The Press. — London, England, 1856-09-20 00:00:00

artlanb. Mn. Swim O'BRIEN was presented last Sunday with a congratulatory address by the inhabitants of Limerick. An immense procession of people fro cseeded to Cahirmoyl t 3 welcome the exile home. To the address Mr. O'Brien replied at some length. His determination not to re-enter Parliament continued, he said, "unaltered"; his sentiments differed too ma terially from the Irish patriots of the present day:— When in 1843 I avowed myself to be fully convinced that the only effectual guarantee for the permanent welfare of our country is to be found in the restoration of its Legislature, I did not profess this conviction only as a means of extorting secondary advantages of either a personal or a national kind for the inhabitants of Ireland. I adopted it as a stern reality, the furtherance of which would probably for several years require many personal sacrifices on the part of those who became the champions of their country's rights, and which specially demanded an entire separation from all connection with English Governments and English parties. Within the short space of ten years I have seen almost every man who was a prominent leader in the repeal agitation (except those who were driven into exile) become a stipendiary or a supporter of the British Government. I have no desire to impugn the motives or conduct of any man, a change of circumstances sometimes justifies changes of opinions; and I always prefer to impute even to doubtful actions honourable rather than base motives ; but when I find that these changes have been sanctioned—and in some instances encouraged—by the constituencies of Ireland, I am compelled to conclude that my opinions are out of date, and that Irish patriotism no longer means what it appeared to me at Tara in the year 1843. He repudiated the principle of force in obtaining the Repeal of the Union; he bad never maintained, nor did he now uphold, such a principle. The circum stances of 184,8 were singular:— Under all probable circumstances, when in IB4' this country was reduced by misgovernment to a condition more abject than any that it had known even in the worst period of its disastrous history, and when we were de prived of all constitutional methods of redress by the sus pension of the Habeas Corpus Act, I thought, and I still think, that resistance was justifiable. I thought then, and still think, that if we had been supported by the Irish nation in the struggle which we commenced, we should have been able to secure for Ireland within a few months, or perhaps a few weeks, the inestimable blessing of self government. A year's residence in Belgium, which, during the last twenty-five years, has been one of the best regu lated nations of Europe, has confirmed me in the convic tion that a Government founded on a successful revolution may become the most stable of all governments. But it is vain to speculate upon what might have happened if we had succeeded in 1848 in establishing the national or legis lative independence of Ireland. He accepted the defeat, however, as a dispensation of Providence, and if the Irish people thought that they could be more happy under the government of the Imperial Parliament than under that of a local legis lature, he was compelled to acquiesce in that prefe rence : I acquiesce in it with the less reluctance because Ibis country is now comparatively prosperous, anti because some of the evils which gave occasion for discontent have been mitigated. At the same time he held himself to be free to take whatever part in Irish affairs best befitted an Irish patriot:— I shall, therefore, occasionally take the liberty to offer advice upon public affairs to all who are disposed to listen to my suggestions ; but for the present I desire to enjoy repose during a few months, if it were only that I may have an opportunity of studying the altered circumstances of this country. THE SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR THE CRIMEAN BANQUET exceed 1,2001. It is proposed to invite the wives and mothers of the men to the dinner. SIR COLIN CAMPBELL arrived in Limerick from Cork on Monday, and proceeded at once to an in spection of the troops, which was conducted with the utmost minuteness. The gallant general also In sleeted the barrack schools and the military prison, a .d 1 istevening set out for Templem ore. How ENGLISH LANDLORDS work with Irish estates and Irish tenants is told in the Ballinasloe Star : James C. Harter, Esq., of Broughton-hall, Lancashire, purchased in 1852 an estate of some 1,500 acres, lying for about three miles along the verge of the Shannon, and contiguous to the Bridge of Banagher. The estate was at this time in a deplorable condition. On taking posses sion Mr. Harter directed that no one should be evicted, though the property was cut up into small tenements, s:veral detached and irregular holdings belonging to one tenant. The farms were all remodelled, and encourage• ment in the shape of substantial aid given to every tenant to improve his residence and offices. As a preliminary improvement, draining was extensively set on foot, and a number of leading arteries were at once cut at Mr. Harter's expense, forming outlets for the superabundant moisture, without which the drainage could not have been effected. New roads have