The Sun.
London, England, 1848-10-21 00:00:00

b Elton
„

HUNGARY.
A Breslau paper of the 13th has the following from
Presburg :—" The troops have left their barracks and
fraternized with the people. Some of the officers who
endeavoured to restrain their men were hissed and
scouted. On the 7th a letter was brought from Jel-
lachich to General Kuhr, commander of the brigade
at Presburg, and the messengers were arrested by the
Burgher Guard and taken to the Hotel de Ville. Ge-
neral Kucehr was sought to read the letter, but he
could not be found. The letter was then opened, and
proved to have been written by General Zeisberg, in
the name of Jellachich, in nearly the following terms,
from head-quarters, at Altenburg, in Hungary :
' You have taken possession of the bridge of Presburg,
and in what manner ? Send me such troops as you
can spare. Have you received my letter of yesterday?
Let me know the disposition of the people of Pres-
burg, and the state of things there.' As soon as this
letter was read,.the:people sekabout to search for Gen
Kucehr, that they might hang him. But the troops
immediately abandoned their posts and retired from
the city, and the General was nowhere to be
found. A portion of the soldiers came back and joined
the National Guard, after having shot their Colonel
and Captain, who endeavoured to constrain them.
The other troops, it is stated, are watched by the
Cecopieri infantry and the Joseph regiment of
Dragoons. There are in Presburg 8,000 peasants
armed with scythes."

THE NAV Y.
(From the United Service Gazette of this day.)
THE ADMIRALTY.—The Earl of Auckland is still
absent from the Admiralty on a visit to his Lord-
ship's brother, the Bishop of Sodor and Man. The
Hon. Captain Berkeley,. C. 8., has arrived at
the Admiralty. Lord John Hay and the Hon. W.
Cowper are still i❑ the country.
SCREW MEN-OF-WAR. -- The Admiralty have
directed Captain Austen, C. 8., the superintendent of
steam-vessels afloat, to take the two screw steam-
schooners, Sharpshooter and Rifleman, under his
command, and to proceed with them for a cruise in
the Channel for three days, to tests their respective
merits under steam and canvass. They are sister
vessels; but the former is of iron, with 202-horse
power, and the latter is of wood, and has had her 202-
horse power engines taken out, and is now supplied
with engines taken out of the Teazer, of 100-horse
power. The engines of both are by Miller and
Ravenhill. It is expected that the difference in speed
will be trifling, whilst the advantage in the saving of
room, weight, and stowage, will be a most important
acquisition.
LIE 10/ilex PACBETB.--It will be remembered
that we expressed our doubts, a few weeks since, that
the lonian Government would accept the iron steam-
packets, Antelope and Oberon, built purposely by the
Admiralty for their Mail Service between the lonian
Islands and Malta, on account of their inferiority in
point of speed and stowage. It has turned out ex-
actly as.we anticipated ; the lonian Government have
thrown them back on the hands of the Admiralty,
who have ordered Sir William Parker to employ
them again in any service for which they are
adapted, under his command. These vessels cost
originally, when fitted for service, about 37,0001.
each.

A STOP TO REDUCTIONS.--We trust that we are
at length arrived at the lowest point of reduction of
our ships and seamen—starvation of the latter we
should rather say. During the past week, some 700
officers and men have been paid off, but orders have been
issued for the complement of the Powerful, 84, at Spit-
head; and the Sprightly and Dwarf steamers, on the
coax ;of Ireland and now manned from the Excellent,
are to return their crews to Portsmouth, and are to enter
separate complements. We believe, too, the Racer,
12, is ordered home frum Lisbon, when her crew will
go to their ship the Caledonia. She will be regularly
fitted out, and the Caledonia will also be fully
manned, and increased from 490 to 750 ; her defects
are to be made good, and she is to receive on board
all her sea stores, and to complete provisions for four
months. The crew of the Rifleman has gone back
to the Powerful, and that vessel is entering a com-
plement of 80 men. Medina has been commissioned,
and to have a complement of GO men. The Teazer
has also been commissioned, and is to have 50 men.
