
of a packed jury is in accordance with
the evidence or the interests of the
public, say that even just verdict
becomes unjust when it comes from
the instrumentality of packed jury.
Will it be believed that Mr.. Nc.
Hugh, who was being tried for de
nouncing jury packing, was tried him,
self by jury which was practically
Il packed jury? Qrish cheers.) Now
sir, l don't think you could get any,
thing like that outside Of Ireland
What happened at the first trial of
Mr.. MclIugh? Thirteen men were
challenged. l am not sure whether
all of them We're Catholics or not
Then the crown found, after challeng.
ing these thirteen, that they had not
sufficient left to form a jury and one
of those challenged was called back,
so that Mr.. McHugh, who was tried on
the issue of jury packing, was himself
tried by a jury from which the attor-
ncy-general tried to exclude every
Catholic, and in the second trial the
jury packing was Il little more sue
cessful and Mr.. McHugh was con-
victed. Now, sir, l have exposed the
conspiracy by which so-called law is
administered in Ireland (cheers) You
drive the people out Of Ireland by emf
grafton and you know that everyone
that goes from Ireland goes as tl,
enemy Of your rule (cheers). You pro
fess to be shocked and even surprised
but l have given you some reasons
What does all this mean? 1t means
an attempt on the part of the govern
ment to break down the organization