The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-18 00:00:00

IRELAND.

DISTRESS OF THE PEOPLE—THE FOOD RIOTS.
DUBLIN, APRIL 16.—The Tipperary Free Press, received
this morning, after describing the riots amongst the starving
population of that town, gives the details of subsequent mea-
sures for affording relief to the famishing people. If those
steps had been taken in proper time there would have been
no popular outbreak :
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Very Rev. Dr. Burke, seconded by acclamation,
A I ‘f; eCr innpatna tocaelcltetaistsoeetrheetarcyh.air, and
" Several resolutions were adopted, and about forty gen-
tlemen then came forward, and subscribed upwards of 500/.,
which will be doubled before the sun sets this evening.
"The committee, after dividing the town into districts, and
appointing collectors thereto, adjourned to ten o'clock this
morning, to meet at that hour in the grand-jury room.
" A number of our fellow-townsmen, enrolled as special
constables, patrolled the streets during the night, assisted by
the police and military, to preserve order."
Ail the accounts represent the military and police as
having acted with the greatest forbearance all through the
riots in the towns of Clonmel and Tipperary.
Those riots were caused by starvation, and when the
means of feeding the people were at length supplied, the
town of Clonmel resumed its wonted tranquillity.
A correspondent of the Evening Post of this evening gives
the following account of the outbreak in Clonmel :
"Clonmel, Wednesday, April 15, 1846.
" This town bears all the appearance of a beleagured
city—troops are drawn up in the different localities, and
cannon pointed down the main street ; as usual, the ' stable
door has been shut when the steed was stolen,' for all the
bakers' shops were entered and plundered early yesterday
morning by a mob, made up, for the most part, of women
and children, accompanied by a gang of men totally unknown
in Clonmel or the neighbourhood. They commenced their
depredations by an attack ou the carts conveying flour from
the mills at Cahir, and seriously injured the policemen who
were escorting the carts ; the mob then proceeded to the
mills of a Mr. Bonfield, on the county Waterford side of the
Suir, which mills they entered and sacked, before the attend-
ance of any magistrate for the county of Waterford
could be procured to accompany the troops ; after
having laid violent hands on all Mr. Bonfield's
flour, they marched, in a body of about 1,500,
to the mills of Mr. James Hughes, and demanded admit-
tance. Meanwhile, intelligence had been sent to Mr. Os-
borne, of Newtown Antler, who had but just arrived from
England, and being a magistrate for Waterford, he hastened
to the mills, but unaccompanied by any force of military or
police. After addressing the mob, and cautioning them
against their outrageous conduct, he succeeded in averting
the threatened attack, and promised, if they forthwith de-
sisted from all violence, he would give them food at New-
town ; the promise was freely given, and they were fed with
bread and meat on the road side. Too much praise cannot
be given for the prompt and skilful manner which was
evinced by Mr. Osborne in saving these mills. The mob
dispersed quietly, in accordance with their promise, and a
large meeting was convened in the Town-ball of Clonmel,
to take the state of the country into consideration, at which
500/. was immediately subscribed, to give immediate employ-
ment to the peasantry. This fund will be much increased,
as the Mayor and most of the surrounding gentry were ab-
sent ; indeed, the gentry have been dilatory in this district,
in not meeting before to take measures of relief into consi-
deration ; but as the Lord-Lieutenant of the county (Lord
Donoughmore) never resides in it, there is a general feeling
of apathy, and, as all are well inclined, no one likes to take the
initiative step. There is a report that other mills have been "
attacked this morning. The country is altogether in a most
unsettled state, and it is impossible to foresee the results.
More anon. " AN EX-MAGISTRATE."
A letter from Clonmel, in the Cork Examiner, after de-
scribing the riots, thus concludes :
"To show the state of excitement and desperation to
which the people gave way, and the recklessness of life
which they exhibited, I may mention that a number of
carts with flour—l believe fifty—were coming into town
from Clogheen, escorted by forty men of the 33d Regi-
ment, under the command of Captain Gough and a party
of police, when, at the workhouse at the entrance to Irish-
town, they seized on four sacks of the flour, which they
dragged off one of the cars ; and although the military
were loaded, and had received the word " ready," they
still refused to give it up, observing "that they may as
well be shot as starved 1" The officer, seeing their deter-
mination, chose rather to leave it to them than take their

lives, although ke was repeatedly struck with stones. Great
praise is due to Major Galloway, 33d Regiment, the com-
manding officer, for his steadiness and coolness during this
eventful day."
The accounts from other districts show that the sufferings
of the people are daily increasing; but they are appeased,
even by the promise of relief.
FOOD RIOTS IN CARRICK-ON-SUIR—THE TOWN

SACKED.

