the property of her majesty’s subjects, for no reason whatever except that they obey her majesty’s laws, and carry into effect her royal commands.  Of such a system of warfare there are, I believe, no examples, except, as I have stated, among the most lawless of the barbarous tribes of the East and of Africa.  It is quite out of the question that her majesty’s loyal subjects, invited to their habitations, and fixed in them, by her majesty’s authority and that of her predecessors, should not endeavour to retaliate the sufferings thus inflicted upon them, unless protected by the strong arm of government; but how can government protect them, except by taking strong measures, when these persons are found invading her majesty’s dominions for the purpose of plundering and destroying the property of her majesty’s subjects, to intercept them in their retreat, to take them prisoners, and punish them according to the laws of the country they have insulted?

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There can be no doubt a civil government in any country is capable of preventing the collection of a body of troops, and the invasion of the territory of a neighbouring power.  A body of “sympathisers” has been organised in the States to carry on the plan of invasion; and are we to sit down quietly and pass unnoticed this unwarrantable interference?

February 5, 1839.

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Agitation by Authority.

I now come to the last paragraph of the speech, in which her majesty complains, that she has observed with pain the efforts which have been made, in some parts of the country, to excite her subjects to disobedience and resistance to the law, and to recommend dangerous and illegal acts.  Now, I really think that this affecting paragraph cannot have raised very pleasant reflections in the breasts of many noble lords who are in the habit of supporting her majesty’s ministers.  It is but too true that various persons have endeavoured to excite her majesty’s subjects to resist the law; but I am afraid much of this spirit may be traced to what has taken place in this house on former occasions.  I have heard persons, charged with the highest employments of government, insisting upon the rights of this people to assemble for the expression of their sentiments, declaiming against any restriction on that right, and preaching upon this doctrine without restricting it in the manner declared by law—­namely, that these assemblies must not be in numbers sufficient to create alarm.  It was but very lately that a great officer of state, travelling about the country, made a speech to the same purport at Liverpool, and stated those opinions in the most unreserved manner, at the very moment when men were assembling by torch-light meetings.  We have heard for a number of years past of the extraordinary tranquillity of Ireland, and as often as I have listened to the phrase, I have protested against it; but there