o the front of the dock, he confronted the Court, and spoke
in resolute tones as follows:--

"My Lords and Gentlemen--It is not my intention to occupy much of
your time in answering your question. Your question is one that can
be easily asked, but requires an answer which I am ignorant of. Abler
and more eloquent men could not answer it. Where were the men who have
stood in the dock--Burke, Emmett, and others, who have stood in the
dock in defence of their country? When the question was put, what
was their answer? Their answer was null and void. How, with your
permission, I will review a portion of the evidence that has been
brought against me."

Here Mr. Justice Blackburne interrupted. "It was too late," he said,
"to criticise the evidence, and the Court had neither the right nor
the power to alter or review it. If," he added, "you have any reason
to give why, either upon technical or moral grounds, the sentence
should not be passed upon you, we will hear it, but it is too late for
you to review the evidence to show that it was wrong."

"Cannot that be done in the morning, Sir," asked Allen, who felt in
his heart how easily the evidence on which he had been convicted might
be torn to shreds. But the Judge said not. "No one," he said, "could
alter or review the evidence in any way after the verdict had been
passed by the jury. We can only" he said in conclusion, "take the
verdict as right; and the only question for you is, why judgment
should not follow."

Thus restricted in the scope of his observations, the young felon
proceeded to deliver the following patriotic and spirited address:--

"No man in this court regrets the death of Sergeant Brett more than
I do, and I positively say, in the presence of the Almighty and
ever-living God, that I am innocent, aye, as innocent as any man
in this court. I don't say this for the sake of mercy: I want no
mercy--I'll have no mercy. I'll die, as many thousands have died,
for the sake of their beloved land, and in defence of it. I will die
proudly and triumphantly in defence of republican principles and the
liberty of an oppressed and enslaved people. Is it possible we are
asked why sentence should not be passed upon us, on the evidence
of prostitutes off the streets of Manchester, fellows out of work,
convicted felons--aye, an Irishman sentenced to be hung when an
English dog would have got off. I say positively and defiantly,
justice has not been done me since I was arrest