Page:Biographia Hibernica volume 2.djvu/485

 PONSONB.Y. 481 and his fee in the other; but as a member of parliament, delivering the opinion of a constitutional lawyer and an honest man; and he perfectly coincided in the state ments and opinions, so eloquently expressed, and so ably advanced by his learned friend. The only Crown lawyer who ventured to answer, was Mr. Wolfe, the attorney-general, who succeeded Mr. Fitzgibbon in that office, and afterwards Lord Clonmell on the bench, by the title of Lord Kilwarden. But he did not attempt to refute the arguments, though he opposed the motion of Mr. Ponsonby. He contented himself with observing, that judges were but men, and liable, even with the best intentions, to human errors and oversights; that enough had been done, by the intro duction of this motion, to prevent a repetition of the like errors in future; and he concluded by expressing a hope, that his learned friend would consent to withdraw a motion, calculated to depreciate the judicial station, and to encourage and give triumph to those who set a l l law and a l l authority a t defiance. Mr. Ponsonby replied, “that i n bringing this question before the House, h e had done his duty a s a member o f parliament, and a supporter o f the laws, the constitution, and the liberties o f the subject; and therefore h e could not s o lightly abandon a measure h e had adopted with the coolest deliberation, and the fullest conviction o f i t s necessity. He should leave i t for the House t o d o i t s duty, and dispose o f his motion a s they pleased; but h e should not withdraw i t . He acted from no motives of personal feeling towards the noble judge. His learned friend, h e believed t o b e a good-natured man, and a good lawyer, but thought him a most miserable attorney-gene ral. I f , however, h e was content t o abandon the defence o f his noble friend, the learned judge, b y declining a l l argument, and trusting the decision o f this question t o the book o f numbers, b e i t s o he, Mr. Ponsonby, was quite aware o f what would b e the issue; h e had done his duty. He might, i t was true, lose his motion: but Lord WOL. II. i i