THE O'DONOGHUEsaid, he would beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether the Government have recommended that the clemency of the Crown shall be extended to the political prisoners now under sentence of death in Ireland?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERSir, Her Majesty's Ministers arrived at the conclusion that it was not their duty to interfere with the operation of the law in the case of Burke, who was convicted of high treason, and they came to that conclusion with a feeling of pain which I will not attempt to express. But they arrived at it after viewing the case in all its lights, and with the conviction that it was their duty to take that course, being influenced mainly by the feeling that it was of great importance that persons should be deterred from the repetition of such crimes; for we still consider high treason to be a capital offence, since in its perpetration it may lead to the accomplishment of all other crimes. I have, however, to state that within the last few days there has been evidence, and such strong evidence—not only in this country, but also in Ireland, as we have learnt from the Lord Lieutenant — such strong evidence of divided public feeling upon this subject, that we felt convinced, after deep and further consideration, that the deterring effect which we wished to produce would not be secured in that state of public opinion. I have therefore to state to the House that Her Majesty has been graciously pleased to express her will, under our advice, that the capital punishment incurred by the convict shall be 1132 remitted. And I can only express my fervent hope—I would almost say my belief—that this act of most gracious clemency on the part of Her Majesty will be one which Her Majesty will never regret, and that the exercise of this prerogative on the present occasion will be looked back to by her subjects with perfect satisfaction.