The Sun.
London, England, 1867-03-08 00:00:00

At Drogheda, 23 miles north of Dublin, about
1,000 Fenians took possession of the Market-square.
The allegation is that the Fenians were the first to
fire on the approach of the police, but without a
single shot taking effect on the latter. The con-
stabulary fired in return, when several were wounded.
The Fenians retreated after the second volley, and,

THE METR OPOLI I AN POOR BILL.

A deputation from the vestry of the parish of St.
James, Westminster, was received yesterday by Mr.
Hardy, President of the Poor-Law Board, for the
purpose of submitting to him certain alterations
which the vestry proposed to be made in the bill now
before Parliament for the establishment in the me-
tropolis of asylums for the sick, insane, and other
classes of the poor, and of dispensaries ; and for the
distribution over the metropolis of portions of the
charge for poor relief. The deputation was intro-
duced by Capt. Grosvenor, M.P.; and Mr. J. Beal,
a vestryman, said that the members of the vestry of
St. James's were frilly sensible of the necessity of
some legislative enactment for the purpose of carry-
ing out the principles embodiedin the bill which had
been introduced into Parliament, and they were
quite ready t,-) afford every assistance in their power
to carry out those principles. But with regard to the
details of the proposed measure they entertained
very strong objections. The vestry had reprinted
the bill, in which they had inserted in italics. such
alterations as they deemed necessary, and also insert-
ing within brackets those parts of the bill which
they thought ought to be omitted. Mr. Beal then
proceeded to pointout the amendments suggested by
the vestry, supporting them by arguments which had
influenced that body to adopt them. In addition to
asylums thty proposed that dispensaries should be
provided for the sick, insane, and infirm. With re-
spect to the formation of districts, instead of the
Board having the power to combine into districts,
unions, or parishes, the area comprised within the
outer limits of the metropolis should be divided into
the several poor law districts. The vestry objected
to the nomination of managers of the asylums, and
proposed that they should all be elected, and that
such managers should, without the interference of
the Poor Law Board, purchase or build the asy-
lums in such manner as the Poor Law Board should
approve. On the subject of medical outdoor relief,
instead of the Poor Law Board having authority,
the vestry proposed that the power of providing dis-
pensaries, &c., should be given to the managers,
subject to the approval of the board, and that the
appointment of the medical officer should be vested
in the managers, subject to the rules and orders of
the Poor Law Board. Indeed, the whole spirit of
the alterations proposed by the vestry was to retain
in the hands of the Guardians the power to carry
out the new enactments, subject to the approval of
the Poor Law Board, instead of giving them a mere
semblance of authority.

in running away, numbers of them fell over one
another. Twenty-five of them were t tken into cus-

tody, many of them with arms in their hands. A
number of rifles with bayonets fixed, pistols, and
swords were taken by the police ; also 4,000 rounds
of bail cartridge, canisters of powder, a large quan-

tity of percussion caps, and parcels of bandages
neatly made up for leg or arm wounds, with lint, &c.
There were also found numerous bottles of Greek
fire. Some of the police remark that the Fenians
came prepared like any military body going
to the
field, and that no idlers were observable in the
throng. A quantity of blood was observed in some
of the lanes through which the Fenians had re-
treated, and numerous conical bullets (quite new)
were picked tip at and near the scene of action. The
arms used by the Fenians in firing were Minie rifles.

Special trains left the King's bridge Terminus at
4 o'clock a.m. yesterday morning, for New-bridge
and the Curragh Camp, to remove cavalry and in-
fantry. The former (a portion of the 4th Dragoon
Guards) were taken to Haze Match, where they were
left for the purpose of proceeding in the direction
of Tallaght, to act in concert with the force already
in that locality, and the remainder were taken on to
Limerick junction, for further disposal. A special
train left the King's-bridge terminus at 4 o'clock
yesterday afternoon, for the Curragh Camp, to re-
move more troops thence to Limerick junction, for
disposal to Kilmallock and Thurles. Detachments
of the 13th Brigade Royal Artillery have been dis-
tributed throughout the different barracks in Dub-
lin for the purpose of working the garrisons guns
placed in them, and the Royal Horse Artillery at
Portobello have instructions to keep their Arm-
strong field guns ready for use at each entrance.
The Royal Magazine Fort, Phenix-park, has been
reinforced by artillerymen from Beggars' Bush Bar-
racks, to a number amply sufficient to man all the
cannon in that port. A troop of the Scots Greys,

