The Press. — London, England, 1854-09-30 00:00:00

. SEPTEMBER 39, 1854. ptlanb. A SECOND VICTIM of the late diabolical outrage on the Derry and Enniskillen Railway has sunk under the effects of his injuries, Griffin, the stoker of the excursion-train, having died in the infirmary, where his leg had been amputated. Yesterday week was observed as a day of general thanksgiving in Ennis killen for the escape of the Protestant excursionists. The Earl of Enniskillen is going on as well as his friends could wish. THE FIRST STONE OF THE MONUMENT TO THE LATE MR. O'CONNELL was laid in Dublin on the 22nd inst. by Sir John Power in Glasnevin Cemetery. There was no public display on the occasion. A MEETING was held in the Dublin Mechanics' Institute on Monday, when Mr. John O'Connell, M.P., moved a series of resolutions for the formation of an association, to be called " The Liberal Associa tion," for the purpose of attending to the parlia mentary, municipal, and poor-law franchises of Ireland. Subscribers of 11. to be members, and of Is. to be associates. The resolutions were seconded by Alderman Reynolds, and passed. THE Venerable Marcus G. Beresford was conse crated Bishop of Kilmore and Ardagh in the Cathedral of Armagh, on Sunday last, by the Lord Primate. assisted by the Bishops of Tuam and Down. THE motion for separate education for the Protes tant children in the North Dublin Union was again brought forward on Wednesday, and carried by the casting vote of Mr. Cusack, the chairman, the former vote to the same effect having been rescinded by the Poor-law Commissioners. A MEETING of the inhabitants of Derry was held yesterday week, the mayor presiding, when a reward of 5001. was offered for the conviction of the mis creants who caused the late railway calamity, and a further subscription was opened for the relief of the surviving sufferers. The Derry and Enniskillen Railway Company has also offered 5001. reward for the conviction of the guilty party, and 50!. towards the relief fund. There was upwards of 3,0001. sub scribed at the meeting. THE CONAMNICATIGN BETWEEN ENGLAND AND DUBLIN of the magnetic telegraph was suddenly in tercepted by some accident on Thursday morning, to the great annoyance of the stockbrokers, and stoppage of business generally. THE long•promised conference of " the friends of tenant right " was held on Tuesday in the council rooms of the Irish Tenant League, and exhibited a melancholy falling off from former meetings of the same nature. There was a tolerable muster of Irish priests, one of whom, the Rev. Owen Feeney, of Sligo, filled the chair; and the usual speakers on the question resident in Dublin, such as Mr. J. M. Cantwell, Dr. Gray, Mr. Wilson Gray, ctc., were in attendance, but, with the exception of Mr. Lucas and Mr. P. O'Brien, all the parliamentary advocates of the cause were absent, not even Mr. G. H. Mocre, Mr. J. F. Maguire, or Mr. P. BPMahon thinking it worth their while to come to Dublin for the purpose, although they wrote some excuses for their absence. The following resolution as to the future course to be adopted was agreed upon :—" That in January next, on a day to be fixed and duly notified by the council of the League, a conference be held to take into consideration the draft Landlord and Tenant Bill, to determine to what members of Parliament the bill as approved of by the Tenant League shall be entrusted, and generally to consider the best means for promoting its success." THE ENCUMBERED ESTATES COURT. THE following complete and interesting summary of the proceedings in the Encumbered Estates Court, from the filing of the first petition on October 21st, 1849, to the 24th of September inst., has been prepared by Mr. C. M. Ormsby, the "clerk of the statistics" to the commissioners : Num!ier of petitions presented, including those for parti tion and exchange as well as for sale, 3,320. Of the above about 470 were supplemental or dismissed petitions. Num ber of absolute orders for sale, 2,521. Number of matters in which owners were bankrupts or insolvents when peti tions were presented, 309. In many other instances the owners of estates became insolvents or bankrupts during the progress of the matter, and the proceedings were sub sequently carried on in the names of the assignees. Num ber of matters in which owners presented petitions, 823. Number of conveyances executed by the commissioners, 4,301. Number of owners of estates (or parts of estates) sold, viz. :—lty public auction in court, 920 ; by provincial auction, confirmed by the commissioners, 278 ; by private contract, confirmed by the commissioners, 193. Number of purchasers of estates ( or p ar t s o f es t a te s ) sold, 5,812. Number of lots sold, viz. :—By public auction in court, 4,807; by provincial auction, 1,049; by private contract, 1,292. Number of accounts opened in the Accountant's Office, 1,307. Number of boxes in which it is estimated there are (or have been) 100,000 documents and muni ments of title deposited in the Record Office, 2,093. Period during which proceedings had been pending in the Court of C hancery in cases brought into the Encumbered Is tsteg Court, t furnished to the House of Commons by THE PRESS. order dated 28th April, 1853 :—Over 3 and under 5 years, 219 ; over 5 and under 10 years, 364 ; over 10 and under 15 years, 167; over 15 and under 20 years, 89; over 20 and under 25 years, 46 ; over 25 and under 30 years, 31 ; over 30 and under 85 years, 22; over 35 and under 40 years, 17 ; over 40 and under 45 years, 6 ; over 45 and under 50 years, 4 ; over 50 years, 9—total, 974. Amount of purchase money paid by English, Scotch, and foreign parties, 2,249,0401. 12s. 6d. Gross proceeds of sales :-13y public auction in court, 9,103,348!.'25. 81.; by provincial auctions, confirmed by the commissioners, 2,014,6981. 