The Sun.
London, England, 1822-10-08 00:00:00

IRE.LANg.

The CANAL CUT.—ATTACK on a PACKET-BOAT, 4-e.'
MULLINGAR, OcT. 3 —We regret to state 'that the ap-
proach of the long winter-night seems to prognosticate the re-
currence of those shameful! obstructions in the Royal Canal
navigation, by cutting the banks, which have but too often
occurred at different points between the Shannon and the me-
tropolis. Within the last Bor ten days a breach was effected
in the great embankment at Blackwater ; and in a few nights
-after, when the damage was partially repaired, the dams were
broken down, and a still more extensive part of the work entirely
swept away. The injury cannot be made good in less than 6 weeks.
These lawless transactions were quickly followed up by one of
a more daring and perhaps dangerous nature. On the Sunday
night subsequent, about twelve o'clock, a large party, armed
with sticks and bludgeons, knocked at the windows of the
packet-boat, then lying in the harbour of this town, and called
to the Captain (Walsh) instantly to come upon deck. The
Captain, naturally much alarmed at so unexpected a visit, re-
fused to comply ; on this they gave him peremptory order to
discharge the steerer, whom he had lately employed, and take
in his predecessor; a fellow that he had been obliged to dismiss
for ill-conduct. At departing they uttered most dreadful impre-
cations, if he would not obey this nocturnal mandate, he should,
on a second warning, sorely repent. From the very defenceless
state of a person filling this situation, Hourly exposed to the
murderous stroke of the midnight assassin, lurking behind a
bridge or hedge, the Captain was reluctantly obliged to yield,
and do what they required; thus associated villainy triumphed.
, These wretches foolishly imagine that while they injure and
impede the navigation of the country, they strike out work and
lower provisions for the benefit of the working classes; never
reflecting that the mischief recoils ten fold on themselves. In
the first place, the whole of the expense of the loss sustained
is levied on, the adjacent baronies; 2dly, the farmers are
prevented from disposing of the product of their lands. In
either case it most assuredly tends to the injury of the labour-
ing poor, as whatever affects the agricultural interests of the
country must proportionably affect its peasantry. It is a me-
lancholy fact, that illegal combinations of a most alarming na-
ture have organised on the entire line of Canal from Dublin to
Richmond Harbour—a distance of seventy-one miles !
( Westmeath Journal:),

RtCORDER'S COURT, DUBLIN.
ASSAULT ON AN IRISH BARRISTER.

Oh' Wednesday the RECORDER, assisted by Alderman
fIemILTON and ARCHER', sat for the trial of piisoners and
traversers.

COUNSELLOR SI'MATION'S CASE.

