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

IRE LAiNTIJ:

DEPARTURE OF THE LORD-LIEITTENANT,
DUBLIN, FRIDAY MORNING._A special train has
been ordered on the Kingstown Railway fora quarter
to eight o'clock, when his Excellency the Lord-
Lieutenant will proceed to Kingstown Harbour,
where he will embark on board the Banshee steamer,
for Holyhead.
A Privy Council was held at the Castle yesterday
evening. At its rising it was stated by a competent
authority that several of the persons in custody,
charged with " treasonable practices," are at once to
be discharged on giving small security to appear
" when called upon.
A young man (says the Cork Constitution), whose
name is said to be Kelly, a buyer in one of our large
wholesale establishments, has returned from England,
where he has been actively engaged collecting sub-
scriptions for the defence of M`Manus. It is con-
fidently stated that Kelly was so successful as to
receive as high a figure as 500/. ! On his return
from England last week, he visited the prisoner in
Clonmel gao], when the sum thus collected not only
paid all expenses of his protracted and expensive trial,
but left him nearly 2001. for any purpose to which
he might deem it necessary to apply it. It is also
stated that Kelly, on his return to this city from
Clonmel, two or three days since, boasted that he had
the pleasure of dining in the gaol with Mthlanus,
O'Donohoe, and some others of the rebels, where,
thk.ugh convicted, they were in the enjoymentof every
luxury as regards eating and drinking, similar to that
obtained at any hotel.
DEATH OP SIR JOHN KENNEDY, BART.—This
Baronet, for many years so distinguished i© England
and Ireland by his patronage of the sports of the
field, died on the 13th instant at his residence near
Rathcoole, Dublin, aged sixty-three. He was one of
the baronets created during the viceroyalty of the
Earl of Mulgrave, now the Marquis of Normanby, in
1836. He was the son of Edward Kennedy, Esq.,
and married in 1819 the daughter of William Beau-
mon, Esq., by whom he bad issue five sons and one
daughter. He is succeeded by his son Edward. Sir
John was a magistrate and deputy-lieutenant for the
county of Kildare.
Tun `WEATHER.—The weather has moderated a
good deal since yesterday morning. The cold, tem-
pestuous wind has ceased, but there is now a heavy
fall of rain.

THE SPECIAL COMMISSION.
TRIAL OF MR. MEAGHER.
CLONNEL, TIWRSDAY.--The Court met
,at a quarter
past ten o'clock this morning.
John Tobin, the car boy, examined—This witness
deposed to having driven three gentlemen from a place
called Fairy-bill to Ballingarry. Two of them were
named Cantwell and Leyne. Thinks the prisoner was
the third: .He wore a straw hat. Afterwards, while he
was putting his horse to the car, he heard persons speak-
!lig to the crowd. Tbey were Mr. Dillon and the man
in a chip hat, who was called Mr. Meagher, whom he
heard speaking. The gentleman in the chip hat said,
" He'd gain Ireland in three months." The only arms
he saw with the people were a gun and a bayonet.
The witness Lamphire was then called. He repeated
the testimony he gave at the other trials relative to
the speeches made before Sullivan's public-house and
the visit of Mr. O'Brien to the yard of the mining
concerns. Saw Mr. Meagher at Sullivan's public-
house with the other gentlemen. Ile addressed the
people from the steps of one of the cars. He said,
" If they protected Mr. O'Brien they would have Ireland
free in a fortnight, and that he and other gentlemen
were going to raise the flame in other parts." Will not
swear that I did not on some of the other trials attribute
the words I have now attributed to Mr. Meagher to Mr.
O'Brien. I am confused in my memory by being
brought here so often. At Mr. O'Brien's trial I did not
remember that these words were used by Mr. Meagher.
Made two informations. In my first information there
is nothing of what occurred on the Friday evening.
Thinks Mr. Fitzmaurice, the magistrate, asked me about
the transactions of that evening, but I am not sure; will
not swear that he did not tell Mr. Dunne that Mr.
O'Brien used the words I have imputed to Mr. Meagher;
if I did, I did not tell what was the fact; but I do not
think I could have said such a thing.
The Clerk of the Crown read the second informations
of the witness, in which he swore that it was Mr.
O'Brien who spoke of going elsewhere to raise the flame.
Mr. WHITESIDE then called upon the Court and the
jury to take a note of the contradiction given by the
oral evidence of the witness to this particular statement
in his second informations.
An old woman, named Mary Keenan, was then called.
When she made her appearance on the table she said :
" My Lord, with the greatest submission, I beg leave to
speak a word. I have been bribed for the prosecution.
I have got this cloak and this cap. I have been bribed."
Clerk of the Crown—Take the book.
Witness took the book and kissed it. She was then
examined by the Attorney-General—l live on the Corn-
MOD?. I recollect the evening of the day of the fight at
the Widow Cormack's.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL—DO you know Mr. Meagher ?
Mary Keenan—Oh, I got a bribe ; I will say nothing.
You are upon your eath. You are bound to give
evidence. Look at that gentleman (the prisoner).
Witness buried her face in her hands.
Do you know that gentleman ?—1 don't, sir.
There was tome commotion in court at this part of the
proceedings, and many persons in the gallery laughed
at the strange appearance of the old woman and her de-
meanour on the table.
Chief Justice BLACHRURNE—The Court has for some
days observed great levity immediately outside the dock;
and if these marks of approbation or disapprobation be
continued, we will order the Court to be cleared of those
persons who are thus disturbing it.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL (to witness)—You must turn
about, madam.
Mr. Burr—She has already said she does not know
Mr. Meagher.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL—Oh, she must answer. Look,
my good woman, at the dock—do you know that gentle-
man? Witness—l tould you I got a bribe for spaking;
I got a cap, a handkerchief, a cloak, and stockings for
swearing; a constable got a pound and bought them
for me.

ATTORNEY- GENERAL—We will talk about the bribe
by-and-by. Do you know that gentleman—you must
answer me? Witness—l don't know him.
Did you ever see him before?—l might.
W ere you ever in Waterford?-1 was.
Did you know him there?—No answer.
Is that the gentleman you saw at Waterford ?—I don't
know, sir.
What acquaintance had you with him?—No acquain-
tance.
Were you at all acquainted with him?—When ten
years old I was. I had no acquaintance 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-
member.
Did you see that gentleman upon that evening at the
Commons?—l don't know—l saw several gentlemen.
The ATTORNEY-GENZRAL—COMe, woman, you must
answer? Witness—l am not able to answer you.
Did you see that gentleman, and were you 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 CRIMP juterzeis—letr. Attorney-General, will
you press her any more?
The ATTOZNEY-GZNERAL—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, Pimlott, Sub-
Inspector Trent, Sub-Inspector Cox, and Constable
Madden severally reiterated the testimony they had
given at 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. Tho previous trials had paved the way for
the conviction then on his trial; and his Learned Friend
hushed 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 in 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 most
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 admired by Mr. O'Connell
for his talents. He had one vice, namely, a determina-
tion always to avow his principles; and 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, and observed that diffe-
rence of political opinion ought not to separate men in
private life. He also desired that his native city might
be prosperous and sccial happiness and civil freedom
prevail in it. In February, 1846, he became an active
member of the associations and upon no occasion did he
shrink from avowing nationality in strains of enthusiastic
eloquence. Counsel also read another speech in which
Mr. Meagher uttered very liberal sentiments, and ad-
vocated the general rights of his fellow-citizens. His
theory, right or wrong, was this—and he bad done a
lasting benefit to the country by it—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 of the two