The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-15 00:00:00

WANDSWORTH.

Mr. Henry Knill, the contractor for the Richmond
Railway, charged Charles Harris, one of the drivers,
with negligent driving, and thereby injuring two horses,
his property.

It appeared fron the evidence given by Thomas Cook,
another driver, that about half-past six o'clock that
morning he saw the prisoner, who had charge of a long
train of empty carter waggons drawn by two hones, go
behind the waggons, and the consequence was that the
horses went off the "fatter," or roadway, and were only
prevented falling down the embankment by being held
up by their collars. To prevent the animals being stran-
gled, however, it was necessary to cut the harness, and
then they fell about sixteen feet, injuring themselves
very much. Had the prisoner not left the head of his
horses the accident could not have occurred.

The prisoner treated the affair very lightly, and said
the accident arose from the many waggons being
attached, and the horses in straining themselves got off
the line.
Mr. CLIVE said his only wonder was how such great
works could be carried on when so much dependence
was obliged to be placed in such a careless, abusive set of
men as were invariably to be met with on new railway
lines. The contractor had kindly pressed fur no punish-
ment, otherwise he would have convicted the prisoner in
the full fine of 40s.—The prisoner was then discharged,
Mr. Knill afterwards charged a lad named John West,
about sixteen years of age, with the following miscon-
duct :
The contractor stated, that about half-past eight
o'clock that morning, he saw the prisoner with one of
the railway barrows, running a quantity of gravel into a
ditch, and as it approached the edge, another boy
" spragged" the wheel, that is, inserted a leg of wood
between the spokes, which caused the barrow to tip, as
the trucks do on the line. By this amusement he had
had between thirty and forty barrows destroyed ; and
as he found this lad was much older than those who
were with him, he gave him into custody. Mr. Knill
said he had no desire to press for a conviction, as he
thought that his being apprehended would be a sufficient
punishment.
Mr. CLIVE told the lad he was very fortunate this
time, and trusted that would be a caution to him.

IRELAND.
DISTRESS OF THE PEOPLE.

DUBLIN, APRIL 12.—The accounts from the counties
of Limerick, Clare, and Kerry, represent the condition
of the people as almost approaching to a crisis, and un-
less the most prompt and decisive measures are adopted,
there is every reason to apprehend that the most lament-
able consequences will ensue.

Symptoms of insubordination are already beginning
to maniks: themselves, as will be perceived by the fol-
lowing account of a meeting of " the labouring classes
and starving population" of a district in the county of
Limerick, held on Thursday last at Tory-hill. The
details are furnished by the Limerick Chronicle:—
In obedience to anonymous notices posted on the cha-
pel gates in the barony of Coshma and surrounding dis-
tricts, on Sunday last, calling on " the labouring classes
and starving population to assemble at rory-hill on Holy
Thursday," for the purpose of devising means to provide
food and employment for themselves and families, about
2,000 of the peasantry congregated on the summit of the
hill, where a large plaid banner was hoisted on a pole as a
rallying point and signal of distress. At half-past 12
o'clock the roads were covered by country labourers
hastening to the meeting. Tory Hill adjoins the resi-
dence of the Rev. Mr. Harnett, P.P. of Croom, and the
Roman Catholic curates, Rev. Messrs. O'Shea and
Meehan, watched the movements of the people with in-
tense anxiety.
At one o'clock, the Rev. Mr. MEEHAN ascended the
hill, and pulled down the banner, at which the multi-
tude seemed much displeased. The Rev. Gentleman
im-
mediately addressed them, and exhorted them to dis-
perse, but in vain, upon which he retired, and the signal
flag was again hoisted_ The people, however, conducted
themselves peaceably, and did not evince any disposition
to outrage, their cry being " all we want is work ; we
can't starve."

