The Sun.
London, England, 1848-08-07 00:00:00

MONDAY F,4VP,NING,

IRELAND.

ARREST OF MR. SMITH O'BRIEN.
THUR.LES, SeTURDAY NIGHT.
This evening, at eight Octeck; -Mr. Smith O'Blien
was arrested in the town of Thurles,-jutt as Ito w'as
.
on the point of leaving for Limerick.
.Tha arrest
was made without the slightest resistance either on
the part of the prisoner or the people, and the infa-
tuated rebel chief is now on his way to Dublin. He
was recognised in
passing through the principal
street of Thurles by --Hulme, a guard in the em-
ploy of the Great Southern and 'Western Railway
Company. Mr. O'Brien asked him the way to
the railway station, and Hulme having answered
the question, immediately sent a soldier off
for reinforcements. lie himself followed Mr.
O'Brien to the. station. On arriving there Mr.
O'Brien asked for a second class ticket to Lime-•
_rick, the price of which he pail His- manner
was so embarrassed that the clerk noticed it, nnd
o
particularly
wever,,
hisor of t
he h
face.
Havingon lie .
given di d nut,
more
money than wai sufficient to pay the fare, the clerk
returned him 6 I. change, but he took no notice of
this, and Wll6 walking away, when the clerk called
him back. On his return he asked which was the
right platfistm to go to, and being told that it was
that opposite where he stood he crossed the line to get
to it. There he was immediately arrested by Hultne,
who commanded him to surrender himself in the
Queen's name, and seized his arm to prevent any re-
sistance or the use of a weapon. Head-constable
Hanover, D, who held the warrant for his arrest, im •
mediately assisted Hulme, and Mr. O'Brien was at
once disarmed of a small pistol which he carried in
his waistcoat pocket, and which was the only weapon
he had about him. The reinforcement which
Hulme had the prudence to send for, and which
consisted partly of police and partly of sol-
diers, now arrived, and Mr. O'Brien was at once
conducted to the gaol, where arrangements were
apmmerca;spodorenndenfionrae:
wii,htshinn:luoftnvgeamr:nerncnwroteirns-ddeeilbunyirtyi,sn
rag hd determinedoet
rlhatey aptpoi
agchDett
0.
of
fbslGeti
ninem,dn
time,
n:rhadael
troop of dragoons and a detachment of infantry were
drawn out as..an escort to the station. In the mean
time the people began to assemble in groups, the
voices of women were heard waxing eloquently
rebellious, and every moment increased the signs
of popular agitation. General M'Donald's arrange-
ments, however, were made and carried out with
the greatest expedition and precision. The entrance
to the gaol was cleared by the police, a strong
body of infantry held the station, and a troop
of cavalry swept the streets clear of the crowds
that had assembled there. The shopkeepers were
imperatively ordered to close their doors, and the
General himself entered one or two where a disposi-
tion was shown to disobey his orders, and struck
terror into the inmates. In consequence of these
vigorous measures, not the slightest difficulty was
experienced in conveying Mr. O'Brien from the gaol
to the station. He was taketi there on a ear, which
was also occupied by Mr. Gore Jones and Captain
Fitzmaurice, the resident magistrate, and by General
M'Donald. A. strong escort of infantry and police
accompanied the prisoner, who was safely placed in a
special train previously prepared for the purpose of
conveying him to Dublin. Mr. O'Brien occupied the
centre seat in the carriage, and in the same compart •
ment were Lieutenant Alexander M'Donald, four
armed policemen, and the sub-inspector of constabu-
lary at Thurles. The train started on its way a few
minutes after ten o'clock. -

DUBLIN, SUNDAY MORNING, SIX O'CLOCK.
_ _

Mr. O'Brien has arrived, and has been safely
lodged in the Royal Barracks here by Lieutenant
M'Donald, to whose care his father, the General, en•
trusted the prisoner. Mr. O'Brien was prohibited
from speaking or moving on the way on pain of
instant death. He therefore tried to sleep, but his
efforts were not successful. His manner during
the journey was upon the whole confident and
self-possessed, though the uneasiness of his mind
would occasionally betray itself in his face,
and in the restless manner in which he changed
his position from time to time. He yawned
frequently, as, I believe, to account for the
tears which came starting into his eyes, and I
could see that anxiety of mind and personal ex-
posure have left dee:p traces behind them on his
features. On reaching the Dublin terminus he
walked to the barracks, guarded by a party of thirty
policemen; who had accompanied him by the train.
This capture is decisive as to the fate of the Irish re
hellion, and it is gratifying to think that it has been
effected so quietly. A report had for some hours
previously been industriously circulated in Thurles
that Mr. O'Brien had escaped to a sea-port in Galway,
and sailed for America.