The Dublin Evening Post gives the following brief letter

from Carrick-on-Suir; county of Tipperary, received just as
that journal was going to press :
" April 15.—This town is in a horrible state. The popu-
lation rose and broke into all the meal and provision stores;
and afterwards into the shops generally. Unfortunately,
our excellent resident magistrate was absent from town on
some necessary duty, and there was no local magistrate to
bring the military out. The moub had it all their own way,
and the town is just as if it had been sacked by an army
of Seikhs."

We have seen another letter from Carrick-on-Suir, which
states that the flour stores of Mr. O'Donnell and Mr. O'Neill
were broken into and plundered, every bacon-yard was
robbed of its contents, and the retail provision-shops were
cleared out.

FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE CASHEL RAILWAY.
The particulars of the following fatal accident (the first,
we believe, that has occured on this line), which took place
on Tuesday night, have been communicated by a gentleman
who resides near the scene of the catastrophe. It appears
that on Tuesday Sir John 11'Neil and some other gentle-
men had been up towards the end of the works (so far as
such has progresse.t in a direct line from Dublin), and on
their return by a special train they arrived about ten o'clock
at a place called Rhandboon, about eleven miles from Dub-
lin, in the county of Kildare. Here the road was flat, and
some bullocks, belonging to Mr. James Mitchell, of Borehard,
were grazing in a field. It is supposed that the noise of the
engine frightened the animals, and several of them ran across
the line. One of the beasts came in contact with the en-
gine on the rail and was cut in two, the engine passing over
it. This caused the engine to diverge off the rail, aria by a
most fortunate, but unaccountable, circumstance the link or
chain which attached the carriages to the engine was either
broken or loosened, and the carriages remained stationary on
the line. The engine, by its own impetus, dashed forward
and was thrown into an adjoining field. The unfortunate
driver was killed on the spot, and his body was mangled in
a fearful manner. He was married only on the previous day.
Not the slightest blame is attached to any party in refer-
ence to this sad affair. The gentlemen who were in the car-
riages escaped quite unhurt, with the exception of one, who
received a few slight bruises.