under the command of Lieutenant Hunt, was yes-
terday sent to the Castle, to replace the troops of
Lancers sent there on Tuesday night. These two
corps will take this duty on alternate days until fur-

ther orders. The whole of the troops in garrison
were last night confined to quarters from sunset,
and are ordered to be in readiness to turn out on
the shortest notice. The guards and pickets on
duty in the different barracks in Dublin and neigh-
bourhood are directed to carry, ready for immediate
use, 20 rounds of ball cartridge, in addition to the
usual quantity. All the guards and pickets in gar-
rison were yesterday increased to double the usual
number of men, with additional officers and non-
commissioned officers on each guard. The new
Snider rifles, intended for the 75th Foot, number-
ing about 800, were sent from the Pigeon-house
Fort yesterday to the King's-bridge terminus, for
conveyance to Waterford, but on their arrival at
the terminus, it having been discovered that the
line was stopped by the rails being taken up, the
rifles were returned to the Pigeon-house, under the
escort of the 9th Lancers, which accompanied them
from the Fort. The city police have been with-
drawn from the stations at Kilmainharn and Harold's
Cross, and a company of the 52d Foot stationed in
each. The companies of the 83d Foot, which went-
out to Tallaght yesterday morning had not returned
at a late hour last night.
The mail train due from Cork yesterday evening
at .4.30 did not arrive till 2 a►tn, thia morning.

_
Mr. WEBBER trusted that, whatever provisions
might be enacted for the care of the sick poor, it
would not be left optional to the authorities to carry
them out, but that it would not be compulsory on
them to do so. Referring to the clauses for appoint-
ing nominees as managers for carrying out the pro-
visions of the bill, the speaker thought that such
clauses in effect unjustly imputed ignorance to those
who now performed the onerous duties of Guardians
of the poor.

Mr. BONTIIRON observed that the deputations
were not in any degree opposed to the principle o:
the Bihi, nor n ere at all anxious to retain to them-
selves any advantage which might be supposed to be
conferred on the -parish by their local Act, but he
strongly objected to the parochial authorities being
divested of all discretionary power, and having no
responsibility left -to them, which it appeared to Lim
would be the effect of the bill unless the alterations
proposed by the vestry were adopted.
Mr. HARDY, in reply, expressed a hope that no
gentleman would attribute to him an intention to im-

