§ LORD J. RUSSELLSir, before I move the postponement of two Orders of the Day that stand on the Paper for to-night, I think it right, in order to allay public apprehension, to say that, a statement having been made in some of the newspapers of Saturday evening that a treasonable attempt had been made against the life of Her Majesty, I can state, that although it is unfortunately true that a pistol was discharged at the Queen when Her Majesty was passing on Her return home to Buckingham Palace, it has been found that there is no reason to accuse the person who discharged the pistol of a treasonable attempt, and that it is a crime more remarkable for its baseness than its atrocity. I have only further to state that I am sure if it had been an attempt of another kind I should have had the cordial assent of this House to an address to Her Majesty congratulating Her on the preservation of a life so valuable. I may add, that Her Majesty on this occasion, which might have been one of a most serious nature, acted with Her usual intrepidity and self-possession. The noble Lord then moved that the Committee on the Poor Relief (Ireland) Bill be postponed till the 760 4th of June, and also the Ecclesiastical Commission Bill.
§ MR. J. O'CONNELLhoped it would not be considered an intrusion if he said, that, heavy as were the misfortunes of Ireland, it would be regarded as an aggravation of those misfortunes that the dastardly miscreant who had committed this outrage was an Irishman. He would say, however, that he believed amidst the greatest excitement that prevailed in Ireland last year, there would not have been found one among the fiercest, the wildest, the most unruly who took part in those unhappy events, who would have harboured a feeling of personal insult towards Her Majesty. And even now, although the misfortunes of Ireland were absorbing the attention of every one in that country, he might say that they would all be in a moment forgotten in one general burst of congratulation and fervent joy that our beloved Sovereign had escaped unhurt from this outrage upon Her person.
§ Subject dropped.