STEAM COMMUNICATION -WITH
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
The following is a fuller report of the admirable speech de-
livered by Mr. Mark Boyd yesterday, at the meeting held at
the London Tavern, on the subject of steam communication
with Australia and New Zealand :
Mr. MARK BOYD in seconding the resolution moved by
his Hon. Friend, Mr. Scott, said he must congratulate Mr.
Waghorn on the large and influential meeting which they
had, and when he recollected that it was only a few days
ago, that a near relative of his own, prevented by indisposi-
tion from being now present, in conjunction with his friend
Mr. Samuel Browning and himself, consulted Mr. Waghorn
on the importaut subject for which they had met, he felt
satisfied that whatever Mr. Waghorn undertook he would see
carried through, and that the great object would be achieved
for which they had assembled, viz., a steam communication
with the colony of Australia, via India. For some time past
in consequence of the urgent entreaties of friends in Austra-
lia, this most important subject had occupied the serious
attention of the agent for Australia (Mr. Scott), and Mr.
Browning, a gentleman intimately acquainted with Australia
and her coasts, as well as the different islands in the Indian
Archipelago. We well knew from experience that Mr. Scott
would urge the claim of Australia for this great commercial
boon with the Government, with his usual energy and atten-
tion, but it appeared to us that the initiative must be taken
in the City, and that Government would wait for this : our
eye was immediately directed to that man, who
having brought Bombay within twenty-six days and
eight hours of London, might likewise bring Sydney,
New South Wales, within fifty-six days and eight hours
of the British Metropolis. Mr. Waghorn was of all men
the man to be consulted; he to whom all classes, com-
mercial and otherwise, were under so heavy a debt of grati-
tude. "Pahnarn qui meruit ferat." Some people had, in
reference to a steam communication with Australia, mooted
the idea of the route by Panama; my humble opinion differed
from theirs, coinciding entirely with my friend Mr. Phelps
Robinson, the Member for Melbourn, who so ably brought the
subject before the Legislative Council of New South Wales in
September last, when he moved an address to the Queen,
praying "Her Majesty would be graciously pleased to extend
to the colony the benefit of the arrangements under which
mails are dispatched by steam communication to India and
China on the same terms as other British colonies." By. a
reference to Mr. Robinson's statement, the route from Point
de Galle and Singapore to Sidney North and South, about
are distinctly shown. Mr. Waghorn, without any previews
knowledge of Mr. Robinson's views, had come to the same
conclusion. "Why, Gentlemen," he said, " the road is now
opened to you by that great and successful company the
Peninsular and Oriental. Take your departure from Port de
Galle or Singapore—the latter if you follow my advice; but
do not tell me that via South America, with an increase
of distance of two thousand miles, and no places to
coal at, is the shortest way to Australia." I hope
we shall be enabled to enlist the sympathies of the
Earl of St. Germans, Colonel Maberley, Mr. Lawrence, and
Mr. Campbell, the high authorities at the Post Office ; for
they may be assured that whenever a steam cominunication
with Australia is established, the number of letters and news-
papers, under the present postal arrangements, will be vastly
increased. Ido not wish to detain the meeting by entering
into statistics; but, with their permission, I will give an
extract from Mr. Robinson's return, which may not be unin-
teresting :—ln 1844, rec eived from London 66,318 letters,
105,087 newspapers ; from Liverpool 2.182 letters, 1,018
newspapers ; total letters received, 66,500 ; total newspapers re-
ceived, 106,105. Sent to London, in 1844,66,262 letters, 91,232
newspapers; to Liverpool, 2,390 letters, 3,202 newspapers;
total letters sent, 68,652 ; total newspapers sent, 95,134. Re-
ceived from Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras, 2,855 letters; 651
newspapers. Sent to Calcutta. Bombay, Madras, and Ceylon,
2,491 letters; 3,779 newspapers. To attempt to define a limit
to the advantages which the introduction of steam would
afford Australia is impossible, but there can be no question
as to the following. It would facilitate the investment of
capital for the gradual development of the boundless resources
of Australia and New Zealand. It would establish much
greater confidence in all mercantile transactions connected
with the colony by preventing loss from overstocked markets,
and also obviate the inconvenience arising from the scarcity
of supplies of European merchandise. It would enable the
merchants and shippers in the colony to duly effect insurance
of their ships and merchandise in England. It would enable
East India invalids either to settle or recruit their health
in that most congenial climate, the distance to Swan
River only occupying 14 days, to Sydney 30. It would lead
to a large emigration of a highly respectable class of capi-
talists, with their wives and families, who are at present de-
terred undertaking the voyage from its tediousness. A steam
communication would therefore be of incalculable advantage
to the colony, both morally and politically. It would greatly
facilitate the pacification of New Zealand, by affording the
means of promptly introducing the requisite precautionary
measures in case of need. It would likewise produce the
same effect as in Australia, by encouraging the introduction
of wealthy settlers, and the consequent employment of the
native population. It would be of the utmost advantage by
affording facilities for the further extension of the present
Pacific trade carried on from our Australian colonies, and the
civilisation of the inhabitants of the islands in the Pacific
ocean. It would enable us promptly to anticipate and frus-
trate any attempts of foreign aggression, either upon our
settlements or trade in those seas. It would accelerate the
introduction of numerous necessary reforms in the local go-
vernments of the Australian colony, and permit public
opinion in England to exert its salutary influence on the acts
of the colonial executives, and aid in preventing the colonists
suffering
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between Great Britain and all the colonies will be complete,
as well as those colonies with each other respectively.

