Mr. O'Connellpresented a Petition from eight individuals, the children of John Leary, who had been convicted of felony at the Special Commission in Cork, and transported for the offence, praying that Government would take the circumstances of his case into consideration, with a view to the remission of his sentence. The learned Gentleman said, that Leary had been convicted on evidence on which four others, who were accused of being his accomplices, had been subsequently acquitted; and he was convicted of a most atrocious crime, of which if he had been really guilty, he would have been hanged. His having been transported was a proof of his innocence, and he therefore hoped, that his Majesty's Government would attend to the prayer of this petition.
Mr. Callaghansaid, he could bear witness to the correctness of the prayer of the petition. It was the general opinion in Ireland that Leary had been improperly convicted; and the fact of a Judge, having remonstrated against his punishment, and of Government having commuted his punishment gave countenance to this opinion.
§ Petition to be printed.