SHIPS TOR COMMISSION.—Some little activity is at
length beginning to be manifested again at our ports,
in bringing forward ships for commissioning :—The
Amazon, 19, corvette, at Devonport ; Daphne, 20, at
Sheerness; Sappho, 16, and Orestes, 16, at Ports-
mouth, have been ordered to be masted, rigged, and
prepared in every respect for the reception of officers
and crews.

THE STEAM RESERVE.—There has been another
movement with respect to the steamers at the ports
during the past week. At Portsmouth, the Sphynx,
Rattler, Hecate, and Growler, sloops, are to be kept
ready rigged and stored as they now are, for imme-
diate service, their topmasts only being struck. The
Retribution and Centaur, frigates, and the Salaman-
der and Phoenix are to have their masts taken out,
with the exception of their lower masts and bowsprits,
and all the other steamers refitting and repairing,
these are to be completed and placed in the second
division, such as the Cormorant, Devastation, and
Urgent. The Birkenhead is to have her defects made
good, and to be kept perfectly ready for the convey-
ance of troops. The Encounter, screw sloop, is to be
brought forward for immediate commission. At
Sheerness, the Virago sloop, is to have her topmasts
struck, and her lower rigging is to be kept stowed
away on board ; but the Conflict frigate, is to be dis-
masted and unrigged, everything being stowed care-
fully away and kept ready. These are judicious as
well as economical arrangements of the Admiralty
for the winter.
THE GUARD SHIP AT AscENszort.--Reports have
prevailed that the Tortoise, store and guard ship, at
Ascension, Captain Hutton, has been ordered home.
It would not appear that such is the fact, if it be
true, as stated, that orders have been sent to Ascen-
sion for those seamen who have served in the Tor-
toise four years to be sent home to be paid off, unless
they should feel inclined to re-enter the service at
Ascension for another term of years. This order
is to bar the claim to double pay for all those served
above four years.
THE SUPERINTENDENTSHIP OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
—We copy the following from a morning contempo-
rary :----We may preface it by remarking that our
own information, from a source on which we believe
we may rely, goes to confirm the report that Captain
Lushington, now commanding
.the Vengeance, 84,
will have the offer of this lucrative but very respon-
sible post; and most likely Sir Henry Leeke will
succeed Captain Lushington in command of his pre-
sent ship. The nomination is in the Board of Di-
rectors, but the veto lies with the First Lord of the
Admiralty. Both in the estimation of the directors
and the First Lord, we believe Captain Lushington
stands very high. He is a son-in-law of the gallant
Admiral Superintendent of Portsmouth Dockyard:—
" Among a dozen other officers, Captain Sir Henry
Blackwood, Sir llenry Lushington, Captain Min-
gaye, and, in fact, almost every Captain who has
served in India for the last twenty years, has been
named as likely to succeed to the superintendentship
of the Indian Navy; and now we find the name of
Sir Henry Leeke brought into the list of expectants
for this post. So far as the latter is concerned, we do
not think that Gallant Officer would sacrifice his
chance of completing his time for his flag rank by the
acceptance of even such a lucrative command as that
of the Indian Navy. It is more likely that he will
receive frem his own Admiralty the full satisfaction
of his undoubted claims on them, by succeeding to
the command of Devonport Ordinary, on the pro-
motion of Captain Meade."
We regret to state that Vice-Admiral of the White,
Robert Jacksoa, is seriously indisposed. The Gallant
and venerable officer was a Lieutenant in 1790, and,
we believe, is above eighty years of age.

BRISTOL SUGAR MARKET, OCT. 20.—The market
has been inactive this week, and the transactions since
our last are quite unimportant. Refined goods find a
steady sale, but at very low rates. In rum there is very
little doing.—Bristol Mercury.
CHICHESTER BARRACE.S.—It is rumoured that ex•
tensive alterations will shortly be made both to the in-
fantry and cavalry barracks in this city. Should the
enlargement of the buildings take place, the latter will
contain an entire regiment.
