of the Irish members who had voted against
the coercion bill, went secretly to one of the ministers, urging him not
to bate a single jot of that bill, or it would be impossible for any man
to live in Ireland. Mr. O'Connell referred to this charge, and he put
two questions to the chancellor of the exchequer respecting it--namely,
whether he, or any other member of the cabinet, had ever stated that an
Irish member had acted in such a manner, and whether any Irish member
ever went to the noble lord, or any other minister, and made the
statement which had been imputed to him. Lord Althorp replied in the
negative to both these questions; but, he added, that he should not act
a manly part, if he did not declare that he had good reason to believe
that more than one Irish member who voted and spoke against the bill,
did in private conversation use very different language. A scene of
confusion and crimination then ensued, in which Lord Althorp charged Mr.
Shiel with being one of the gentlemen who had so acted, which Mr. Shiel
denied in terms which left the house under the impression that a duel
between those two members would ensue. Upon the motion of Sir Francis
Burdett, both were placed under arrest until assurances were given that
the matter should not lead to the apprehended results. Subsequently a
committee of privileges was appointed to examine into this affair, and
it appearing to the committee that there was no evidence to establish
the charge, they made their report in favour of Mr. Shiel. Mr. Hill
himself, finding that he had been deceived, acknowleged his error; and
Lord Althorp said, that if Mr. Shiel would distinctly say that he had
not done what his lordship had stated he had done, he should be bound to
believe his assertion. Mr. Shiel readily made this statement, and thus
ended this ridiculous interlude. Many believe that the subject was
obtruded upon the house as much from a hope of embarrassing a rival in
the work of agitation, as from a desire to vindicate the character of
a friend. The public in general, however, looked on the matter with
indifference.

MR. O'CONNELL'S MOTION FOR THE REPEAL OF THE UNION.

Mr. O'Connell had long made his boast in Ireland, that he would
bring forward the question of the repeal of the union in the British
parliament. His courage, from his non-performance of this promise, began
to be doubted; and to save his credit, he was obliged to bring himself
to trial. On the first day