s an integral part of Great
Britain, the same as he would regard Yorkshire or Lancashire. _Wealth of
Nations_, Book II., Chap. v.

[323] Principles of Political Economy, Book I, c. v. sect. 5.

[324] "_Sophisms of Freetrade_, and popular Political Economy examined."
By a Barrister, _4th. Ed._

* * * * *

(NOTE B.)--SMITH O'BRIEN'S REFUSAL TO SERVE ON A COMMITTEE OF THE HOUSE
OF COMMONS.

At this period the railway mania was at its full height, and so many
Bills for the construction of various lines were before Parliament, that
what was called a Committee of Selection was appointed by the House of
Commons. This Committee divided those railway Bills into groups, and a
Sub-committee was formed to consider and report on each group. Smith
O'Brien was named on the Committee whose duty it was to examine group
eleven. Mr. Estcourt was its chairman. In order to insure punctual
attendance, the House, on the 12th of February, passed resolutions
declaring the attendance of members upon such Committees to be
compulsory. In due time the Committee on group eleven met, but Mr.
O'Brien was absent; which circumstance the chairman reported to the
House, as he was bound to do; whereupon the Speaker enquired if Mr.
O'Brien were in his place. He was; and rising thanked the Speaker for
the opportunity he afforded him (Mr. O'Brien) of explaining, but he had,
he said, done so in a correspondence with the chairman of the Committee
of Selection; he would withdraw nothing he had written on the subject,
and with this observation he bowed to the Speaker and left the House.
Mr. Estcourt, as chairman of the Committee on which Mr. O'Brien was
appointed to serve, then rose and said it was his painful duty to give a
narrative of facts that would explain the matter as far as he was
concerned in it. He called attention to the resolutions of the House
passed in February, compelling the attendance of members on Committees.
Mr. O'Brien, he said, had received notice on the 3rd of April, that his
attendance would be required on the 27th, in reply to which he wrote to
him (Mr. Estcourt), enclosing a letter which he (Mr. O'Brien) had
written the year before, to the effect, that he would not serve upon any
Committee for the consideration of private Bills not having reference to
Ireland. His words were: "Desiring that none but the representatives of
the Irish nation should legislate for Ireland, we have no wish to
intermed