Mr.
O'Connell had to some extent formed an opinion favourable to the object of the Association.

He stated that he had considered the question in a two-fold point of view.
First, "Whether the controlling power of the English House of Commons over its members, which admittedly it possessed before the Act of Union, was extended to the Irish portion of the members by that Act, there being no express provision creating it ?" And secondly, "Whether even if the House possessed the power, it was competent to enforce it, or, in other words, whether the Speaker's warrant would receive Ireland ?" To report on these two questions, thus framed, the following gentlemen were elected as a sub-committee: James O'Hea, Sir Colman O'Loghlen, Robert Mullen, James O'Dowd and myself.

Of that committee, each approached his task with that instinctive bias, inseparable from ardent minds, excited by a darling hope.

They read the precedents, the cases, the arguments and judgments applicable to their enquiry with the aid of such a hope, and still they came to the reluctant decision that the ground taken against the authority of the British Parliament was not maintainable.

With regard to the first branch they were unanimous.