GREENWICH PENSIONERS.—The old fellows who
recently played the one-armed and one-legged game of
cricket, have been ordered to wear the yellow jacket, for
having lent their second suit of uniform to parties not
connected with the hospital for the purpose of playing
the match.
"Tux READER": IN A PRINTING-OFFICE.—In a
printing establishment, " the reader" is almost the only
individual whose occupation is sedentary; indeed, the
galley slave can scarcely be more closely bound to his
oar than is a reader to his stool. On entering his cell,
his very attitude is a striking and most graphic picture
of earnest attention:: Itis evident, from its outline, that
the whole power of his mind is concentrated in a focus
upon the page befOre him; -and, as in midnight the
lamps of the mail which illuminate a small portion of
the road seem to increase the pitchy darkness which in
every other direction prevails, so does the undivided at- •
tention of a reader to his sUbject evidently abstract his
thoughts from all other considerations. An urchin stands
by, reading to the reader from the copy—furnishing him,
in fact, with an additional pair of eyes; and the shortest
way to attract his notice is to stop his boy; for no sooner
does the stream of the child's voice cease to flow, than
the machinery of the man's mind ceases to work: some-
thing has evidently gone wrong; he accordingly at once
raises his weary head; and a slight sigh, with one pas-
sage of the hand across his brow, is generally sufficient
to enable him to receive the intruder with mildness and
attention. Although the general interest of literature,
as well as the character of the art of printing, depends
on the grammatical accuracy and typographical correct-
ness of " the reader," yet from the cold-hearted public
he receives punishment, but no reward. The slightest
oversight is declared to be an error; while on the other
hand, if by his unremitting application no fault can be
detected, he has nothing to expect from mankind but to
escape and live uncensured. Poor Goldsmith lurked a
reader in Samuel Richardson's office for many a hungry
day in the early part of his life.--Quarterly Review.
THE NEW ARCHBISHOP OF PARIS.—M. Sibour,
the new Archbishop of Paris, who took possession of
his see by deputy on the 12th, on Wednesday made his
solemn entry into the metropolitan church. The
chapter, curis, and vicaires of the diocese, the semina-
ries, ecclesiastical communities, and an immense crowd
of the faithful were assembled. On arriving at the great
door of the church, the prelate was complimented by
the Abbe Gaguemet, first Vicar-General, Archidiacre
of Notre Dame, and Dean of the Chapter, who, in a
well-timed speech, reminded the new Archbishop that
three months before the walls of the church were orna-
mented with inscriptions in honour of the pastor who
bad given his life for his flock, and that the church of
Paris, laying aside its mourning, saw with joy the ar-
rival of a pastor disposed to make the same sacrifice if
God should require it. The Archbishop replied in suit-
able terms. He was then conducted to the altar, where
some prayers were said. He then ascended the pulpit,
and delivered an address to the people on the duty of
the pastor to the flock and the flock to the pastor. On
returning to the altar he received the obedience of all
the priests, who, two by two, kissed his ring, and he
gave them his blessing. This ceremony terminated, he
chanted from his pontifical chair the vespers of St.
Denis, first Bishop of Paris, after which he gave the
solemn benediction. The Te Deum was then chanted,
and on its conclusion the clergy, in procession, recon-
ducted the Archbishop to .the archiepiscopal residence.
A considerable crowd pressed round the procession, an
the Archbishop frequently gave his blessing to the
people.—Paris Paper.
