The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1868-01-14 00:00:00

COURT WARTIAL ON • TINIAN ISIAN•N.

LITRAOILDINAIIY MINCE.

A court-martial was held at Portsmouth on Monday 1
for the ttial of • seaman named Read on • charge of ,
Fenienism. The prisoner was one of the crew of Her !
Majesty's ship Irreiistible, stationed in Cowes Roads,
and on being ordered to arm himself with one 1
of the revolvers which had previously been loaded
and issued for the use of the crew, he refused
to obey the one,, and subsequently &claret
that he would not take up arms against the Fenian*.
The prisoner handed in a long defence, written by
himself. and the raiding of so extraordinary a document ,
created much surmise. He worm need by referring to
maternal care and filial affection, and touehed on
matters of religion in a wild ineoberent manner, having
no regard to punctuation or the terminatiou of sentences. ,
He continued :—" The reason why I refused ha take
arms when ordered to was because I would not he an
oppressive means to an outlaw princiiile that usurps
public power and underlies its political fees. It hae
attained this position under the cover and through the
imprieticel infiiienee of Proteatantism, and ito null.)
is to render itself impregnable by the unnecessary display
of brute force for the purpose of intimidation, and, by
the most dark and fiendii-h croft, to turn tie current of
public opinion to its own purposes, and keep it loyal
bj deception. I refused to take mins beeathe I looked
upon the Fenian% as being simply demonstrators of I
discontent, and the natural turning of the worm when I
It is eseruciatingly crushed. But apart from Fenians,
and under the assumption of Fenian', the outlaw !
principle has been at work, inciting to hurrilile and 1
useless deeds of violence, for the explain' purpose of
setting emery good,and honest.genernus and rightireinded
man against it, and thereby terminate its exietence and
it. .Sjost toasther From lb* howinnise intrili.ant men
could see that Fenianistu was incapable of forcing
its rights, sod rightly kept clear of it; but although
its force was deacipable ita existence was significant.
It was significant of discontent, and the cause of
discontent is • matter that causes most agitation among
those responsible for it." Piisoner further condemned
putting down Fenianism by stratagem, and said the
Fenians did not clines any inclination to give their
enemies an opportunity to cruel* them by force. HA
concluded by saying, "I believe myself to be a truly
loyal inns, loyal to honest troth owl virtue ; and by
all that is soared we are forbidden to be in
Allegiance or to be loyal to evil combinations or iesigna,
and any man that is loyal to such be
either bows down in fear and slavery to the
force of brutelite, or he is otherwise deceived by craft.
The outlaw principle that usurps public power, treede
more or as upon the consciences and interests of all
that is subject to its rule. Having stated this. much
under sontideration of consequences, I believe myself to
be subject to your disere ion. —CHARLES READH" The
Court faund the charge fully proved, and adjudged
prisoner to be kept in penal servitude for five years. It
has Dime been wild thet Heade is insane, but the man's
shipmate, state that there wee nothing peculiar in his
demeanour and general viaduct up to the 21st Decem-
ber, when he refused to arm himself against
Fenian.. He was of • morose and sullen disposi-
tion, but no evidence, of insanity were perceptible.
COMMITTAL OF BOIL; CASEY, AHD SHAW.

The three Fenian prisoners, Burke, Casey, and Shaw,
were again brought before Sir Thomu tlenry at Bow.
street, on Thursday. Rumours baying been circulated
of an intended attack upon the prison-van, greater
precautions were •dopteil than on previous 000.010ng,
The ene having been completed against the prisoners,
Mr. Giffard applied for their committal for trial on the
charge of trees...l4i no, and as the overt acts and the
foundations of the substantial ease against Burke were
the purohases of arms at Birmingham, be asked that
the prisoners might take their trial at the spring arise
fir !Win...rick. Prisoner's counsel strongly objected to
this course, but the objection WU overruled by Sir
Thomas Henry.