The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-07-24
4 NOBLE SPEECH.
Delivered by John Bright Against the
SsSSs.s Coercion Act.

9ss.sy 49, Coercion Act.
81 Ii In February, 1866, at the opening
~ of.athe British Parliament the speech
n \ from the throne contained the follow
ms: "A conspiracy adverse alike to
~ authority, property and religion. has
n t,nhappily appeared in Ireland. The
3ss Unconstitutional power of the ordinary
& Tribunals has been extended to it's re-
u recession and the authority of the law
has been firmly and impartially vim
l dieated'
s3s notwithstanding the statement Of
@ tlle efficiency Of the ordinary process
NJ re law, the Lord Lieutenant insisted
upon a suspension of the IIabeas Cor
Jns Act, affirming that he could not
hold himself responsible for the safety
h Of the country. Immediately Earl
Il Russell and Sir George Grey gave no.
stice that an extraordinary meeting CT
\ 10th Houses would be held. at which
a a1hill for the suspension of the Habeas
H Corpus Act in Ireland would be intro
h fnced. "The announcement" said
/ the London Times, was received with
I loud and general cheering"
H In the Commons Grey introduced
& the motion, saying: Il am about to
submit, 7 make it under a deep sense
which the government entertains,
after having exhausted all the powers
ct the ordinary law, it is their i'm
\ rerative duty to ask Parliament for
4 that additional power which will enable
them to put an effectual check on a
/ wicked and widespread conspiracy,
anc afford protection to the loyal and
faithful subjects of her Majesty in
Ireland need not advert in detail
to the existence and the objects of
| HE Fenian Conspiracy; they are I'M
happily too notorious-too painfully
notorious"
On the same day that the measure
| was introduced. it was passed by a
majority of over three hundred and
| fifty. John Bright in the Commons,
u H1OG06L0u dSdtuSL lIllS lltsAl licdoaI e
| N a mastery speech. in which he said
IN part:
1T is now more than twenty two
years since l was first permitted to
take my seat in this House. Since
A tllen / have often. with great favor,
been allowed to address this House,
A,.& Lot
elected to Parliament. / have never
spoken with so strong feeling of
| shame and humiliation as that which
possesses me at this moment. The
/ Home Secretary asks this House for
i lsave to bring In bill which would
4 deprive six millions Of a right which
is at once the commonest and the most
sacred possessed by a subject. 1t ap-
pears from his statement that it is
not in small portion of Ireland thi,
l Act is to be enforced: he has named
wide districts, great counties who1e
4 provinces.
Fl believe that il tomorrow the
rnajority OF the people OF Ireland had
\ their will they would, had they the
1 power to do so. unmoor that island
from it's fastenings in the deep. anc
would moor It at least two Thousand
4 miles west Of its present position
bAs,. In a speech of few day!
$50, to the character OF the Irish PEG
ple. the speaker told us that there wa:
E9tno christian country with which W,
are acquainted in which crime was g,
A3very rare-in which the people wer
\ naturally so virtuous as in Ireland
\ He might have also said with perfec
truth that there was no man who
whatever he may be at home, was ~
IL Industrious when he emigrated t
other lands as the 1rshman. H
II might have also said that no peopl
y possessed temperament 80 cheerful
people-that no man was more CRATE
H. fll for kindness shown than an Irish
II 9rnan, and that no race We're influ
II el1ced to greater degree by the senti
HI JHent OF FeneratlOn than the peopl
III Of Ireland.
"'Sixty years ago this House under
R took to govern Ireland. 7 will sa
H nothfng of the circumstances undo
he which the union of the two countre
N took place. save that they We're dis
HI graceful and corrupt to the last de
\ gree. I will say nothing of the man
,-er. in which the promises made I
M the Irish people were broken. Durin
j the sixty years that have elapsed sine
the Union. three measures for Irelan
have passed through the House. II
IIs 4srst in 1929, for the Emancipation
ii the Ca tholics of Ireland This meas