who might form part of the Board if they pleased,A report feo:n Tipperary states th it a skirmish
That cellist not be in the case of the parish of St.
occurred at a place called Crokehill last night, and
James, because that parish Wa,3 tinder a local act ;
150 armed Fenians passed Grenane police-station.
and with respect to local acts it could not be denied,
Eleven pikes were captured, and one man taken
whatever might be the case with regard to their
prisoner. Mr. Massey, J.P., of Kin gs well- h ouse,
parish, that local acts did form an impediment to
was taken out of his residence by the rebels, but
was allowel to return again unmolested. the proper working of the poor-law. With respect
to the framing of the bill he did not think it ought
The police have been concentrated in Limerick
to offend the susceptibilities of any one. The sub-
city, and the military are under arms ready to act
stance of the bill left the relative powers of the
upon the slightest appearance of an outbreak. It
pirU and of the Board exactly as they were now.
is apprehended that some attempt will be made to-
If, for instance, it was shown that the provisions
night.
of the workhouse were inefficient, it was in the
It is stated to he the intention of the Govern-
power of the Board to say to them that they must
went to bring General -Massey to trial for hint
pecessary alteration ; bat up to last year
treason, with as little delay as possible. It is a,' Lecturer g
stated that he formerly held a commission as
no power to enforce upon them the
W John Davis an
~tee alterations. It was most unrea-andtenant in her Majesty's service. did a mile and
At the Poor-law Board &mid have the re-
the letter in the Dublin Evening Post thus describeser ; an
silty of calling upon boards of guardians to
the breaking up of the Great Southern and Western 'part
pet-foss:a certain works svitlicut possessing the power
Railway, which caused the Cork asiAlis mail to be.
"V
ssix hours late yesterday morning of enforefflgThem. It was therefore proposed to put
e:I.--
" The Limerick, Waterford, and Dublin' trains the expenditure upon such a footing as would force
t
all met at the Junction a few minutes after 12 last the guardians to make the required alterations. His
night. Immediately after their arrival it was found object was not to take the initiative, but rather to
point out what was necessary or beneficial to be
tha,: the telegraph communication with Dublin had
done. With regard to the question of the approval
been cut off. The Limerick, Cork, and Waterford
of the plans for the requisite buildings, a very cons-
mails were dsspatched from the Junction, and in
about half an hour afterwards the engine and ten-
peteirt•gentleman would examine the plans sent up
to the Board ; but it was never proposed that the
der of the Cork up-train arrived at the Junction,
and made known to the stationmaster that about Poor-law Board should take upon itself the erection
four miles and a half down the Cork line, while the of buildings or the preparation of the plans. With
r
train was going at the rate of 40 miles an hour, the respect to the power exercised by the Board in issu-
i
progress of the train was impeded by four or five of tug orders in regard to building, those orders were
never issued until the guardians had failed to corn-
the telegraph posts, which were pulled down and
laid across both the up and down lines. The engine ply with what was required of them. The form of
the bill did not alter the law on that point in any
and tender, by- a series of jumps, most remarkable
to state, cleared the impediments, still remaining on respect. With respect to the collection of the
the rails, the effect of which, was that the coupling proposed common fund under the bill, the only
irons broke, and detached the engine and tender action of the Poor-law Board would be that
from the carriages, railway and luggage van, all of the receiver of the fund would be in communi-
which doubled up on a ditch and were upset. None cation with the Board, and have the power of
of the first or second-class passengers, nor yet the checking the items. It was, in fact, simply a method
of carrying out the act without going to the Metro-
any way injured, saving a few bruises and bumps, persons in the mail van, wonderful to say, were in
politan Board. A time, however, must come very
shortly when there must be for this vast assemblage
from the movement of the carriages. The engineman
was hurried off his tender, but, beyond a shaking, of the poor, the sick, the lunatics, and other objects
escaped unhurt. In the first and second-class car-
of public concern, one great representative Board for
riages there were about a dozen gentlemen, princi-
the whole of the metropolis. When once that Board
pally military. In one of the second-class carriages
should be in existence the parishes and unions would
b
were 14 young children and six women, the families be able to make use of it, but till then they must
of the domestics of the Protestant Bishop of Tuam, avail themselves of other aids. He begged to be
clearly understood on this point—his great wish waslington. Immediately on the arrival of the engine
to which town they were on their way, via Portar-
to pass a bill which should as little as possible disturb
and tender (the carriages which were attached
all existing local management. He might have pro-
thereto having been thrown off the line), the station-
posed taking powers to supersede local management
altogether, but it was his desire not to do so ; and
master and the officer in command of the troops
every time he had interfered with those local autho-
at the Junction despatched 50 soldiers and all the
servants of the railway that could be spared, rities it was with pain and reluctance that he did so,
and then it was that he found himself at a dead-lock,
and a few of the police, who, on the alarm being
given, had come in from a neighbouring station, to inasmuch as the Poor-law Board had the responsi-
bility thrown upon it without possessing the power
the scene where the upset took place, and brought
to enforce its authority upon the guardians. He re-
up the passengers, the Post-office officials, and
the mail bags. About an hour and a half after
peated that he had no wish to take any power out of
their arrival at the Junction a train was despatched the hands of the guardians if they would act con-
with the above persons and the mail to Dublin,
sistently with their duty to the poor and to the
much against the wish of the passengers and Post-
ratepayers.
office and railway officials, who were desirous to After some conversation the deputation withdrew.
remain until daylight. The train proceeded cau-
tiously, at the rate of 12 miles an. hour, without
meeting any obstacle until it arrived within two
miles and a half from Thurles station, in a deep cut-
ting, and when day was ab.nit dawning. Shortly
before reaching this. the. guaratidriver, auelstolser,
keeping a shari> look-out, perceived fu the stl_4l?it
vista before them the posts of the telegraph were
down, and, anticipating further accident, very pro-
perly put on the break, and scarcely had they got
the train under command when the engine and
tender ran off the line, and blocked up both rails.
On examining the place it was found that five or
six of the posts of the telegraph were sawn and
strewed about the place, and about 12 feet of the
rails moved from their place. Both these collisions
occurred at places where there are stationary boxes
containing tools for the repairs of both railway and
telegraph, and it was those tools—pickaxes, crow-
bars, &c.—that were used to do the mischief and
were left strewed about."