Viscount Hardinge left town this day to take com-
mand of the troops at Clonrnel.
I am this moment informed that Mr. O'Brien has
been sent to Kilmainham, under the same escort as
that which accompanied him to Dublin- Prince
George of Cambridge has tints lost no time in pro-
viding for his safe keeping.
The few provincial journals which reached this
morning are totally barren of intelligence. All seems
to be quiet in the south.
The news of Mr. O'Brien's arrest, although ar-
riving at the untimely hour of two o'clock this morn-
ing by special engine from Thurles, flew like wild-
fire over the town. Even at this early hour the
subject forms the topic of discussion at every street
corner. People appear panic-stricken at the fate
of the leader of the insurgent army. Evident dis-
content, at his pusillanimous surrender without re-
sistance, is the prevailing feeling among the lower
classes.
Under the head of " Very important," the TVater-
ford Chronicle has the following :
" We hasten to lay the following very important letter
before our readers, which we received law yesterda)
evening:—

?" Goff's-bridge, Thursday Night:
" Dear Sir,—l hasten to inform you that Mr. Smith
O'Brien, Devie Reilly,
R. O'Gorman, and three French.
engineers, supped at Goff's-bridge last night. The)
are accompanied into this county (Wexford) with about
2,000 men, armed with rifles, pikes, &c. Mr. Smith
O'Brien appeared In good bealtti.and the best virits.—
I remain yours, " ARTHUR GOGMiTY.
" P.S.—I forgot to mention that Mr. Smith O'Brien
was joined by several clubs, numbering about 1,000
men."— 7 Imes.

CONDITION OF THE SOUTH OF
IRELAND.

GALEULLY, AUGUST 4.—After having traversed
the greater part of both ridings of the county Tip-
perary, I halt at this little village, situated at the foot
of the Galtee Mountains, and on the borders of the ,
county Limerick, to give you, a brief abstract of the
result of my observations. -Rebellion I found not.
I have said that I could not find rebellion ; that it
true. I did not see an army of insurgents, or any-
thing that gave indication ofr the actual existence of
civil war; nevertheless a rebellion does exist, if the
whole of the south of Ireland is not at this moment
plunged into all the horrors of a civil, or rather servile
war, the reason is to be attributed, not to the disin-
clination of the people to rise up in arms, but solely
to the want of a proper opportunity, and of
bold, able, and trusted leaders. This is
no
hasty impression or idle guess-work ; it i 3
a deliberate conviction ' founded on the most
satisfactory evidence. Every mile I travelled
every person I conversed with every
fact bearing on the subject which has come under
my observation, all have served to impres indelibly
on my mind the truth of the statement I have made.
Let no man lay the flattering unction to his soul
that the spirit of disaffection has been crushed.
True it is that the wise and salutary precautions of
the Government have saved the country from convul-
sion for the present; but the winter is fast approach
ing—the season for a bivouac will have passed—the
troops must be drawn into winter quarters, and
then the hour for mischief will have arrived. 1
have heard it stated—and the statement does not
u
seem improbable—that the leaders intend to remain
passive till the winter sets in--that they are quite
Much, however,
will depend upon circumstances.
stesatisfied,adiflryig hftoern thenabiding
the Government,present,
their wtiiitnhe
.harassing
the soldiery
that they are
and
In the course
of my wanderings I have met with a great
many country gentlemen, and all of them agree in
thinking that the rebellion is not extinguished, that
it still smoulders, and they look with considerable
apprehension to the coming winter. Certainly it is
unreasonable to calculate that all the wild theories
which have been propounded by the anarchists and
Jacobins—the visions of wealth, happiness, and'inde-
endence which have been held out to the misguided
people—it is unreasonable to suppose that these con-
, genial theories have taken no root, or that the people,
p
after such golden dreams, will sink back, without a
struggle of some kind, into their former position.

AU'GUST

The absentees are fast returning to the country,
and there are at present a great number of residt•r:t
gentry in the county of Tipperary. I trust their
presence may serve to check the existing spirit of in-
subordination.