b een ma d e, open i ng up the estate, and giving value to the land which it was impossible formerly to reach. Every cottage and farmhouse is neatly white washed, and the old Irish habit of collecting a manure heap or a cesspool at the e n t rance t o eac h h as b een en - Urely discontinued. Those who saw this property twenty THE PRESS. years ago would scarcely recognise it now, so great a change has been effected in four short years. The swamps and morassea have been converted into excellent land, and the callows have been so much improved as to be worth treble their former value. One field, formerly let for 251. a year, now brings 701. DR. WHALE has (published an' article approving the proposed Crimean dinner, but maintaining that so transient a reward is not sufficient compensation for the gallant deeds of the Irish soldiers:— Such demonstrations have, as they should have, but little influence on the courage of the masses of military citizens, as they may be called, of which an army is com posed. They aspire to more solid comforts and to more sacred and lofty rewards. It was for their altars and for their hearths—pro aria et facia—for all the endearing in terests and sacred hopes and engagements that are for ever associated with those two words of such pregnant signification—it was for them, and not for any less holy subjects, that the most brilliant feats recor led in sacred, or profane, or ecclesiastical history were achieved. Free altars and secure firesides formed the most imposing theme by which the Roman generals kindled the courage of their soldiers. Never was the valour of the Hebrew people so signally displayed as when they fought to protect their temple and its worshippers from profanation. It was the consciousness that they were engaged in the defence of their holy religion, and supplied with all its consola tions, that strung to such a high pitch the heroism of the champions of the Cross as to perform prodigies of prowess exceeding all belief if not so well authenticated. A similar feeling has sustained, under the most disastrous circumstances, the intrepidity of the soldiers of every Christian country, who knew that with victory were sure to be associated the secure tenure of the home and the free practice of the faith for which they gladly risked the danger of life itself. The noblemen and gentlemen who compose the committee for the Crimean banquet are well aware that such is not the lot of the Irish Catholic soldiers, who have won their just admiration; and as they are anxious to prove their gratitude for their protectors I trust they will labour in all earnestness to procure for those brave men the only benefits they prize and the only remuneration that can be adequate to their services. The learned doctor concludes with a lengthened state ment of grievances under which Ireland labours. MR. BURKE ROCHE has been gazetted as Baron Fermoy, in the county of Cork. THE election of a successor to the late Bishop Murray of Ferns took place on Monday, when the Rev. Dr. Furlong, one of the Maynooth professors, Archdeacon Barden, and the Rev. Patrick Keatinge were nominated for presentation to the holy see. AN AMERICAN WHALER, the W. F. Stafford, of New York, has arrived at Queenstown, on her return from Nova Zembla. On her voyage, which was an expe rimental one, she captured three whales by a new method, first practised by her master, Captain Roys, and which consists in firing a kind of small shells at the animal, which explode after entering its body, the practice of harpooning, as is well known, being both dangerous and uncertain. LORD CLERMONT has withdrawn his resignation as chairman of the Dundalk board of guardians, on that body having undertaken to abstain from the discus- sion of political questions. He writes : I hope that I fully appreciate the consideration thus shown to myself personally, and am confident that you will never regret your decision, made on broader grounds, in the true interests of the union, as tending to guard our proceedings from undue disturbance in future. Stollantr. THE ANNUAL BRAEMAR GATHERING took place last week, when upwards of a hundred members of the society were present. Her Majesty the Queen, accompanied by Prince Albert and the Royal children and visitors at Balmoral, attended the meeting, which went off with the greatest eclat. The games were contested with the greatest spirit, and, through the liberality of the visitors, handsome prizes were awarded to the successful competitors in Highland dan.ing, " putting " thu stone and hammer, tossing the caber, running, &c. The amusements of the day were followed up by a ball in the evening at the Castle. LORD PANMTIRE'S tenantry in Brechin have resolved upon entertaining the noble lord at a public dinner. THE MARQUIS OF DALHOUSIE arrived at Stirling on Monday evening from Balloch. His lordship's health is still very indifferent. He left Stirling for Edin , urgh on Tuesday. ['he TOWN COUNCIL ea EDINBURGH have elected Z. Donaldson to till the post of Master of the High School, vacated by the death of Dr. Boyd. THE FREEDOM OF THE BURGH OF CUPAR has been presented to Viscount Balgonie, whose health has been indifferent since his return from the Crimea last winter. His lordship is about to proceed to Egypt• CAPTAIN SIR WILLIAM GORDON OF EARLSTOUN, BART., 17TH