which no public speaker can interest an ordinary audience; but he had intelligence, understood the temper of the House, and belonged to a great historical family, which gave him parliamentary influence.  He represented the interests of the wealthy middle classes,—­liberal as a nobleman, but without any striking sympathy with the people.  After the passage of the Reform Bill, he was unwilling to go to any great lengths in further reforms, and therefore was unpopular with the radicals, although his spirit was progressive.  It was his persistent advocacy of parliamentary reform which had made him prominent and famous, and it was his ability as a debater which kept him at the head of his party.  Historians speak of him without enthusiasm, but with great respect.  The notable orators of that day were O’Connell and Brougham.  As a platform speaker, probably no one ever surpassed the Irish leader.

After the passage of the Reform Bill, the first thing of importance to which the reform Parliament turned its attention was the condition of Ireland.  The crimes committed in that unfortunate country called loudly for coercive measures on the part of the government.  The murders, the incendiary fires, the burglaries and felonious assaults, were unprecedented in number and atrocity.  The laws which had been passed for the protection of life and property had become a dead letter in some of the most populous districts.  Jurors were afraid to attend the assizes, and the nearest relatives of the victims dared not institute proceedings; even magistrates were deterred from doing their duty.  In fact, crime went unpunished, and the country was rapidly sinking into semi-barbarism.  In the single year of 1832 there were two hundred and forty-two homicides, eleven hundred and seventy-nine robberies, four hundred and one burglaries, five hundred and sixty-eight house-burnings, one hundred and sixty-one serious assaults, two hundred and three riots, besides other crimes,—­altogether to the number of over nine thousand.  A bill was accordingly brought into the Upper House by Lord Grey to give to the lord-lieutenant power to substitute courts-martial for the ordinary courts of justice, to enter houses for the purpose of searching for arms, and to suspend the act of habeas corpus in certain districts.  The bill passed the Lords without difficulty, but encountered severe opposition in the House of Commons from the radical members and from O’Connell and his followers.  Nevertheless it passed, with some alterations, and was at once put in force in the county of Kilkenny, with satisfactory results.  The diminution of crime was most marked; and as the excuse for disturbances arose chiefly from the compulsory tithes which the Catholic population were obliged to pay in support of the Protestant Church, the ministry wisely attempted to alleviate the grievance.  It was doubtless a great injustice for Catholics to be compelled to support the Established Church of England; but the