There is a remarkable absence of agrarian outrage
just now, hut I have heard in many quarters serious
complaints of petty depredations which have. been
committed since the concentration of the police force
in the town. You will remember I had occasion to
remark on the same occurrences in a former letter
from Kilkenny.
In all quarters I have heard that there has been no
surrender of arms worth speaking of under the pro.
clamaVon. The constabulary are busily engaged in
searching for them, and to-day I met a large force
in the neighbourhood of the town of Tipperary en.:
gaged in that business, hut with little success. The
conduct of the Roman Catholic clergy in the present
crisis has been most praiseworthy, and I have heard it
commended by their bitter political opponents. On la%t
Sunday Dr. Howley, the pariah priest of the town I
have just mention( d, delivered a most impressive
discourse to his flock on the criminality of the club
system, and I have authority tor stating that it pro.
duced the very best results. The police in this county
are extremely vigilant ; patrols scour the country
every night, and all persohs found out at unseason-
able hours are searched.

THURLES, AUG. 5.

I returned to this town to-day, and on my arrival
found all quiet. The "moving column," under the
immediate command of General Ill'Donald, still re-

main encamped at the same place. It is said that the
74-h Regiment will shortly be ordered to Dublin.
The severe weather, scarce a day passing without
heavy rain, is already beginning to tell against the
troops exposed to its inclemency in camp, and num-
bers are reported sick. The General and his staff
occupy apartments in the principal hotel. The con-
stabulary when patrolling last night arrested two
individuals on suspicion of being concerned in the
existing conspiracy : one of them gave his name as
Fitzpatrick, and stated that he came from Dublin;
the other announced himself as an American who
had come to this country to see his friends. He gave
his name as Nolan. A letter of introduction, and
rather a considerable sum of money were found on
his person. Both prisoners have been remanded by
Mr. Gore Jones, the resident magistrate, for further
examination.

It is really wonderful what an impetus the pre-
sence of 2,000 soldiers has given to the provision
trade of the town.

The country people flock to the camp with milk,
butter, eggs, potatoes, turf, and other necessaries,
where they meet a ready market at remunerating
prices.— Chronicle.

THE BALLINGARRY AFFAIR-INQUEST ON

THE BODIES.

An inquest was held at Ballingarry on Monday, 31st
of July. by Thomas O'Meara, Bouladuff, coroner,
and a jury of the farmers of the locality, on view of the
bodies of Patrick M'Bride and Thomas Walsh, the two
men who were shot dead by the party of police on Satur-
day, the 29th July, in the affray b-tween the police and
the insurgents asstmblvd on the Commons of Boulick.
The inquest was attended by one of the local magistrates,
Mr. Going, of Ballyphillip, by Mr. Fiizclarence, R.M.,
as well as by General APDonald and the officers of his
staff. The coroner first took the evidence relative to the
death of M'Bride, and called
John ➢i'Brida, brother of the deceased, who, being
sworn, deptised that on Saturday 1 act he heard his
brother was shot at Farranroy, near the Commons, and
went in that direction, when he met some men carrying
him home on a door ; asked him what was the matter
with him, when he replied, " Oh, I'm killed." He said
no more until he came home, when he said he was
coming over the wall of the widow Cormack's yard ;
the police were at the time in the house when he was
shot in the back from the house. Witness stated that
deceased had gone with the crowd who followed the
police, and heard about half a dozen shots. He was a
servant boy that was making hay at the side of the road,
and when he saw the crowd he followed them.

In reference to the cause of the death of the unfor-
tunate man Walsh, the Coroner examined
Anne Walsh, wife of deceased, who, being sworn, de-
posed—l recollect Saturday last. My husband went to
work at breaking stones about six o'clock that morning.
About twelve o'clock I saw crowds of people going to
the Commons, and heard some shots, but I cannot
say how many. I then went to widow Cormack's
house, where the shots seemed to be firing, and saw
my husband lying on the -field outside the wall of
the house. I was going over to him, when two
guns were put out of the highest window of the house,
and some persons inside cried out to. me to go back,
or they would let the light through me.. There was not
a man near the house, or any other person except my-
self and my husband, and another man who was I)ing at
the wall of the house, struggling for life. The Rev. Mr.
Fitzgerald then came up, and I asked him to interfere to
;,et my husband's body, that I might bring it home to
wake it. I have one child, and had no way of living,
but my husband earned a pound of meal a day stone-
breaking on the relief work:;. It is Smith O'Brien I
blame for my husband's death, he would not have gone
there only for hun.
Dr. Ryon swore that the deceased had got a gun-shut
wound on one side of the chest, and au aperture at the
opposite side, where the bullet passed out. The shut
must have been tired by some person on a level with tho
deceased. That wound caused death.
The jury returned a verdict in both cases, that death
t!n=tied from gun-shot wounds inflicted by some of the
police, who had retired to the widow Cormack's house,
and fired in self defence. _ _ .

