f himself
and utterly discomfited the Orangemen. The Duke of Wellington
made a very clever speech, and availed himself of the
contradictory returns of crimes and convictions skilfully enough,
but he had the candour to give Mulgrave ample credit for the
vigour with which he had caused the law to be enforced, and, as
for months past the Orangemen had been clamouring against the
Irish Government for neglecting to enforce the law and for
depriving Protestants of its protection, it was a very
magnanimous admission on the Duke's part, and such a one as few
of his political opponents would have made. It is the peculiar
merit of the Duke that he is never disposed to sacrifice truth
for a party purpose, and it is this manliness and
straightforwardness, this superiority to selfish considerations
and temporary ends, which render him the object of universal
respect and admiration, and will hereafter surround his political
character with unfading honour. Not content with the defeat which
they sustained in the House of Lords, the Orangemen had the folly
to provoke another contest in the House of Commons, and Colonel
Verner brought forward 'the Battle of the Diamond,' giving
Morpeth an opportunity of another triumph as signal as Mulgrave's
in the House of Lords. The Irish Orangemen were left to their
fate on this occasion, for none of their English associates came
to their relief.

[15] [Constantine Henry, second Earl of Mulgrave, created in
the following year Marquis of Normanby. He was at this
time Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland. Lord Morpeth was Chief
Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant.]

[Page Head: MR. DISRAELI'S FIRST SPEECH.]

Mr. Disraeli made his first exhibition the other night, beginning
with florid assurance, speedily degenerating into ludicrous
absurdity, and being at last put down with inextinguishable
shouts of laughter.[16]

[16] [Mr. Disraeli's first speech was made on the motion
with reference to what was called 'the Spottiswoode
Gang.' An association had been formed in London for the
purpose of collecting money to test the validity of the
Irish elections wholesale. Mr. Spottiswoode, one of the
Queen's printers, was the president of this
association, which was denounced by the Radicals and
the Irish Members as 'the Spottiswoode Gang,' and
attacked in Parliament by Mr. Blewitt, who moved five