Michael O'Connor, and Marn, his wife, were put ta the 1
.traverser's bar and indicted; for 'having -on the' 2th of August
violently assaulted and falSelY imprisoned Andrew M'Mahon
for siX hours, and iii a' second count for having assaulted him
on the 11th of September.
Andrew M'Mahon, Esq. Counsellor at law, appeared in full
I costume, and was sworn.--,lle declined (he said) stating any
',case, although his was the most wanton and deplorable that
ever came before a Court of Justice. He deposed " that on the
night of the 12th of August, between the hours of eleven and
r twelve o'clock, the traversers seized him in his own house, and
with such force and ferocity, that he thought they would have
extinguished his existence. Notwithstanding his many remon-
strances, they violently pulled his body, torturingly squeezed
his limbs, and finally succeeded in dragging him to Bank-street
police office, where lie passed six hours of the night. This hap-
pened to be one of the houses that he had recovered by the verdict
of a Jury,and under the will of his own father, that he might en-
joy it for-nitre hundred and ninety-nine years. He had been so
comnassionately foolish, and taking pity upon the audacious
Mrs. O'Connor, who- was a very distant relation of his, as to
make a lease of the house to her husband, on very advantage-
ous terms • it was one of the best houses in Crow-street, and
he retained a' room in it for himself', as be was quite a lone
man • and he thought he had a right to expect their gratitude,
kindness, and attention' to him, and prettily they treated him
.after. They kept the house for a year, dilapidated it of its
conveniencies and ornaments, laughed at or abused him when
he called for rent; and finally made a lease of the whole house
at such a rent, and granted such conditions as he, notwithstand-,
ing his good nature, would not give themselves, not to a simple
jack straw, but to a profligate lewd, debauched person."—
(11tre the Court reminded die Learned Gentleman that he
had promised not to state any case, but merely the facts respect-
ing the assault. The Counsellor bowed assent and continued)—
" He occupied the back room on the first floor, though he had
covenanted for the first one, but they bullied him out of it, and
he was forced to be content with the exchange ; but they were
not equally so. Finding they had succeeded so well, they at-
tempted to oblige him to reside in a black hole in some other
part of the house ;, but he resisted, and remonstrated against
their conduct, as also the improper and immodest uses they had
converted his habitation into." (He was again requested to
confine himself to the facts of the case.) ` Finding he was
restive, they had recourse to threats, and knowing they were in
league with some of the party with which lie had been so long
involved in law proceedings for the recovery of his property, he
was in bodily fear and dread of his life. On the night of the
12th of August he came home about 10 o'clock, and when in
his room he heard them through the folding doors, (which di.
vided the two rooms) say, ` Now he's come, we'll give him a
night's lodging,' and O'Connor came to his room, on which he
ran and escaped up to the garret to claim the protection of a
man named Duncan ; but Duncan refused to admit him, and
O'Connor shortly afterwards returned, accompanied by two
watchmen. O'Connor then violently dragged him down the
stairs and along the hall, and brought him to the police watch-
house, where the constable refused to take his charge, and he
was obliged to remain in the watchhouse for protection ; well,
he looked over that, and in consequence of the ill treatment
being repeated, lie summoned them before the Magistrate, and
went on the 11th of September to serve them in summonses,
when the traverser and his wife attempted to throw him over
the banisters of the stairs ; but not being able to effect their
purpose, they threw him down a flight of stairs, by which he
was most severely injured in several parts of his body ; their
servant woman then came to him in the hall, and having a
bucket of suds and dirty water, she threw it in his face and on
him ; there had been a separate indictment against her, and if
the Court and Jury did not think his a hard case, lie was very
much mistaken."

Cross-examined by Mr. BE NETT.—The treatment he re-
ceived on the 12th of August was not in consequence of having
called the traversers abusive names ' • no, it was part of the sys-
tem pursued by the banditti who had so long pursecuted bins ;
he had not a mob collected about him on that night ; was not
pelted with mud. (The Counsellor here assured Mr. Bennett
he was mistaken if he thought to fish any thing out of him that
would invalidate the truth of his statement.) Took no comjbrt
that day—" Oh no, Counsellor Bennett, you measure my corn
by your own bushel ; I wasn't coaxing attorneys that day—eh,
do you take ?" ,
Mr. BENNET T.—Were you ever a night these 20 years that
you had not regaled yourself ? Yes ; many a month ; can't
you say tippling at once; I know what you are at—l expected
better from a gentleman. Mr. Bennett, taverns are expensive
places, a man won't get drink for nothing, and 1 have been
these many months without a shilling, waiting till the Chan-
cellor returns. I have been driven about Irons place to place,
some days having a dinner, and some days not. lam in the
day-time with a tenant to a house of mine in Chancery-lane—
I knew him in England—and I sleep, or try to do so, in my
house in Crow-street.

When you brought the traversers before the Police Magis-
trate, did he not say, " Mr. M'Mahon, your head is not right,"
and dismissed the complaint P—Sir, Mr. Gabbett would not be
such a blockhead. I had the honour to be a class-fellow with
him and the present Recorder in Trinity College, and he knew
me to be one of the brightest fellows in the University. So far
from dismissing the complaint, he took my informations.—
Was not coaxing the washer-woman when she threw the water
upon him.