AN AMERICAN MARVEL.--A dead alligator, as
newspaper readers may remember, which was lately
found floating in the bay of New York, awakened much
speculation among naturalists; the recent discovery of
the skeleton of another, almost as far north, in New
Jersey, is therefore, not a novelty of wonder in these
regions, except from the immense size of the latter, and
from a matter of most curious antiquatian interest con-
nected with its exhumation. This last alligator or cro-
codile, measuring 30 feet in length, was found in Eaton-
town, New Jersey, about ten miles from Long Branch,
while digging for marl. The skeleton lay about six feet
beneath the surface in a stratum of green sand; and
underneath this skeleton, as if it had dropped from the
mouldering stomach of the monster, was found an ancient
coin! This coin is described to us by an intelligent cor-
respondent, who has handled it, as about the size of a
dollar; its coinposiiion, in which there is a large share
of silver, being probably Corinthian brass. On the face
of it is the, figure of a lion, with the date " 6-48" in
Arabic numerals; on the reverse, amid several illegible
letters, the fragmentary words, "Arg. Procon. Latia
Mo." may be deciphered round two larger letters in the
centre, ono of which is the Greek "II" with an " It"
interwoven with it. We understand that the whole of
this curious matter is to be brought before -some anti-
quarian society in the regular mode, with all the neces-
sary testimony as to facts particular of the discovery.
But while those learned gentlemen are puzzling them-
selves as to the pro-consulship in which this coin was
cast, and calling in the aid of the geologist to amount for
its locality, our quick-minded readers will instantly jump
to the honest conclusion that this crocodile, who found
burial amid the sands of New Jersey, had, 2,000 years
ago, half digested some Roman soldier in the rivers of
Africa, ere he floated westward for a new meal, with the
poor fellow's.last coin still preserved in his maw.—New
York Literary World.
MILK FOR THE PEOPLE.—There exists on Long
Island, near Brooklyn, several manufactories of milk—
the process of which should be known. One of these
dairies covers a space of 600 feet front by 300 feet deep,
carefully closed in, so as to be as private as possible—
the business of the people being to drink the milk, not
to know how it is made. In this enclosure 400 cows are
kept all the year round. These cows are fed on the re-
fuse slop of whiskey distilleries, and it is given to them
warm. Each barrel costs six cents, but being adulter-
ated with water and cheap feed brings the price still
less. Such is the fbndness of the cows for this vile com-
pound, that after having fed upon it for a week or more
their appetites become so depraved that they will take
no other food. The result is, their milk producing
organs are stimulated to a wonderful degree ; they
yield enormously, but soon become diseased ; their
gums ulcerate, their teeth drop out, and their breath
becomes fetid. Though thus diseased, they do not fall
away in flesh, but, on the contrary, puff and bloat to
an appearance of great fatness ; their joints stiffen so
that they cannot lie down, and rarely or never come out
alive. Bad as this is, the milk is afterwards mixed
with molasses water and whiting, and then sold to the
people of New York for pure milk ! Any one may ob-
serve the thirty- six vans that carry it round every
morning. It is of course very injurious to children, who
use it in much greater quantities than adults. Some idea
may be formed by computing one barrel of slop to a cow,
costing sixpence, and the milk produced being eighty
cents. —New York Paper.
ACCIDENT ON THE ABERDEEN RAILWAY.--We
regret to announce that this (Tuesday) morning's train
from the south, when near the Dubton station, was
thrown off the line with a violent concussion, sending
the engine across the other line of rails into a bank of
earth, tearing up about forty yards of the rails, whereby
the engine-driver was considerably injured, it is hoped
not seriously. It is believed the cause was the breaking
of a crank handle, which thus forced the engine off the
line. The stoker had a narrow escape, as well as the
passengers.—Brechin Advertiser.
ACCIDENT.—OD Saturday afternoon Lord Ran-
cliffe was going slowly down Pelham-street in his car-
riage, and when near the bottom of the street, a lad,
whose name we have not been able to learn, slipped, and
before his Lordship could pull up the horses, rolled
under the fere-wheel, which passed over his body. The
lad was taken tip, and, we understood, was conveyed to
the infirmary, but on making inquiries there such turns
out to be the fact. His Lordship did all in his power to
prevent the
—Nottigham Journ accident. The lad is said to be recovering.
al.