On the suggestion of General M‘Donald, Anne Walsh
was called, and on being asked did she received money
from Mr. '.;mitt, O'Brien after her husband was shot, she
said that Mr. O'Brien gave her a if. note before he left,
expressing the greatest sympathy with her misfortune,
'and telling her to bury her husband with the money.

TO THE SECRETARY OF THE
BRADFORD REFORM ASSOCIATION.
Sir,—On Wednesday the 2d, coffee and tea were
declared not to be beer nor fermented liquors, by a
majority of 44 against 34. This is a wholesome check
to the spirit of interference with everything the poor
loan eats, or drinks, or tries to turn to his amuse-
ment. The great good of it is, that it will postpone
the time when the poor will be obliged to try their
hands for a twelvemonth, at exercising the same ac-
tive benevolence towards the rich.
On the same evening the Cruelty to Animals Pre-
vention Bill, second reading, was put off for three
months, which is equivalent to being given up
tor the present. N o reason seems stated why
cruelty to animals should not be prevented,
except that the animals are not represented
in the House of Commons. It may occur to
some that the same reasoning may apply to more.
Two independent reasons, however, appear for sup-
porting the principle of such a Bill; one, that cruelty
to what are called animals, is intensely disagreeable
to some who boast of reason ; and the other, that a
set is made against legislative interference on the
iuhkt, by the school whose object is to establish the
right of the craftiest and strongest to have their way,
or what may be otherwise described as the " Anglo-
Saxon" school. It is no doubt possible for the prin-
ciple to be run riot on ; but what is a House of Com-
mons for, but to prevent ? The merciful man is mer-
ciful to his beast; and if he happens to have a vote,
here appears no reason why his mercy should not
show itself through an Act of Parliament.
On Thursday the Farmers' Estate Society (Ire-
land) Bill went through Committee. lam afraid I
did not make great progress in persuading anybody,
that the true way to put down Repeal rebellions, is
to show the discontented in Ireland (which is every-
body) that they can be better cared for by a Parlia-
ment of Scotch and English as well as Irish repre-
sentatives, than they ever were or will be by a Par-
liament in College-green. If a native of an-
other planet were to drop upon the earth,
he would rush to the conclusion that the
greatest godsend for a people in the cir-
cumstances of the Irish, would be to find their legis-
lation taken out of hands which,to use the mildest terms,
have been found incomparably unfortunate, and di-
vided with those who have had more success in the
task of making nations comfortable. There is no
strength in the argument, that Irish Members ought
to have a monopoly of Irish legislation because they
know most of Ireland. The knowledge of Ireland is
their bane ; they know too much. It is for that very
reason, that Ireland wants somebody that is not to be
of the nature of an interested jury ; somebody
that was riot born to the notion of injuries to requite
or oppressors to put down ; somebody who can look
upon a question without the interference of recollec-
tions going back to the.days of Brian Borlioitne. A
Ministry will sooner or later find out the necessity o t
applying the English mind to the Irish question ; and
every step towards it is a good. In this view, 1 hope
the muster of the Noes on Thursday night on the
Ten Acre motion, however small, hut of which the
half were Scotch and English Members, was not
without its use.
On Friday the battle went sore against the Tories
on the Corrupt Practices at Elections Bill. They
resisted like men contending pro aris et focis. In
fact, that such things can be so defended, is evidence
that the time must come when. an organic change, as
the phrase is, must mend the superstructure by put-
ting the whole on a foundation of more soundness.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
T. PERRONET THOMPSON.
Blackheath, London, Aug. 7, IS4B.

The Right lion. the Speaker gave the customary
Parliamentary entertainment to the officers of the nous,
of Commons prior to the prorogation of the session u!
Parliament, on Saturday last, at bis official residence
in
Eaton-square. The following gentlemen constituted the
circle :—Lord Charles Russell,Nir. Ley, Mr. W..Ley, 111 r.
Henry Ley, Mr. John Dorrington, Mr. Whittam, Mr.
Dyson, Mr. R. Gibbons, Mr. John Clementson, Mr.
James Booth, Mr. I'. Vardou, Mr. T. E. May, Hon.
George Waldegrave, Mr. R. A. Gusset, Mr. W. Hawes,
Mr. R. R. Gibbons, Mr. C. Rowland, Mr. A. Jones, Mr
G. Gunnell, Mr. Postlethwaite, Mr. J. Rose, Mr. C. Sr.
Pole, Mr. F. H. Gray. Mr. C. Frere, Mr. W. Rose, Mr.
W. Hodgkin, and the Rev. G. Repton and Mr. C. Lefroy,
' chaplain and secretary to the Speaker.