The Sun.
London, England, 1848-09-25 00:00:00

THE-SPECIAL COMMISSION.

CLOXISEL, SEPT. 22.—The Court was opened this
morning, at eleven o'clock, by Judge Moore, when the
names of the grand jurors were called over, after which
they proceeded to examine witnesses in the case of Mr.
Meagher. The charge against him is precisely similar
to that preferred against Smith O'Brien, and he would
have been included in the same indictment but that some

circumstances exist which require a different class of
witnesses to depose to, and he is therefore indicted sepa-
rately. He was, we understand, at Boulagh Common, and
witnesses will be produced who saw him there, armed as
a rebel leader; but the main fact of his being found at
the head of an armed force occurred in another part of
this county.
Among the witnesses examined to-day before the
grand jury was the celebrated Widow Cormack, whose
house is so celebrated as being the chief point of attack
by the so-called insurrectionary forces. She is a woman
of about 40 or 45 years of age, and of the better class of
th• peasantry, as was evinced by the neatness and re-
spectability of tier mourning attire and conversation.
Shortly after three o'clock the grand jury appeared in
court, and returned true bills against T. F. Meagher and
Patrick O'Donohoe.

The prisoners were immediately directed to be
brought into court, to receive the usual intimation that
copies of the indictment should be furnished, and coun-
sel assigned to each. Some curiosity was exhibited to
sea Mr. Meagher, but none whatever as regarded O'Do-
nohoc, who had been an attorney's clerk in Dublin, and
an individual possessing an indifferent private character.
Mr. Meagher's appearance in the first instance showed
that he felt some embarrassment in his novel position,
but he quickly recovered his self-possession. There
was a greater degree of boldness, in his manner than in
that of Smith O'Brien. He recognised several of his
personal friends who were in court, to whom he bowed
and smiled ; but even a careless observer could at once
perceive that there was hidden beneath the surface a
deep and corroding feeling of anxiety.
The CHIEF JUSTICH having intimated to him in pre-
cisely the same words as those addressed to Mr. O'Brien,
that true bills were found against him, asked ,„if he
wished to have a copy of the indictment, to which he
replied in the affirmative ; and as to the assignmen,t of
counsel he said he was not prepared at that moment`to
say whom be should name as his senior counsel, but
Mr. F. Meagher he should choose as his junior counsel.
Time was given him to make his selection.
Mr. F. Meagher then made an application to the,
Court for a copy of the panel returned by the High
Sheriff. He did so on the affidavit of Mr. Kirwan, an.
attorney, who stated that he was fifteen years engage
in the defence of prisoners in that county—that he was
well acquainted with the persons who generally served
on juries—and that he was informed and believed that
on the present occasion a great number were placed on it
of an inferior grade in life, and, the names of many who
always served omitted altogether. The Learned Coun-
sel said in continuation that the object of the applica-
tion was to prevent the necessity of challenging the
array when the trial commenced—and that all he re-
Oired for his client was, that fair and impartial justice
should be done.

The ATTORNEY. GENERAL resisted the application, on
the ground that the proper time to object to the panel
was, when the names were called over in open court
after the prisoner was arraigned. He denounced the
application as an attack on the honour and impartiality
of the High Sheriff, to which he as an officer of the
Crown would never be a party, and an attempt to inti-
midate jurors from doing their duty.
The CattEir JUSTICB took the same view of the subject
as the Attorney-General respecting the imputation on
the High Sheriff, and refused the application, on the
ground that the slightest pretext did not exist for such
an application.
The prisoners were then removed, and the Court ad-
journed to eleven o'clock to-morrow.
Rumours have re ached this town that Doheny and
Dillon have been arrested, and these rumours have cb-
tained some credence by the fact that the Attorney-
General applied to the Court not to discharge the grand
jury to-morrow, as information had reached him of the
apprehension of parties against whom he should be pre-
pared to send up bills for high treason on Monday.
DUBLIN, SUNDAY MoaNirco. The consultation
amongst the counsel engaged for the defence of Mr.
Smith O'Brien did not terminate until long after the de-
parture of the mail yesterday afternoon. The result is,
that the attendance of Lord John Russell at the special
commission will not be required. The counsel were
unanimous on the point, that it is unnecessary to bring
over Lord John Russell. The result was communicated
to the Under-Secretary, at Dublin Castle, yesterday.
evening, in order that Lord John Russell should not have
the trouble of coming over tee Ireland.