nt the Church
militant.

Here the Chief Baron interposed; but the prisoner soon after reverted
to the subject, and said that every opportunity was taken in that gaol
to wrong and torture the men incarcerated there on political charges.
Every petty breach of discipline was availed of to punish them,
by sending them down to work the crank, and reducing their scanty
rations. For the crime of not saluting Mr. Governor Price, they were
placed upon a dietary of seven ounces of what was called brown bread
and a pint of Anna Liffey, in the twenty-four hours. Brown, indeed,
the article was, but whether it deserved the name of bread, was quite
another question. The turf-mould taken from the Bog of Allen was the
nearest resemblance to it that he could think of. For his own part, he
did not mean to complain of his rations--he could take either rough
or smooth as well as most men; but what he would complain of was, the
system of petty insults and indignities offered by Mr. Price and his
warders to men of finer feelings than their own, and whom they knew to
be their superiors. He concluded his address in the following terms:--

I ask you if I have not thoroughly and sufficiently explained
away the terror, if I may use the term, of these papers, which
were taken from walls and other places, to be brought against
me here. I ask you, gentlemen, us reasonable men, if there
be a shadow of a case against me? I ask you if I have been
connected by an untainted witness with any act, in America or
Ireland, that would warrant you in deciding that I was guilty
of the charge with which I stand accused? Is there one single
overt act proved against me; or have I violated any law for
the violation of which I can be made amenable in this court?
I ask you if, in these letters which have been brought up
against me--one found in Thomas-street, another in the pocket
of a fellow-prisoner--there is anything that can affect me?
Recollect, gentlemen of the jury, that I speak to you now
as men imbued with a spirit of justice. I speak to you,
gentlemen, believing that you are honest, recognising your
intelligence, and confident that you will give in a verdict
in accordance with the dictates of your conscience. If you are
the jury that the Attorney-General hopes you are, gentlemen
of the jury, I am wasting time in speaking to you. If you are,
gentlemen, that jury which th