ST. JAMES'S THEATRE-FRENCH

PLAYS.
The saints have combined to afford us amusement—
St. James's and St. Stephen's open on the same night
for the post Paschal season, but while St. Stephen's only
gives us the dull old tragicomedy of Coercion, St.
James's gives us three new vaudevilles with a new actress,
a new actor, and the rentree of an old favourite. Com-
mend us therefore to the Mitchell in preference to the
Peel management. St. James last night was to the
full as edifying as St. Stephen, and infinitely more
entertaining. Lafont made his rentree here last evening
in the Vaudeville of Fleur de Genet, in which he sus
tained the character of Felix lltirocher. The scene is
laid iu La Vend6e, where w e find a certain Mon. Ray-
mond, alias Comte de Lisieux, alias Fleur de Genet
(NI. Rhozevil) a hybrid between a brigand and a noble,
" A perfect felon, yet but half a knight,"
lying perdu in a village hostler.), awaiting intelligencefrom
a chateau in the neighbourhood ; which chateau is in-
habited by a rich manufacturer, who has hopes of be-
coming Monsieur le Marquis, his daughter Adele,
and a certain Senora Gonzales, a Spanish royalist
and friend, and director of the family, who has certain
designs upon M. Le Marquis that is to be, and who is
moreover a political agent, having intimate relation with
Fleur de Genet. At this place Felix, who is a littera-
tear estime, the hero of the feuilleton, arrives and meets
with his friend Raymond. He is on a tour in search of
the romantic and picturesque, and is desperately in love
with a fair incognita, whom he has seen at the
Theatre Francais. On his arrival at the Inn
he learns, to his surprise, that his friend
Raymond is the celebrated Vendeau Chieftan,
discovers that he is carrying on a secret correspondence
with the Senora Gonzales and her protector, the manu-
facturer and would-be noble, residing in the neighbour-
hood, and that the daughter of the said manufacturer is
his own fair incognita. An alarm is given, and Fleur
de Genet finds himself in danger of arrest. He imme-
diately possesses himself of the passport of Felix,
leaving his own and his baggage behind him, and con-
sequently leaving Felix to be arrested in his
stead. But instead of arrest, Felix receives a
letter, offering him, in his character of Raymond,
refuge in the castle ; he accepts the invitation, and uses
his time so well that he ingratiates himselfcompletely into
the good graces of Adele, while the fact of his being
a Count secures the consent of her father, who is anxious
above all things for an alliance with nobility. In the
meantime the real Raymond arrives at the chateau, hut
he finds it a difficult matter to make out his personal
identity. Felix, who has possession of his passports and
baggage, is by no means disposed to resign the honours
which have been forced upon him. The Senora Gonzales
is seen approaching, who is personally acquainted with
Raymond, and he trusts to her evidence for vindicating his
claims, but unfortunately for him the Senora Gonzales has
obtained admission to the confidence of the manufacturer
and would-be noble, and also to that of Raymond under
false pretences. She is not a lady of noble birth, but is
recognised by Felix as a Madrid actress, who has been
employed in political intrigues. A hint from Felix as
to her real station settles the question as between him
and Raymond, and to the horror of the latter she ad-
dresses Felix as the real Count de Lisieux. M. Pincette,
a huissier, a sort of modern French llogberry, admirably
acted by M. Tourtois, who made his Milt last evening,
and who in eccentric characters will be a great
acquisition to the corps dramatique of the St. James's, now
enters, and demands M. Raymond. They both answer;
he still goes on with his questions for the purpose of
satisfying himself as to the identity, and both the real
and sham Raymond continue to answer in chorus.
"There are two," exclaims the utterly mystified
Pincette, " I want but one, and I want to arrest him on
account of an overdue bill." "It is my friend,"
instantly exclaims each. " There were two Ray-
moods just now," exclaims Pincette, completely
confounded, " and now there is not one." At
length all is rectified, the manufacture having been
refused the title of Marquis of which he was ambitious,
becomes a hater of aristocracy and an admirer of talent,
and bestowes his daughter upon Felix. The Count is
arrested, but has three days given him to leave France.
He talks of sacrificing his life to his principles, but at
length takes refuge in the diligence, which will whirl
him out of danger within the three days, while the
Spanish lady accepts his offer of accompanying him, not
liking to live too near the neighbourhood of Felix, who
is intimately acquainted with her antecedents in Madrid.
Lafont, whose Felix was perfection, was called for at the
conclusion, and Fleur de Genet %%ill, in the theatrical as
in the natural world, be, no doubt an evergreen. It was
preceded by the one act vaudeville of Mademoiselle
I%ichon, in which Mademoiselle Juliette Raoul, a pupil of
Mademoiselle Jenny Vertpi e, made her debut. This
young lady does honour to her tutoress. We could re-
cognise in her style of acting all the espiegle points for
which Jenny Vertpr6 was so celebrated. She is worthy
to have been the pupil of Jenny Vertpre, and will become,
no doubt, a great favourite. The performances con-
cluded with fiche d' Amour, the original of the Lend
me Five Shillings of the Haymarket, in which M. Leon
Baisse sustained the part of the hero with great humour
and vivacity. The house was crowded.