The Rev. JAMES O'SHEA, who is held in much esteem
by the country people, next ascended the hill, accom-
panied by Mr. Robert Irwin and Mr. James Hynes, of
Honeypound, respectable farmers. The Rev. Gentleman
having taken up a posision near the flag, commenced in
a playful manner—Boys, I suppose this is the
banner under which I have to fight.—(Hear.) You
have, at all times and places, respected your clergy, and
I beg to ask now if you still entertain that respect
for them and their counsel ?—(Cries of " We do.")
Then I call upon you to prove it by removing this
standard.—(The mandate was immediately obeyed,
and the banner removed.) Now, then, as a friend, I
have to protest against your assembling in this manner
—it is illegal for you to do so, arid at the present time
most imprudent.—(Cries of " We want work.") I know
you do, and that man is not living who feels more for
your wretched and destitute condition than I do.—(Hear,
hear.) Yuu have, at all times, linked yourselves with
the clergy of your church, for your and our ieterests is
one and the same, and I trust, therefore, you will not he
guilty of any illegal conduct that would disconnect us
from each other.—(No, no.) I know you will not. We
have done everything in our power to procure employ-
ment for you. The resident landed proprietors have
done so, and I trust Government will, in ten or twelve
drys, set going the works applied for in this district, and
give you employment.—{Cries of " We will be starved
before then.") God forbid. I implore of you to bear
l
your sufferings and privations patiently and qtutlrymuurns.)
you know the determination of Governmenat.
I feel that hunger prompts you, perhaps at
to rash acts. Do not, in God'snhaLmle),ldian corn meal now
worse than it is. We hive
Itt
excellent food, and I
t—y
this
conditionm o en
distributing to ;he poor.
you.—(Cries of " If we eat that, it will
recommend it to
•oti thlt is an absurd idea—l
poison us.") oirfntihnegr,eainsdblaipmroimniiste,
Hear, hear, and cries of
I will be the first
roeud it
willf r
continuebrealkaf as sstu rtyeoi myselfedionso,
o_t,h
victim.—(Hear,
and m
d them to leave the hill,
and return peaceably and
We will use it so.) The Rev. Mr. O'Shea then cell-
jure
quietly to their homes, observing, that if their meeting
was legally convened, he would himself preside, and
j *n them in devising means to provide food and employ-
Zent. In conclusion, he said he felt confident Govern-
ment would act with liberality, and, he trusted, with
promptitude, under the present trying emergency. If
Government did not do so, he would himself point out
where food was to be procured.—(Cheers.)
At the Rev. Gentleman's request the vast multitude,
we are happy to add, then retired, without tumult or the
slightest disposition to commit a breach of the peace.
The Limerick Chronicle says:—" The intelligence in
our columns of the increasing distress of the labouring
population of Limerick, Clare, and Kerry, is most fear-
ful, and the accumulating wants of' the people combine
to precipate a crisis, which the kind sympathies of every
Christian bosom must be earnestly solicitous to avert.
We could wish to keep this grievous spectacle of human
misery aid suffering in the far distance, as a visionary
or passing creation of the mind's eye ;' but the sad
reality is so broad and substantial, that we cannot longer
turn away from the horrors of actual and appalling des-
titution, which now encompasses us at every side. We
have proof already that many wretched families in the
interior of the country are starving upon one meal of bad
and insufficient food in the four and twenty hours! The
district relief committees have heard the warning voice,
and the imploring cry of the hungry poor is painful to
the ear. Voluntary private benevolence is doing much,
but not more than it ought in such a deplorable calamity.
Gov, rnment must come to the reeeue with more spe, d
zvld ,fleet, or the cat,,stro7;he will he ov,rwhelming."
The same journal adds, that a " notice was posted on
Sir David Roche's premises, at Camas, on Tuesday

night, to the effect that' all the army in the garrison o
Limerick would not save him from death, in consequence
of raising the price of flour ; and to mark the conse-
quences if he prevented his workmen from attending at
Tory-hill.' "
So far as Groom parish, the threatened physical
labour demonstration was a failure, and it is believed
chiefly attributable to the earnest and impressive admo-
nition and remonstrance of the Rev. Mr. Meehan, one of
the Remark Catholic clergymen, who on Sunday last de-
nounced, in Croom chapel, in the strongest and most
emphatic manner, the intended meeting. Accordingly,
very few of the inhabitants of Croom attended the meet-
ing, the greet majority being from adjacent parishes.
ROBBERY OF A FLOUR BOAT.—On Wednesday night,
as the smack Maria, laden with flour, from Mr. John
Norris Russell's mills, in this city, Ni as proceeding on
its passage to his bakery establishment at Ennis, it was
boarded in the Clare River, at Smith's Island, by a boat
manned by nine hands, who, all armed with guns, car-
ried off half of the flour, which was as much as they
were abl, to manage ; as far as we have learned,
no tidings have since been heard of them. This is the
first serious outrage upon property arising from famine.
Heaven grant it may be the last.—Limerick llepo7ter.