LIEUTENANT EDWARDES:-.-Al3 was anticipated by
every one who had the slightest appreciation of military
skill and successful gallantry, the special elevation of
Lieutenant Edwardes to the local rank of Major has
been followed by a decoration of the order of the Bath.
We are sorry, however, to see by the Gazette of last
night, that he is only appointed to the third class of the
military division C.B. ..........
RUN-A-WAY TRAIN.—On the evening of Saturday
last, the 14th instant, the train belong:ng to the The-
land Counties Company, which should have left Not-
ting for Codnor Park at six, was formed, and placed as
usual on a siding ready to be drawn by the engine at-
tached to the station at the proper time. From some
cause or ether the engine got into motion and pushed
the carriages before it along the down line from Not-
tingham to Fisherton, a distance of about fifteen miles,
where it was stopped, most probably from the fire re-
quiring replenishing. Neither driver nor stoker were
with the engine, and it was indeed most providential
that no accident happened, especially as Saturday is
market day at Nottingham, and the line crosses every
turnpike and highway on the level. It affords a strong
instance of the danger which may arise to the public
from the Legislature having permitted railways to cross
existing public roads on the level, whilst trains may be
propelled along the lines by ungoverned engines. Or
course the Lincoln train and its passengers, as well as
the Codnor Park train, were detained until intelligence
had reached Nottingham (which it did about a quarter-
past seven) of the " whereabouts " of the run-a-way.
VOLUNTARY EDUCATION.—At a large meeting of
the delegates and friends of the Congregational Union,
held at Leicester, on Thursday last, G. Leeman, of
York, Esq., in the chair, speeches were delivered by
the Reverend James Persons, Mr. E. Baines, and
others, in favour of the voluntary principle in educa-
tional matters ; and resolutions were agreed to in sup-
port of the Educational Board of the Congregational
Union.

Nere you at all acquainted with him?—When ten
years old I was. I had no ecquaintance with him only
to see him.
Do you recollect seeing any gentleman about Sulli-
van's house near the Commons before Friday evening?—
There were a great many gentlemen.
Were you renewing any old acquaintance with him
there?—l don't know whether I was or not—l don't re-
memher.
Did you see that gentleman upon that evening at the
Commons ?—I don't know—l saw several gentlemen.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL—COMF, woman, you must
answer? Witness—l am not able to answer you.
Did you see that gentleman, and wereyou speaking to
him?—No, I have not a bit of memory, sir.
You have not a bit of memory ?—No, sir. I am a poor
lone widow, making my way through the world.
The CHIEF JUSTICE—Mr. Attorney-General, will
you press her any more?
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL—NO, my Lord. You may
go down' madam.
Mary Keenan rolled her cloak about her and adjusted
her cap, and then went rapidly off the table, covering
her face in her cloak.
Owen Cullen, John Pemberty, William Pimlott, Sub-
InsFector Trent, Sub-Inspector Cox, and Constable
Madden severally reiterated the testimony they had
given st the former trials.
Mr. Kemmis then proved the copy of the order in the
Privy Council for the prosecution of Mr. Meagher.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL next handed the other do-
cuments in the case to Mr. Pedder, the Clerk of the
Crown, by whom they were read. These documents
consisted of the letters written by Mr. Meagher to Mr.
O'Brien and Mr. P. J. Smith, jun., both of which have
been already published.
Mr. WHITESIDE, Q.C., then rose to address the jury
on the part of the prisoner. Had his client been the
first prisoner tried, or had he been tried in some happier
portion of this empire, he (Mr. Whiteside) avowed that
his acquittal would have been certain; but the Attorney
General, with consummate art, had reserved that case
for the last. The previous trials had paved the waYlor
the conviction then on his trial; and his Learned Friend
flushed with his past successes, had reserved the verdict
he anticipated in that case for the closing triumph of the
Special Commission. The Learned Gentleman then
proceeded to animadvert upon the law of treason as laid
down is the opening address of the Attorney-General,
and according to his views of its nature. He then
stated the career of his client, which the Attorney-
General desired by this prosecution to close for ever.
