bility of English witnesses,
when they get an opportunity of swearing away an Irishman's life. An
impetuous man might have been goaded by the circumstances into cursing
the atrocious system under which "justice" had been administered to
him, and calling down the vengeance of Heaven on the whole nation from
which the perjured wretches who swore away his life had been drawn.
But Maguire acted more discreetly; he began, indeed, by declaring that
all the witnesses who swore against him were perjurers--by vehemently
protesting that the case, as regarded him, was one of mistaken
identity; but he shortly took surer ground, by referring to his
services in the navy, and talking of his unfailing loyalty to "his
Queen and his country." He went through the record of his services
as a marine; appealed to the character he had obtained from his
commanding officers, in confirmation of his words: and concluded by
solemnly protesting his perfect innocence of the charge on which he
had been convicted.

While Maguire's impressive words were still ringing in the ears of
his conscience-stricken accusers, Edward O'Meagher Condon commenced to
speak. He was evidently more of an orator than either of those who had
preceded him, and he spoke with remarkable fluency, grace, and vigour.
The subjoined is a correct report of his spirited and able address:--

"My Lords--this has come upon me somewhat by surprise.
It appeared to me rather strange that upon any amount of
evidence, which of course was false, a man could have been
convicted of wilfully murdering others he never saw or heard
of before he was put in prison. I do not care to detain your
lordships, but I cannot help remarking that Mr. Shaw, who has
come now to gloat upon his victims, alter having sworn away
their lives--that man has sworn what is altogether false; and
there are contradictions in the depositions which have not
been brought before your lordships' notice. I suppose the
depositions being imperfect, there was no necessity for it.
As to Mr. Batty, he swore at his first examination before the
magistrates that a large stone fell on me, a stone which Mr.
Roberts said at the time would have killed an elephant. But
not the slightest mark was found on my head; and if I was to
go round the country, and him with me, as exhibiting the stone
having fallen on me, and him as the man who would swear to
it, I do not know