The State Trials

Sir-The state persecutions in Ireland are causing so much general excitement as to the probable termination that I beg of you to notice the following very curious remarks. They would, I think, rather surprise those who are looking for the end of the trials.

On dit, that O'Connell can bring forward three millions of witnesses. Now, supposing this, we would allow the Court of Queen's Bench to sit six days in the week, and fifty two weeks in the year, it would take upwards of ninty [ninety]-six years to examine them, at the rate of one hundred witnesses per day. We will not deal in such large numbers, but at once deduct one million of witnesses, and even then it would take sixty-four years and upwards to examine them. We will go further still, and deduct another million, and even then the poor lawyers would be 'fagged' out, for they would only have a thirty-two years' job of it. Now, supposing the great agitator, instead of giving the poor lawyers a ninety or hundred years' job, would think of mitigating it to ten years' trial, the 'poor fellows,' in this case would have to examine about three hundred and twelve thousand witnesses, and so on.

Now, if O'Connell is at liberty to bring forward as many witnesses as he pleases, and with plenty of the 'implement' of war to carry on the trial, there is no doubt that he will defeat

and tire out the whole of her majesty's great counsellors [counselors].

If Mr. Attorney-General Smith never had a long job before, I think he will sicken before he gets half through the present case; and I think the sooner the indictments are 'quashed' the better. The briefs and all those kind of documents would be regularly polished before the trials were finished.-Liverpool. Standard.

I remain, sir, your most obedient servant, T. C.