It was four years since he left the college in which
he had been educated, in which some of the post
distinguished men at the bar had been educated.
He came over from England at the time that Mr.
O'Connell was agitating the country by means of
monster meetings, and was adr&red by Mr. O'Connell
for his talents. He had one vice, namely, a determinae
lion always to avow his principles; end in 1845 he got
into a difficult position by his openness and firmness of
purpose, by advocating the education of the youth of the
country through the means of colleges to be established
in Ireland. He was charged with infidelity, and the
great man to whom he alluded was the person who got
up the storm against him. The counsel here read the
speech made by Mr. Meagher on that occasion, in which
he advocated mixed education, end observed that diffe-
rence of political opinion ought not to separate men in
private lite. He also desired that his native city might
be prosperous and social happiness and civil freedom
prevail in it. In February, 1846, he became an active
member of the association atm upon no Occasion did he
shrink from avowing nationality in strains of enthusiastic
eloquence. Counsel also read another speech in which
Me. Meagher uttered very liberal ,sentiments, and ad-
vocatid the general rights of his le:lew-cit.zens. His
theory, right or wrong, was this—and he had done a
lasting benefit to the country by if,--namely, that
without the union of all classes nationality
could not be achieved. The next epoch was the
interesting period when the Whigs came into office A
discussion arose in the association ; the question was
whether Repealers should hold office, and his opinion was
Government patronage was desirable, and 9f the two

Parties- he objected most to the Whigs, who could be
induced to confer place upon Repealers by a little safe I
agitation. The next occurrence was the proposition by
him to oppose the return of dr. Shell for Dungarvon:
he
was overruled, and pronounced to be an impracticable
person. Next followed the celebrated peace resolutions;
be refused to agree to the resolution that in no event
was resistance justifiable, an absurdity proved by the
very existence of the Queen upon her throne ; he was
accordingly expelled, and he afterwards wrote letters
and essays enforcing his opinions. In one of these he
warned the people against the destruction of the aristo-
cracy, describing them as the patrons of the arts, and
those who were beneath them. In January, 1848, the
Irish Confederation was formed, but Mr. Meagher moved
a resolution condemnatory of places and place-hunters.
The - Counsel here read the opinions of Mr.
Meagher. He thenceforward regularly attended
the Confederation, and avowed his sentiments which
were in favour of the rights of property and
the preservation of the different orders of the State,
maintaining, however, his opinions, that the ancient and
good constitution of his country ought to be restored.
Ceurisel here read a paper drawn up on the formation of
the Grattan Club, which was established to originate a
riblic opinion in Ireland—if this were done they said
the 'English province would die, and a nation arise.
Combine the opinion of the country, he further said,
and it should prevail, and in furtherance of that senti-
ment his subsequent actions were directed. Upon the
subject of the place hunters he expressed his opinion to
be, that the Ministry held out places as kinds of baits
for apostate; and he referred to Lamertine's idea in
reference to Denton, who terrified and thwarted the
Government that they might purchase him, and opened
his mouth in order that it might be stuffed with gold.
He attended Belfast when an attempt was made to com-
bine the people in that project of a national union. He
there denied any desire of ascendancy. The next trans-
action in which he figured was at the Galway election.
At that time Mr. O'Flaherty was opposed to the Attor-
ney-General, and he (Mr. Meagher) did take an
active !art -.against him, He next became a candidate
for Waterford, and addressed the constituents in terms
full of- • sentiments of civil and religious liberty, and
reprobation of bigotry. Upon that occasion he was not
chosen; a Member of Parliament. If the indictment
ageinst his client were for a conspiracy, a person could
understaud why such speeches as those which the coun-
sel relied upon should- be admitted in evidence, but the
chaeide against him was the actual' levying-of war.
Counsel then cited the speech of Mr. Meagher upon the
15th of March, a few days after the election at Galway.
