Solitary and anomalous instances of this kind could never be legitimately used as arguments against general systems of representation or the course of a recent policy.  I do not, at this moment, venture to pronounce an opinion upon the degree of criminality that attaches to the hon. member now unhappily in the custody of the Officer of the House.  It is possible—­I do not say it is probable, I do not now say whether I shall be prepared to commit myself to that hypothesis or not—­but it is not impossible that the hon. member or some of his friends may be able to urge some extenuating circumstances—­(Oh! oh!)—­I mean circumstances that, when duly weighed, may have a tendency in a greater or less degree to modify the judgment of the House upon the extraordinary event that has occurred.  Sir, it becomes a great people and a great assembly like this to be patient, dignified, and generous.  The honourable member, whom we regret to see in his present position, no doubt represents a phase of Irish opinion unfamiliar to this House. (Cheers and laughter.) ...  The House is naturally in a rather excited state after an event so unusual, and I venture to urge that it should not hastily proceed to action.  We must be careful of the feelings of the Irish people. (Oh! oh!) If we are to govern Ireland according to Irish ideas, we must make allowance for personal, local, and transitory ebullitions of Irish feeling, having no general or universal consequence or bearing....  The course, therefore, which I propose to take is this—­to move that the hon. member shall remain in the custody of the Sergeant-at-Arms, that a Committee be appointed to take evidence, and that their report be discussed this day month.”

To this replies the Leader of the Opposition:—­

“The right hon. gentleman is to be congratulated on the results of his Irish policy. (Cheers and laughter.) ...  Sir, this, I presume, is one of the right hon. gentleman’s contented and pacified people!  I deeply sympathize with the right hon. gentleman.  His policy produces strange and portentous results.  A policy of concession, of confiscation, of truckling to ecclesiastical arrogance, to popular passions and ignorant prejudices, of lenity to Fenian revolutionists, has at length brought us to this, that the outrages of Galway and Tipperary, no longer restricted to those charming counties, no longer restrained to even Her Majesty’s judges, are to reach the interior of this House and the august person of its Speaker. (Cheers.) Sir, I wash my hands of all responsibility for this absurd and anomalous state of things.  Whenever it has fallen to the Tory party to conduct the affairs of Ireland, they have consistently pursued a policy of mingled firmness and conciliation with the most distinguished success.  All the great measures of reform in Ireland may be said to have had their root in the action of the Tory party, though, as usual, the praise has been appropriated by the right hon. gentleman and his allies.  We have preferred, instead of truckling to prejudice or passion, to appeal, and we still appeal, to the sublime instincts of an ancient people!”