10s. • by private contract,confirmed by the commissioners, 2,331,2401. Ios. 9d. —total, 13,509,2931. 3s. sd. Distribution of funds: Gross amount of money distri• buted in cash and stock, 9,236,811/. 13s. 9d, ; total amount of absolute credits allowed to incumbrancers who were pur chasers, 1,:40,8221. Os. lid —10,627,6331. 19s. .sd. The difference between the amount realised by the sales and the funds distributed is thus accounted for : Funds allocated in trust, where some of the trustees have died; provisional credits, not yet made absolute; payments already ordered by the commissioners, and not called for by the parties entitled thereto ; the purchase•money of re cent sales, not yet lodged; the balance of cash and Govern ment stock standing to the credit of the commissioners in the Bank of Ireland. • THE DERRY RAILWAY MURDERS. CERTAIN comments of the Times upon the late atrocious attempt to overset a railway train at Derry have called forth the following letter from Mr. R. Bateson, of Castruse, one of the party who experienced so providential an escape on that occasion " Sir,—Having seen my name mentioned in a recent article of the Tones, as connected with circumstances pre ceding the diabolibal attempt to destroy 800 excursionists returning from Derry to Enniskillen, and as the informa tion whereon your article was founded has been evidently communicated by an incorrect and prejudiced correspondent, may I request you, as an upholder of the great principle Audi alteram purism, to give insertion to the following brief statement of facts, which will enable yournumerous readers to judge whether I acted for the best or not ? I am the more anxious that you should do so, as I have a relative, Sir Robert Bateson, of Belvoir-park, who, if I have acted ong, should not participate in the blame: " Towards the end of August a number of the m embers of a benevolent society in Derry determined to make an excursion to Enniskillen. In this they were joined by other persons and a number of Apprentice Boys (a club in existence since the siege of Derry ). I mention the different parties composing the excursion to show that there was nothing of what is called 'party spirit' in it. The people of Enniskillen heard of the intention, and notified to the intended excursionists that, if they postponed their trip for a few days, they would endeavour to give them some entertainment on their arrival. Their arrangements would not admit of delay, and consequently on their arrival they got a welcome and such hasty refreshment aa the time for preparing would admit of. " Less than three weeks since, without any invitation from Deny or any communication from Enniskillen, the inhabitants of that town and neighbourhood decided on taking an excursion to Derry : on this being known in the latter place, a message was sent to Enniskillen, saying that, if the excursion was delayed for a week, means would be taken to entertain them on their arrival ; but the arrange ments of so many persons had been so prepared as nut to allow the delay, and a committee was hastily got together in Derry to make what preparation the time would admit of, and to collect means to defray the attendant expenses. Subsbriptions were asked and obtained from men of all political opinions, and three days only before the appointed day a deputation from the committee called on me to re quest that I would take the chair at the entertainment. I asked if there was anything likely to cause excitement, and was answered that everything of that kind—such as banners, music, 43,:c.—was to be avoided ; in short, that it was merely an excursion party, and the sole object of the committee was to return the compliment they had already received. I immediately acceded to their wishes, as my constant line of conduct has been to lake part as frequently as opportunity permits in such meetings, as it not only creates a kindlier feeling among different classes, but is the surest means of maintaining order and propriety of conduct at them. What I had reason to expect the result fully proved, for a more orderly, well-conducted, and happier body I never saw before, composed, as it was, of eight hundred persons, consisting of every age, sex, and condition of society. After the party round the platform on the ramparts broke up, Lord Enniskillen accompanied me to the cathedral, where the usual service was taking place : some hundreds of the party went there also. At the termination of the service the re freshment-hall was opened, where accommodation was four hundred • time. Each - less afforded to _ at a . . party sat than an hour, and was succeeded by four hundred more, and on their retirement nearly the same number came in. There were no touts but the Queen's health and a welcome to the party, and Lord Enniskillen, who responded to the latter, and myself were the only speakers. Lord Ennis killen retired with the first party, but I remained till the whole entertainment concluded. The same touts were given to each change of the guests. The waving of flags, Orange speeches, &c., were in nubibsts, where they still remain, unless they are fixed in your correspondent's imagination. In the short interval that elapsed between conceiving the intention and the coming of the excursion several rumours were circulated through the country. To show their absurdity and malignity I need only mention one—that the Enniskilleners were coming to pull down the new church erecting by the Roman Catholics in Derry. I regret to say that among the persons by whom these ru mours were spread, and probably formed, were soi•disant Protestants, whose only object could be rolitical hostility or to court popularity with the Roman Catholics, by the respectable portion of whom they could not fail to be des. - 927 pised for their duplicity and meanness. Though these absurd and mischievous