on the payment of a certain sum.  I did not pay much attention to what the fellow was saying about me, as I thought it did not affect me in the least; but this I can distinctly remember, that Mr. Anderson, jun.—­and he is there to say if I am saying anything false—­said that the evidence of Corydon did not affect any one of the six prisoners put in this dock but another and myself.  It is very strange if that was said by Mr. Anderson.  He knew that there was nothing more to be got out of Corydon, the informer—­that he had told everything he knew in his information, but on pressure there was found to be a little left in the sponge.  They refreshed his memory a little, and he comes to think that he saw Costello at a meeting in 814 Broadway I think he gives it.  And here is a singular occurrence—­that Devany, who never swore an information against me, comes on the table and swears that he also saw me at 814 Broadway Here is one informer striving to corroborate the other.  It is a well-known fact that these informers speak to each other, go over the evidence, and what is more likely thin that they should make their evidence to agree—­say, “I will corroborate your story, you corroborate mine.”  By this means was it that the overt acts of the 5th of March, which took place at Stepaside, Glencullen, and Tallaght, were brought home to Costello—­a man who was 4,000 miles away, and living—­and I say it on the word of a man, a Christian man—­peaceably, not belonging to that confederation.  I did not belong to the Fenian Brotherhood for twelve months before I left America, if I did belong to it at any other time, so help me God!  God witnesses what I say, and he records my words above.  It is a painful position to be placed in.  I know I am a little excited.  Were I to speak of this matter under other circumstances, I would be more cool and collected.  Were I conscious of guilt—­did I know that I merited this punishment, I would not speak a word, but say that I deserved and well merited the punishment about to be inflicted upon me.  But, my lords, there never was a man convicted in this court more innocent of the charges made against him than Costello.  The overt acts committed in the county of Dublin, admitting that the law of England is as it was laid down by your lordship, that a man, a member of this confederacy, if he lived in China, was responsible for the acts of his confederates—­admitting that to be law, I am still an innocent man.  Admitting and conceding that England has a right to try me as a British subject, I still am an innocent man.  Why do I make these assertions?  I know full well they cannot have any effect in lessening the term of my sentence.  Can I speak for the sake of having an audience here to listen to me?  Do I speak for the satisfaction of hearing my own feeble voice?  I am not actuated by such motives.  I speak because I wish to let you know that I believe myself innocent; and he would be a hard-hearted man, indeed, who would grudge