It was a' monstrous proceeding to take a speech which
was onlr seditious when spoken, but had now grown into
treason, to establish the highest crime, though when
'spoken ft could not sustain. a smaller one. An address
preceded the speech, which be would read. He never
denied that any -speech or declaration made at the time
his client was doing an act that evinced his guilty intent
could be, received in evidence; but he did object to taking
old.sta,le speeches, mixing them up with other speeches,
then piling up what was-called " cumulative treason," and
bringing all to bear upon the prisoner. The Attorney-
General did not read the address to which he referred, his
object being to show that some time or other something
was. to be done, and contrary to authority, they were by
inference to involve the prisoner in guilt. There never
was a speech, sermon, or text, that might not be muti-
lated and perverted or converted into blasphemy, where
there was none intended ; and he would also protest
against speeches being received as evidence of treason.
With deference to gentlemen who talked about revolu-
tions and the " meteor flag," and attempted to fasten
treason upon his client by detached sentences, there
were revolutions that were justifiable, where injustice in
tribunals, at the judgment seat in the court, and the
right of expressing opinion was denied to the people,
led to revolutions which could not be accomplished
otherwise. The best men he had ever known in his
early career had talked the same thing about the meteor
flag, Lamartine, and such subjects ; and he would
not give a rush for the young man who did not, at
some time or other, hope to restore the departed
glories of Greece and Rome. And was it not mon-
strous that a young man, inspired by classic enthusiasm,
and inflamed by a high imagination, was to be arraigned
and put on trial for his life for the utterance of such
sentiments at; -these? If the jury did find him guilty,
they should write themselves slaves with the same pen
with which they signed the verdict. A jury would not
convict him for the seditious speech which, had they
convicted him, would have been followed only by im-
prisonment, and now the speech was to he used against
him on a trial for his life. But the Attorney-General
said that the prisoner had an idea in his mind, a vi-
sionary intent, which he afterwards intended to carry
into effect. He 'had-books of reports of the trials after
the old revolution in England, is which such speeches,
songs;- and sentiments were introduced against the pri-
soners, all which were rejected by the jury. He would
not read the speech in which the deadly virus of the entire
of the speeches was concentrated, namely, that in which
" the prisoner used the expression, " that if the delegates
were refused the demand of an interview with the
Queen, they should pack up their Court dresses, and the
next tinre they appeared at the Court of St. James's, it
would bless the accredited agents of the Irish Republic,"
&c. What did they think of the liberality of the At-
torney-General, who having failed in a prosecution for
sedition for that very speech, now indicted the prisoner
for treason ? He might have tried him a second time,
but because one jury disagreed, he did.not again bring
the case before another jury, but now he brought the
charge of treason before a Tipperary jury. They were
called firm and resolute men, but they should take care
that they did not earn for themselves the character of
having acquired that character at the expense of jus-
tice and .humanity. Assert the law, convict if the
person charged were guilty—he never would blame a
jury for finding a verdict upon their oaths, but. while
a case was pending was he not at liberty to appeal to
their honours and their consciences, and ask them to
reject a speech which had been brought before a jury
as enlightened as they were when a disagreement was
the result ? He was sorry that his client had not been
prosecuted a second time. The Attorney-General ought
to have:done so. It was his duty to vindicate the law,
and the prosecution ought to have been followed up.
Had it been so, his client would not be on his trial for
his life. The real crime of the speech, if any, was no-
thing more than an attempt to induce the Government
to grant a parliamentary constitution and reconstruct
Irish nationality. Counsel then referred to the speech
delivered by the prisoner upon the 15th of April, 1848,
and this speech the Attorney-General informed them
related to the prospective idea of carrying out a treason-
able intent. He said that they might conjecture that at
some distant period the speaker relied upon procuring
assistance from France. The gentleman who reported
for the Government stated that the speech was delivered
at a soiree, and did they ever hear of a treasonable
intention carried out with the admission of a Govern-
ment reporter to take notes of all that was said?