allowed to range far and wide in the light of heaven
and the nourishing darkness of the earth. The
Guide books and the annals of horticulture furnish
numerous instances of ancient and enormous vines
that produce superb crops of grapes ; and it belongs
to history, and not to fable, that a king's table in
quite recent times has been supplied with grapes
from an open wall, which for beauty and
flavour were equal to the best produc-
tions of the hothouse. One feature is common to
all the fashions of the present day, and that is haste.
We cannot wait for anything as our forefathers did.
We cram the minds of children with syntax and the
" ologies" before their bodies are half-grown, to
make them clever prematurely. Oxen and sheep go
to market prodigious in bulk of meat at ages which
not long since were considered infantile. The lambs
of our forefathers are the muttons of to-day as re-
spects actual age in weeks or months ; and the use
of quince and paradise stocks enables us to take pears
and apples from miniature trees that are scarcely

larger than the grafts that once were used when men
expected to wait for a return for their labours, and
planted oftentimes rather for their posterity
than themselves. Let us be thankful for the quick
methods of production science has placed at our
command ; but at the same time let us always be
sure, if possible, that there is TA) deterioration of
quality to lessen the m iximum of advantages re-
sulting from forced precocity. It is customary now
to force young vines into a fruiting condition in the
course of a few months from the time the eyes are put
in, so that they show fruit before a
fresh batch; and so on from year to
they are a year
en their pro-
duce,old.
:Lmrsduaalrl
places are sup-
plied with Now no one can deny that this is pretty
year. .erChthenesdeeasrteroaylelodw;etdhteoir ripi
practice. It is very pretty practice, and we respect
the skill that insures constant success without
respect to the varying influences of the seasons ;
but it is a question if in the end there is any
substantial gain by this forcing progress.
We see on these young vines large bunches and
handsome well-coloured berries, but we see the same
on vines of great age, and that try the strength of
walls and rafters with their enormous weight of pro-
duce. There is one difference as to the two uses ;
the young vines require constant watching, and are
in a certain sense costly toys; whereas the great
old vines generally take care of themselves; as is
the wont of those who have arrived at years of dis-
cretion. We are not to be supposed desirous of
fnoluutcldkpwith;obpurteftehrerseimaprlee aultwiraityys a few
turning aside from their enjoyment of the practice
and its fruits those who grow young vines for one
at the
cost, and we think we may safely re-
Ipceareorspstoaponns
sdtsoitbbllieee
c minced these to lay out their vineries in such a
way as in the end to appropriate great spaces to a
few vines rather than a contracted space to many.-.-
Gardener's Magazine.

SALE OF MOUNTED AND UNSET JEWELS.— On
Wednesday, the 6th instant, an auction was held at
Messrs. Dabenham, Storr, and Sous' auction rooms, of a
costly collection of jewels, &e.; the more important lots
realised as follows:—Lot 619, a superb brilliant brooch, of
beautiful floral design, composed of a number of fine stones,
£36 25.; 651, a lustrous pear-shaped brilliant drop, of fine
spread, £33 178.; 665, a very beautifully designed brilliant
and pearl brooch, of the choicest quality, £168; 672, a
single :.ow necklace, composed of 198 choice Oriental pearls,
£27 55.; 676, a splendid brilliant cross, of 17 beautifully--

cut and lustrous brilliants, and diamond loop, £132 Gs. ;
684, a superb diamoud ne,cklaca, c3mpos3d of a profusion

of stones, 3 pendants, and pair of ear-rings, en suite, £215
:is.; 690, a magnificent brilliant, of great lustre, weighing
28 grains, mounted as a stud, £ll5 10. s. ; 694, a superb
ern,rald and brilliant bracelet, the emerald in centre being
remarkable for depth of colour, £142 165.; 697, a costly
Oriental pearl necklace, designed in 5 row;, containing 364
pearls, £236 12s ; 698, a large single-stone brilliant ring,
£36 155.; 705, a sumptuous graduated brilliant collet neck-
lace, composed of 44 finely cut stones, of the greatest
lustre, £391105.; 706, a splendid siuglo-stone brilliant
ring, of the finest quality, £56 145.; 709, a sultana's superb
brilliant collet necklace, of 44 graduated stones, of very
choice quality and cut, with 11 pendants attached, £714 ;
715, a pair of magnificent brilliant drop ear-rings, with
centre pendants, £213; 732, a fine spread brilliant, of ex-
traordinary qualityand lustre, weighing 10 carats (less 1-3),
£034 10s. 733, a magnificent brilliant cross, composed of
17 large stones, of fine quality, £153 Gs.; 751, a splendid
single-stone brilliant ring, of fine water, 3 carats 1-16, £73
10s. ; and, 752, a pair of beautiful gold bracelets, of Indian
workmanship, set with rubies, pearls, ca.te'-eyes, sapphires,
and diamonds, Bozs. ldwL, £126,