The Sun.
London, England, 1846-10-05 00:00:00

CONSERVATIVES.

"At four o'clock a most formidable reinforcement of
labourers was seen entering the town by William-street,
which caused the military to put themselves in the most
effective position of defence their skill could suggest.
The town was then literally black with people. There
was nothing that might be called an outrage committed
up to this time (half-past four) when an ingenious and
sensible friend to the public peace as well ris the people,
Mr. James Byrne, of William-street, suilested to the
labourers the propriety of acting upon r. Howley's
advice, to put their grievances on paper, and hand it to
him, which they did, and a document was presented to
the magistrates by a select number deputed by the en-
tire of the body present, setting forward their distress,
and asking. for work at 6d. a day.
" On this being presented to Mr. Howley, who read it
—Mr. R. Longan, Mr. B. Beate, and Sir N. Humble,
justices of the peace, being present—he said that nothing
could be fairer ; that he would transmit it to the Go-
vernment at once, and he and every gentleman present
would back it and represent things as they said there ;
and that he would be candid with them, and show them
the answer the Government would send him. Each of
the other magistrates concurred in that which Mr.
Howley stated. They then insisted that he should
liberate the prisoners taken in the earlier part of the
day. To this Mr. Howley replied, that on that head h
could make no terms with them ; on hearing which, th
majority of the labourers went home. There were
great number of ill-disposed persons, amongst whom the
greatest excitement began to be manifested in conse
quence of Mr. Howley's refusal. Meantime the Rev"
Mr. O'Gorman came up, and took upon himself to pro-
mise the people, that if they quietly dispersed, the per-
sons would be liberated on the following morning. This
did net apparently satisfy them. One misguided man
in the crowd was seee by a policeman to stoop f, r a
stone. Sub-inspector Rooney arrested him, and, while
handcuffing him, a shower of stones was thrown at the
policeman, when the Dragoons charged the crowd
through the square, making them fly in all directions.
" It was now getting dark, and just before the moon
rose, when the authorities resolved on clearing the town
of the crowds which were remaining about the square
and streets, without any apparent object. They got the
crowds before them up William-street, and quietly drove
them before them. When coming near Carrol's public-
house, in the vicinity of the Christian Schools, a fearful
shower of stones were thrown at the Dragoons. Mr.
Howley, who rode up to the crowd to advise them, re-
ceived a blow of a stone in the back, and another in the
shoulder. The stone thrown was answered by a dis-
charge of muskets from the Dragoons—another shower of
stones, and a more fearful repetition of the muskets—in
all about 26 shots. There were a great many received
flesh wounds. Two received what the medical gentle-
man pronounced to be mortal. One of them had his

thigh, just above the knee joint, shattered in pieces; the
other received a bullet through the upper part of his
thigh, which passed through the scrotum, lacerating it
fearfully, and coming out at the other thigh.
" Both the unfortunate men were immediately taken
to the poorhouse; on entering which they were treated
in the kindest manner by Mr. Walsh, the master. Im-
mediately surgeon Christian, the doctor to the establish-
ment, was in attendance, and did all that medical skill
could for the two men.
• " Thus ended this day—a sad one to many.
• " The town throughout the day wore the most ex-
cited appearance. Mr. Howley's task was a most try-
ing one, and well did he discharge it. I am bound to
speak from observation, and my duty compels me to
state, that if we were aided by a few influential men
from Dungarvan and the surrounding localities, the
sad catastrophe with which the day was terminated
would not have taken place.
" UESDAY MORNING.—One of the men wounded
yesterday died this morning."
Some additional particulars are given in the following
account from another Waterford paper.
" At an early hour on Monday morning it was per-
ceived that hundreds—nay, thousands, of pers )n from
the different localities were pouring into the tows, and
the fishermen having remained from sea (although the
weather proved quite favourable for their going out)
caused great apprehensions on the part of the inhabi-
tants that some outbreak or outrage was about to be
committed. A strong detachment of police and military
were immediately placed under arms—the former at the
court-house, and the latter at the barracks. This pre-
caution was deemed necessary, in consequence of reports
being circulated very generally that a large bony of the
peasantry intended to come into Dungarvan in the course
of the day, to prevent, by a public demonstration, the
shipping of corn for England. Groups of the unem-
ployed labourers congregated together in various parts of
the town, which were considerably increased as the day
advanced. About one o'clock a large concourse of the
populace, amounting to over one thousand persons, pro-
ceeded to the stores of Mr. Flood, agent to a Liverpool
house, who was about to ship corn, butter, &c., warn-
ing him on iv, account to do so. They then proceeded
to the concerns of Messrs. P. Dower and Son, who hold
a quantity of Indian meal, using the same language, and
declaring they should he either employed or fed, of
which one of the firm, Mr. J. Dower, said he perfectly
concurred, but said the line of conduct they were pur-
suing would only mar any substantial good being done
for them, and probably lives might be lost. After a
good deal of remonstrance on the part of Mr. Dower,
they departed.
" They proceeded up Carbery's-lane, and then west

ward through the main street towards thi, square, and
called at several bakers' shops, where they got bread.
They again congregated in the square, and their number
at this time was considerably increased, and from the
demonstration that was made the shops were closed,
and the police and military called out. This state of ex-
citement continued some time, when a great number of
the populace proceeded to the house of Mr. Fisher,
baker, where they were refused bread, whereupon they
rushed into the shop, and were in the act of possessing
themselves of its contents, when the police and
military, headed by Mr. Howley, stipendiary
magistrate, proceeded immediately to protect Mr.
Fisher's property. A short - time previous to
this occurrence the police and military were
reinforced by the arrival from Kilmacthomas
of a company of the Ist Royals, who imme-
diately assisted in quelling the disturbance. At this
time the excitement was very great—the Riot Act was
read, and almost every shop in the town closed. Mr.
Howley in the kindest manner remonstrated with the
hunger-stricken thousands on the imprudence of their
proceedings, and advised them to return to their re
sidences. He assured them that the Government would
do everything that lay in their power to alleviate their
distress, and procure employment tier them. This ad-
vice bad a good effect, and the unfortunates whom he
addressed appeared satisfied. Atter a short time the
whole force took up their position again at the square.
The police made several prisoners, and we are rejoiced
to say that there was not the slightest attempt made to
rescue any of them. We were informed that one of the
men taken was identified as the person who struck Lord
Stuart on Thursday. The town continued for about an
hour in a tolerably tranquil state, when it was again
disturbed by a cry that the Youghal people had arrived,
as a reinforcement. This, .of course, created a great
consternation, and the ai.pearance of great numbers near
the chapel was calculated to impress any beholder with
dread. The military remained at their post with the
utmost coolness, and no other act being done by those
assembled, the prowess of the soldiers was not then
called into activity; however, they were kept under arms.
"After six o'clock the magistrates deemed it prudent
to disperse the crowds, who foolishly turned round MI
the troops and began pelting stones at them, when they
were ordered to fire, and two men were seriously
wounded—one, I am informed, mortally.
" Billets were issued in the morning for the accom-
modation of the lst Royals, but they were afterwards
withdrawn in consequence of the commotion, and pro-
vided with stabling, &c., in one place, lest anything
should occur during the night that would require them
to be called out.
" Yesterday the town continued quiet, and a strong
additional body of military arrived to reinforce those
already stationed here.
" During the clay we heard several of those poor fel
lows say they were starving, and that they could not
return home to their families without some food to sus-
tain life—that it would be better for them to be shot than
to continue as they were."
A letter dated Cronin.); Sept. 29, in the Cork Era-
mina, says—
A. mounted orderly galloped through this town at