Mr. Meagher alluded to France and Italy in that
speech which he delivered, and those allusions
literally meant nothing, for ,he had never known a
speaker who did not allude to these countries 23 it
suited his purpose; but to charge a person with levying
war by these speeches, was a perversion of law and justice.
They remembered that a flag was presented on the oc-
casion of the dinner. But whether it was orange, green,
or tricolour was a matter of little moment, and did not
prove high treason. But what was the flag? It was a
flan of the volunteers of 1782. They knew who these
volunteers were —they were Protestants, who resolved
to have liberty and free trade, and they had it. That
period was the brightest in their history. Having al-
ready trespassed up in the attention of the jury in refc-
reneo to the first speech, they would be good enough to
curry in, their minds his observations in connexion with
the second speech. In ref, recce to the passage in which
the rescue of Mr. Mitchel was spoken of, Mr. White-
eide sail, that even if the rescue had taken place, it
would not have been treason. Counsel then referred to
the Act of Parliament which came into force upon the
22d of April, 1448. The speech was delivered in the
month following, so that the Act was in full force then.
The moment that speech was dc livered the Attorney-
General might have prosecuted Mr. Meagher. He had
a cc:grainy of inflicting upon him a reasonable
punishment—not that of death—but he lay by and
never sought to enfore the law. He had enforced
it against five, but did not enforce it against
the prisoner. He drew the attention of the jury to the
nature of the Act of Parliament, which required a writ-
ten information within six days after the words were
spoken, a warrant within ten days, and two witnesses,
and he contended that nothing could have been a greater
violation of the policy and spirit and intent of the Act
than to hoard up speeches for months, and then construct
treason ou,t of it. The Act of Parliament was passed to
punish a person who compassed war. He had the speech
before him, and why had he not prosecuted under it?
Because be knew well it was not evidence of a, corn-
passinof war. Counsel then detailed the circumstances
which Sad to the conviction of Mr. Mitchel. He felt the
mode of that trial to be a grievance. He did net object
to the jury who were trying himself, but he was indig-
nans upon public principles that a trial should have been
so contracted. He might have been wrong in his lopi-
nions,hut they should not punish him for his conscientious
opinions:'' Ho would next refer to the speech delivered
by Mr.- Meagher on the occasion of his opposing the
plan of Mr. Mitchel, and repudiating the notion of an
insurrection as impracticable and surd to be frus-
trated. In that spetch he combatted the idea that con-
stitutional agitation was a delusion. That speech most
distinctly denied that there should be an insurrection.
He voted :against. the propositions, and Mr. Mitchel
was, in fact, expelled. They had heard proved by Mr.
Hodges' the docuwent called a report of what led to the
conviction of Mr. Mitchel. This Mr. Meagher felt to
be a grievance, or an insult, which was worse, and he
objected to the constitution of the jury who tried his
friend, Ho protested against the speeches of Mr.
Meagher being brought into' a case where the crime
charged was a. matter of fact—an absolute herein..' of
war. The attempt to rescue Mitchel, a proposition to
do it, showed a single and individual intent, and not one
of a general character. The prisoner literally opposed
the project of
y a rescue, and yet they were told that he
bad been guilty of treason. He did not explain an -
thing, but left it to him to explain; and his explanation
was, that his client had laid before the clubs—as the
document had stated—the reasons for not attempting a
rescue. John Mitchel was convicted and sentenced to
transportation. There had been no outbreak, no in-
surrection, no violence, yet his client was to be re-
garded as a traitor for his speech. 0 tempora, 0 mores!
the same paper that ctendemned the partial rescue
of an individual was stringent and potent evidence of a
general intent of levying war! Swallow that if they
could—act upon a doubt if they could, and if they did he
knew not what innocent man in that kingdom might not
he stricken down as" a victim by that new law of high
treason which was not the law in England, for law there
was based upon justice and reason. Ho supposed that
Mr. Meagher had alluded in his speech to the Canadian
revolt. They had heard of the Canadian rebels, who
took up arms against the Government cf Canada. The
Causdans ilia return irk triurapia, and the geutleuatul for