LANCERS, has been presented with the freedom of Kirkcudbright, in honour of his gallant services in the Crimea. A subscription is now on foot in his native parish of Borgne and neighbour hood, for the purpose of presenting some testimonial to the gallant baronet. SATURDAY, MILL Ross BONHEUR was on the tryst-ground at Falkirk last week, purchasing subjects of study. On Monday she bought two black-faced ewes and two wethers of the same stock, and on Tuesday she se lected several cattle. at an Volta. THE TEN SHIPWRIGHTS out on strike from Messrs. Young's yard, and charged with unlawfully conspir ing to prevent and intimidate other workmen front entering into the employment of Messrs. Young, were tried for misdemeanour at the Old Bailey, on Thurs day, before Mr. Baron Bramwell. The question, one of great importance as affecting the relations between employer and employed, was whetheremployers should have aright to dictate the terms upon which they would give employment, and the employed be permitted to reject or accept those terms, or whether it was corn. patent for a body of persons belonging to any par• titular trade calling themselves a union, to deter mine and dictate to their employers the terms upon which alone they would enter their service, and be permitted to exercise power and intimidation over other persons belonging to the same calling, and prevent them from accepting employment unless upon terms which they themselves had dictated. The Attorney-General stated the case, the details of which have already anpeared, and after evidence in support of the charge had been given, Mr. Edsin James, Q.C., who appeared in defence, consulted the prisoners, and they consented to withdraw their plea of " not guilty," and to plead " guilty." Mr. Baron Bramwell, upon this, consulted with Mr. Justice Williams, add after animadverting severely upon the illegal conduct of the prisoners, on the recommend ation for mercy by the prosecutor, discharged them upon their entering into recognisances to appear and receive judgment if they should be required to do so. M. Micliet., charged with a felonious assault upon one Ellen Lyons, was tried on Thursday, at the Old Bailey, and unanimously declared "Not guilty " by the jury. TllO - 31A8 NUTTER, tailor, a becoming and respect able character, was tried on Wednesday b.tfore Mr. Prendergast, Q.C., at the Old Bailey, for stealing two hams. The circumstances of the case were, that the prosecutor an the sth of September found his shop had been entered in the night and a quantity of property stolen, amongst it two Irish hams, which he could swear to in consequence of the pecu liarly short knuckles they had. Upon that morning, about the time the burglary was said to have been effected, the prisoner was met near the spot in a par tial state of intoxication carrying two hams, which the prosecutor now swore to as having been stolen from him. The prisoner gave two different accounts of his possession of them, but beyond that there was nothing to connect the prisoner with the commission of the offence. For the defence it was contended that the property, the most bulky and least valuable of that which had been stolen, might have been thrown away, and picked up by the prisoner, added to which the identity of the property was not very clear, and the drunken ness of the prisoner would account for his giving two different versions of his possession of the hams. Mr. Prendergast, in summing up, dwelt very strongly upon the false account given by the prisoner. Atter the summing-up the jury were for some time discuss ing the evidence, when Mr. Prendergast several times addressed them, commenting upon the evi dence as it bore against the prisoner. Mr. M'Enteer, counsel for the detence, with much warmth, said that he did not think it at all just to the prisoner that the jury should be subjected to such continual interrup tions from the bench. If the jury wanted to discuss the evidence they ought to retire. Mr. Prendergast said certainly they could, and again dwelt upon the false statement made by the prisoner, adding that, " under the old law, the prisoner would have been " liable to execution, taken as he was, carrying the " property from the very place of robbery" : Mr. WENTEER : Then I am sure he would have been acquitted ; no jury would run the risk of such a result upon such very doubtful evidence; therefore they ought to act so in this case, and not consider the result, added to which prisoner was entitled to the benefits of a doubt, and so the judge ought to tell them. Mr. PRENDERGAST : Yes, gentleman ; a reasonable doubt. The jury decided they had a doubt about the burglary. Mr. PRENDERGAST: Then you may find him guilty of a larceny. After some discussion the jury returned a verdict to that effect. Mr. Prendergast sentenced him to twelve months' imprisonment., and he was removed from the bar protesting his entire innocence. ~. MR. SAMUEL SPEED homeEsjately practising as a surgeon dentist, committed suicide at his house in Seymour•street, Euston-square, last Sunday night. The medical evidence went clearly to show that de ceased died from the effect of prussic acid, and that his brain was so diseased as to render him unaccount able for his acts. The jury, notwithstanding the op position of one of their muliber, who insisted that the 898