I deny the jurisdiction of this court in common with Colonel Warren.  I owe no allegiance to this country, and were I a free man to-morrow I would sooner swear allegiance to the King of Abyssinia than give half-an-hour’s allegiance to the government of this country—­a government that has blasted the hopes of half the world and disgusted it all.  I am not, I suppose, permitted to speak of the verdict given against me by the jury.  It was entirely unnecessary for the Crown to produce one single witness against me.  The jury had their lesson before they came to the box.

    THE CHIEF BARON—­It is impossible for me to allow you to
    proceed with this line of observation.

HALPIN—­I wish to simply say that the jury exhibited an extreme anxiety to find a verdict against me before I had even said a word to them.  I saw their anxiety.  I knew from the moment they were put into the box that a verdict of guilty would be returned against me.  I knew it from looking at the conduct of the jury in the box.—­I knew it from the way the jury were empanelled, and I knew the Attorney-General relied upon the jury for a verdict when he set three citizens aside.  I therefore conclude, and rightly, that all the eloquent talent that ever pleaded at this bar would be entirely useless to me whilst such a jury was in the box.  The Crown, in order to give some colour to the proceedings, thought proper to produce several witnesses against me.  Eleven witnesses were examined, and out of these no less than nine committed absolute, diabolical, and egregious perjury.

    THE CHIEF BARON—­You are transcending the limit within which
    the law confines you.

HALPIN—­I do not blame you for enforcing the law us it stands.  By no means.  I have to thank your lordship for your kindness during the progress of my trial.  I do not blame you, because the law stands as it does, but what I say is—­that the law is absurd in taking me and trying me as a British subject whilst I am a citizen of the United States, without a particle of evidence to show that I was born under the jurisdiction of the British Crown.  I must say that I look to another place, another government, and another people to see that justice shall be done me.

    THE CHIEF BARON—­Here again you are transcending the limits
    which the law allows.  We could not deal with any consideration
    connected with what any government will do.

HALPIN—­I am aware that it is not within your province to deal with the acts of another government, but I may be permitted to say this—­that the outrages offered me and those gentlemen who claim, like me, to be citizens of the United States will be gladly submitted to if they only have the effect of making the sword of Brother Jonathan spring from its scabbard.

    THE CHIEF BARON—­I cannot suffer you to proceed with this line
    of observation.  I cannot suffer to make this a place of appeal
    to persons in this country or in America.