The Sun.
London, England, 1848-11-04 00:00:00

IRELAND.

17)-7BLIN, Nov- 3.—Term comrneneed yestcrlay, and
i Chcancieller and the Lord Chief Justice held
their respective reaidences, which were very
lv attended by the members of the bar.
DUBLIN SPECIAL COMMISSION.

ve,

la imerues

The trial of Mr. Williams, another partner in the se-.
ditious Tribune newspaper, was proceeded with yester-
day. at Green-street.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL briefly stated the case. He
said the prisoner was indicted under a statute, which
received the Royal Assent on the 22d of April, for
compassing t,o deprive and depose the Queen from her
style, honour, and royal name of the Imperial Crown
of Great F'iritain, and for compassing to levy war
against her Majesty ; and with expressing, uttering,
and declaring, those his intentions by publishing the
articles specified in the indictment in a newspaper
called the Irish Tribune, of which he was one
of two proprietors. Ho (the Attorney-General)
thought that the jury would have no difficulty in
coming to the conclusion that that newspaper was esta-
blished for the pure' se of carrying out the designs ex-
pressed in the indictment. On the 12th of June, 1848,
the prisoner signed a declaration, the usual one required
by law, by which he declared himself publisher and pro-
prietor of the Tribune, jointly with Mr. Kevin Izoi
O'Doherty. They (she jury) would have to decide with
what object the prisoner thus connected himself with
that newspaper, which was one of those publications of a
treasonable character which the statute in question was
expressly passed to repress. No one was more attached
to the liberty of the press than he (the Attorney-Ge-
neral) was; but it was a mistake to suppose that those
were the enemies of that institution who kept the liberty
of the press within proper bounds. If the liberty of the
press had suffered a check in the course of the unfortu-
nate proceedings which had occurred in that country, the
blame was attributable to the publishers of those trea-
sonable parors. The Learned Attorney-General stated,
in continuation, that any person who published a treason-
able composition was culpable, and responsible for that
act of his, under the statute in question, no matter
whether he were the author of it or not, and then pro-
ceeded to comment on the article in question, which he
did at considerable length. In conclusion, the Attorney-
General stated that the Crown had seiz,d upon five
manuscript articles at the office of the Tribune. Not one
of these was in the handwriting of the prisoner, Mr.
Williams, whose counsel might make the best use of
that fact that he could. One of them had been proved
already to be in the handwriting of Mr. Kevin Izod
O'Doherty, but as for the remaining four, all the exer-
tions that had been made on the part of the Crown to
procure evidence respecting them had failed to enable
the Crown officers to state as a matter of fact in whose
handwriting they were. The Learn2d Gentleman
having concludtll, witnesses were examined on the part
of the pros-ctvion.

Mr. -Ferguson, barrister, defended the prisoner.
Tho case being closed, the Court adjourned to this
morning, when one of their Lordships will address the
'

jury.

DREADFUL MURDER BY AN ARMED PARTY;

ROBBERY OF PUBLIC MONEY.

The King's County Chronicle contains the following in
an extra edition:—

" PARSONSTOWN, THURSDAY EVENING.—This morn-
ing. between eight and nine o'clock, as Major Phibbs,
st,ff-offieer of pensioners, accompainied by Sergeant
Grant (who acted as his clerk), were proceeding on a car
from this town to Roscrea, for the purpose of issuing
out the monthly pay to the out pensioners in that dis-
trict, they were attacked at Clonkelly, within about two
miles of this town, by a party of six or eight
m'n, all of whom were armed with blunderbusses
and pistols. The party stopped the car, pre-
sented their arms and demanded money. Poor Grant
having hesitated to comply, one of the ruffians
fired; the contents entered his heart, and deprived
him of life in a few moments. The banditti then com-
pelled Major Phibbs to give up his cash box, containing
1801. in small notes and silver, with which they de-
camped. The Major then had the body of Grant placed
on the car, and drove to the military barracks, which is
situate about a mile from the Beene of outrage. Infor-
mation of the attack having reached this town, Sub-
Inspector Duncan and a party of police immediately
proceeded in the direction which the assassins had taken,
and searched the county for several miles around. The
Earl of Rosse, with the local magistrates, and several of
the respectable inhabitants, also soon followed, together
with about five hundred men of the 59th and 89th
regiments. A diligent, but, as yet, ineffectual search
was made for the assassins. An inquest will be held to-
morrow.

"Five o'CLoce.—The police have not yet returned.
It is reported that they have obtained some clue to the
murderers."