racteristic in his place, stood aloof and independent from the puny profligacy in his train !—but far from idle and inactive,

-turning a malignant eye on all mischief that awaited him!

-the multiplied apparatus of temporising expedients, and intimidating instruments! now cringing on his prey, and fawning on his vengeance !-now quickening the limpid pace of craft, and forcing every stand that retiring nature can make in the heart! violating the attachments and the decorums of life! sacrificing every emotion of tenderness and honour! and flagitiously levelling all the distinctions of national characteristics with a long catalogue of crimes and aggravations, beyond the reach of thought, for human malignity to perpetrate, or human vengeance to punish!

BRITISH JUSTICE.

BUT justice is not this halt and miserable object! It is not the ineffective bauble of an Indian pagod !—it is not the portentous phantom of despair;-it is not like any fabled monster, formed in the eclipse of reason, and found in some unhallowed grove of superstitious darkness, and political dismay! No, my lords!

In the happy reverse of all these, I turn from this disgusting caricature to the real image!—Justice I have now before me, august and pure; the abstract idea of all that would be perfect in the spirits and the aspirings of men !----where the mind rises, where the heart expands ;-where the countenance is ever placid and benign ;-where her favourite attitude is to stoop to the unfortunate--to hear their cry, and

to help them,-to rescue and relieve,-to succour and save: -majestic from its mercy; venerable from its utility:uplifted without pride,-firm without obduracy:-beneficent in each preference :-lovely, though in her frown!

On that justice I rely; deliberate and sure, abstracted from all party purpose and political speculations! not in words, but on facts!-You, my lords, who hear me, I conjure by those rights it is your best privilege to preserve; by that fame it is your best pleasure to inherit; by all those feelings which refer to the first term in the series of existence, the original compact of our nature-our controling rank in the creation.-This is the call on all, to administer to truth and equity, as they would satisfy the laws and satisfy themselves, with the most exalted bliss, possible, or conceiv able for our nature. The self-approving consciousness of virtue, when the condemnation we look for will be one of the most ample mercies accomplished for mankind since the creation of the world!

MR. BURROWES.

PETER BURROWES was born in Portarlington in the King's County, in Ireland, educated in Trinity College, and finally called to the Irish bar where he now holds the rank of King's counsel. His life has chiefly been employed in professional pursuits, and employed equally to his own credit and the advantage of his clients. No man in any sphere of life holds an higher estimation for integrity and worth. His eloquence, always pure, often splendid, gains additional force from the simplicity of his mind and the irresistible sincerity of his manner. The first in order of the following speeches was pronounced by him upon the first prosecution carried on, by the Irish government, against the persons who were elected to prepare a petition to parliament on behalf of the Roman Catholics of Ireland. It was contended by the Attorney-general, that under the Con

vention Act, passed in Ireland in 1793, every species of delegation for such a purpose was within the act, even though the object of such delegation was simply to prepare such a petition, and that no other illegal act was committed or even contemplated. The jury acquitted the traverser. However a second effort was made, and a second jury was found, who adopted the construction of the Court, and even refused to find a special verdict that the opinion of a Court of Error might be taken, though the traverser's counsel strongly urged the fairness of such a proceeding, and offered to consent to a finding of all the facts stated on behalf of the crown! As the Convention Act purports to be a declaratory law, and was treated as such during the discussion, the people of England, as well as of Ireland, are deeply interested in the subject. For it is evident that by the aid of the act against tumultuous petitions and the Convention Act thus construed, the right of petitioning parliament is so manacled that no man can believe that the subjects of this realm can have a fair and free exercise of that invaluable privilege. Mr. BURROWES's argument on the subject seems to me a fine specimen of legal and constitu

tional reasoning, and therefore I have deemed it worthy of greater permanency than the ephemeral publications of the day could give it. To this, in order that the variety of his great powers might be visible, I have added another entire speech upon a topic more generally interesting. Robinson's case contains all the romance of a fairy tale unfortunately combined with all the truth of history, for, he was convicted. The advocate's detail of his conduct is a model of descriptive eloquence, calculated to excite the most powerful emotions without appearing to outstep, for a moment, the mere simplicity of narration. His slight sketches of Serjeant Ball and Mr. Grattan are rather in a more elevated style, but quite admirable, and I believe they are quite as true as they are eloquent.

R 4