od stead. "The learned Solicitor," he exclaimed, "has
_no right_ to make such a statement; the crown cannot give such matters
in evidence." For the third time the ruling was in favour of the
Liberator. Then came the all-important cross-examination of the
approvers; and the men who had lied so well and so boldly on Saturday,
prevaricated, cursed, and howled under the searching questions of their
new examiner; Nowlan, the vilest of the lot, exclaiming at last: "It's
little I thought I'd have to meet you, Counsellor O'Connell." Alas!
thrice-wretched man, who thought still less of another Court and another
Judgment. O'Connell won the day. He threatened the very
Solicitor-General with impeachment before the House of Commons, for the
way he conducted the case. He taunted him, bewildered him, scolded him,
laughed at him, as he only could do; and when at last the unfortunate
man came out with some observation about "false _facts_," O'Connell
threw the whole court into a roar of laughter by directing attention to
the bull, and by his inimitable imitation of his English accent. The
jury could not agree, and the men were acquitted. Another trial came on
next day, and it was then discovered that one of the approvers differed
in most important matters from his statements on oath before the
magistrates of Doneraile, and in what he now stated. This was enough;
and the jury brought in a verdict of not guilty, though, on the very
same evidence, a verdict of guilty had been given on Saturday. As an
act, however, of great clemency, the men who had been sentenced to be
hanged in six days, were now _only_ transported.

During the time of O'Connell's retirement and study, he had but too many
opportunities of knowing how little justice was likely to be meted out
to Irishmen accused, justly or unjustly, of political crimes; and,
doubtless, he directed his studies to those special points most likely
to be helpful hereafter. Robert Emmet's execution took place in October,
1803; and from that hour, until the accession of the Whigs to office, in
1806, Ireland was ruled by martial law. The Habeas Corpus Act and trial
by jury were suspended, and the jails and transport ships were crowded
with the victims of military ferocity and magisterial vengeance. In the
debate of 1805, when the Catholic petition was brought into the House of
Commons by Mr. Fox, and treacherously opposed by Pitt, Mr. Ponsonby
exclaimed, speaking of the Irish Catholics: "I know th