falsehoods might have had some effect with the lower class, yet the fact is, the hostility was directed against the party as a body of Protestants, the very name of whose residence is a stumblingblock to the dis loyal, being one of the strongholds of those constitutional loyalists whose consistent and determined bravery occa sioned Ireland to be at this moment an integral part cf the British dominions. Butisir, had you, osthose ease elated with you in couductirg the Times, been conversant with the locality whence the excursion train proceeded, you would have been enabled to form such au estimate of the nobleman who accompanied it as to render this letter unnecessary. I am thoroughly convinced that no Irishman of intelligence, whatever his political or reli gious opinions may be, would believe that Lord Ennis• killen would be a party to any movement that could give unnecessary pain to his fellow•countrymen. He is so justly appreciated and beloved that, had any fatal results to him followed this atrocious attempt, it would have raised a wail, and, perhaps, consequences throughout the whole north of Ireland, which the entire of Great Britain would have shuddered at hearing. " Before concluding this letter, allow me to observe that not very long before the Enniskillen excursion there had been one from Perry to Strabarie and Omagh ( the line being only opened so far at the time) ; the party was ex clusively Roman Catholic, and it was accompanied by banners and music, yet it never received the smallest an noyance, going or returning ; besides, there have been special trains of the same religionists, to lay the founda tions or open places of worship on Sundays ; and on no occasion have they been interfered with. :There is not a single one of the Sunday excursion•trains in England, against which I had hoped Protestant England would have raised her voice, which is unattended with scenes and con duct which (to speak mildly) are very unsuitable to the Sabbath observance of the place of its arrival or departure ; and to•days's paper contains an account of the scandalous proceedings of an excursion-train from Birkenhead to Bangor, which, had the party been under the control of those whose kind intentions were so abused, would have terminated differently. Notwithstanding, I am certain, from the respectability of all the persons composing the Enniskillen excursion•train, that their conduct would have been as orderly and free from offence as it was, even had Lord Enniskillen not been at its head; but his being there made assurance to that effect doubly sure, and satisfied me before, as thoroughly as I am convinced now that it is over, that on that occasion 1 occupied the place best calcu lated to promote order and good•fellowship. And I trust, sir, from what I have said, that 3 ou, or at. least your readers, will now think that I was better there than at home, which I am always ready to leave when the claims of my country or friendship should call me. Though I have already spoken more of myself than I would wish to do, yet allow me to add that I am not an Orangeman, however much I esteem the individuals of that body and value the services they have rendered; and I may further say that, at a meet ing held on the 22nd of September to express the public opinion, and offer a reward for the discovery of the per petrators of the crime, and provide for the sufferers by it, I called on my Roman Catholic countrymen present to name the time or place, act or word, whereby I ever offered them the smallest affront or annoyance. The call neither was nor could be answered. ".I have the honour to remain, sir, " Your obedient servant, " ROBERT BATESON, of Castruse. " Castruse, Londonderry, Sept. 23." THE ROYAL Bucas AGRICULTURAL Socury held their annual plou;hing-match and prize distribution on Wednesday, at Buckingham. The ploughing gave great satisfaction to the judges, and the prizes both to donors and recipients. Among the prizes were three, amounting to 51., presented by Mr. Disraeli, M.P., to the agricultural labourers of the county who h ad brought up the largest families by their own earnings, without parochial relief ; three other prizes, amounting to 31. 10s. ' to single male hired servants in husbandry who had lived the longest period, not less than five years, in the house of their employers. The same number, amounting to a like sum, to single female hired servants in husbandry who had lived the longest period, not less than three years, in the house of the same masters. To the labourers in husbandry who bad been employed, without intermission, the longest period on the same farm, four prizes, amounting to 81. ss. To the ploughmen whose work on the field was judged the best, four prizes, amounting to 61. To the drivers of the successful teams, being boys under sixteen years of age, four prizes, amounting to 1/. There was also presented to every unsuccessful ploughman 2s. Bd., and to every driver Is. Mr. C. G. Du Pre, M.P., presented 51., divided into fuur prizes, to as many lads, under twenty-one years of age, who had ploughed half an acre in the best manner within four hours. At the conclusion of the out-door ceremonies of the day the members of the association and their friends adjourned to the White Hart Hotel, to partici pate in the usual anniversary banquet, over which Mr. Philip Box, of Checkmore, presided. Corrow FISHING-NETS have lately been manu factured with the best effect in Perthshire. Several of these cotton nets have been used during the past season on the fishings of the Tay, and have answered every expectation. They are lighter and softer, and consequently easier to draw, than the common hemp nets, and are capable of being dried more perfectly, besides possessing other good qualities which recom mend them to the general use of fishers. --"---- v. L