O'CONNELL'S LAST SPEECH.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VIII, Issue 2141, 7 September 1875, Page 3

O'CONNELL'S LAST SPEECH.

When tho famine was ravaging' Irolimd, O'Counoll onco moro went down to tho Houso of Commons to plead for his hapless countrymen. Tho "dissensions in camp" caused by tho action of tho Foung Ireland party had weigbod heavily on tho heart of the "old man eloquent,",but when to this was added tho awful visitation of God, ho began to feci that his mission was at an end. Tho following touching description of tho Liberator's ■ last appearanco iu Parliament is taken from Disraeli's "Life of Lord Goorgo Bonlinck:"-"On Monday, 3rd April, Mr O'Connell had aunouncod (hat ho should state his views at length on tho condition of Ireland and tho causes of tho agrarian outrages. Accordingly, when tho order of the day for resuming tho debate was read, ho roso to proposo an amendment to tho motion. Ho sat iu an unusual place-in that generally occupied by the loader of tho Oppositionana spoko from tho red box, convenient to him from {ho number of papers lo which ho had' to refer. His appemnco was of groat dobilily, and tho tones of his voico were very still. His words, indeed, only reached those who were immediately round hinj and tho members silling on tho other side of the green table and listening with that interest and respectful attention which beeamo tho occasion. 'It was n slrange and touching spectacle to thoso who remembered the young colossal energy and tho clear and thrilling tones that had once startled, disturbed, and controlled senates.' Mr O'Connell was on his logs for nearly two hours, assisted occasionally in tho managemont of his documents by some dovoted aide-de-camp, To the Houso generally it was a performance of dumb show, a feoblo old man muttering bcloro a tablo; but respect for tho great parliamentary personage kept all orderly, as if tho fortunes of a party hung upon his rhetoric, and, though not an accent reached tho gallery, means wero - taken that next morning tho country should not loso tho last but not least intoresting of tho speeches of ono who had so long occupied and agitated tho mind of nations."