been advocated in his friend's paper. A
warrant for his arrest was issued, and on
8 July Martin, having kept out of the way
until the adjournment of the commission
which had been sitting in Dublin, surrendered
himself to the police. While in Newgate he
wrote the letter which appeared, signed with
his initials, in the fifth and last number of
the ' Irish Felon' ('22 July 1848),and in which
he exhorted the people to keep their arms in
spite of the proclamation, and declared that
the work of overthrowing the English dominion in Ireland i must be done at any risk, at
any cost, at any sacrifice.' On 14 Aug. he
was indicted, under 11 and 12 Vict. c. 12, for
treason-felony, before Lord-chief-baron Pigot
and Baron Pennefather, at the commission
court in Green Street, Dublin. He was defended by Isaac Butt, Q.C., Sir Colman
O'Loghlen, Holmes, and O'Hagan. After a
trial which lasted three days Martin was
found guilty, but was at the same time recommended to mercy by the jury 'in consequence of the particular letter upon which he was convicted being written in prison.'
On 19 Aug. he was sentenced by the lord
chief baron to transportation beyond the
seas for ten years. A writ of error was subsequently brought in the queen's bench,
Dublin, but without success. Martin arrived
at Van Diemen's Land in November 1849,
and resided in the district assigned to him
until 1854, when a pardon, on condition of
his not returning to Great Britain or Ireland,
was granted him. He settled in Paris in
October 1854, and in June 1856 received an
unconditional pardon. In 1858 he returned
to Ireland to reside, and in January 1804 established with The O'Donoghue the short-lived 'National League,' the object of which was to obtain the legislative independence of
Ireland. He took a prominent part in the
funeral procession through Dublin in honour
of the ' Manchester Martyrs ' on 8 Dec. 1867,
and delivered an address to an enormous
crowd outside Glasnevin cemetery. For
his share in these proceedings he was prosecuted by the government in February 1868,
before Mr. Justice Fitzgerald and Mr. Baron
Deasy, but owing to the disagreement of the
jury any further attempt to obtain a conviction against him was abandoned. While on
a visit to America in December 1869, Martin was put forward as a candidate in the
nationalist interest at a by-election for co.
Longford. The priests had, however, already
pledged themselves to support the Hon.
K. J. M. Greville Nugent, the liberal candidate, and Martin was defeated by 1,578 to 411
votes. In May 1 870 Martin joined the 'Home
Government Association for Ireland,' and at
a by-election for co. Meath in January 1871 he
was returned to parliament as a home ruler by
a majority of 456 votes over his conservative
opponent, the Hon. G. J. Plunket. He spoke
for the first time in the House of Commons
in May 1871 during the debate on the second
readingof the Protection of Lifeand Property
(Ireland) Bill, when he declared that he did
not ' intend to vote upon this bill nor indeed
upon any other measure which the parliament may think proper to pass in respect to the government 'of his country, and contended
that it was' the inalienable right of the
Irish people to be a free people, and as a free
people to be bound only by laws made by
the queen and a free parliament of that kingdom' (Parl. Debates, 3rd ser. ccvi. 908-14,
1039-45). He renewed his protest against
the bill on the motion for going into committee, and replied with great spirit to Mr.
Gladstone's allusions to his 'antiquated'
opinions (ib. pp. 1342-6). On 8 Aug. 1872
he took part in the debate on Mr. Justice
Keogh's judgment in the Gal way election
petition, when he attempted unsuccessfully
to read through the whole of his speech,
which he had previously written out at length
(ib. ccxiii. 810-1 8). He was again returned
for Meath at the general election in February
1874. In July and August 1874 he warmly opposed the passing of the Expiring Laws Continuance Bill, which he described as an attempt of the government 'to sandwich three Coercion Bills bet ween thirty other measures' (ib. ccxxi. 735-6, 1006-7, 1010, 1014, 1020). On 18 Feb. 1875 he defended his friend Mitchel from the charge of having broken his parole (ib. ccxxii. 518-19), and on the 26th of the same month moved for the papers relating to his friend's trial in 1848 (ib. pp. 964-72). He spoke for the last time in the House of Commons on 12 March 1875 (ib. pp. 1726-7). He died on 29 March 1875 aored 63, at Dromalane House, near Newry (the residence of Mr. Hill Irvine), from an attack of bronchitis caught while attending the funeral of John Mitchel, and was buried at Donoughmore on 1 April following.
Martin was a sturdy and uncompromising politician, with a keen sense of honour and much simplicity of character. His popularity in Ireland was great, and he was known throughout the country as i Honest John Martin.' He married, at Roslyn Hill Chapel, Hampstead, in November 1868, Henrietta, the daughter of the Rev. John Mitchel, presbyterian minister at Newry, and sister of his friend John Mitchel. Shortly before his death he resigned the post of paid for that of honorary secretary to the Home Rule League. He was succeeded in the represen-
