The Sun.
London, England, 1858-12-16 00:00:00

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, TUESDAY MORNING.
SECRET SOCIETIES. .

It was currently rumoured yesterday that a
special commission would be issued for the imme-
diate trial of the persons arrested in the South and
North on the charge of being members of an illegal
society. Nothing, however, positive on this head
is likely to be known for some days, or until the
preliminary investigation before the police magi-
strates is completed. Late yesterday evening it
was reported that several arrests were about to be
made in the city of Cork, but no confirmation of
the intelligence has yet reached Dublin. Of the
nine persons captured in Kenmare, three are assist-
ants in the employment of Mr. Garrett Riordan,
draper ; Denis Shea, assistant, in the employment
of Mr. Daniel O'Brien Corkery, also a draper ;
Thomas Downing, son to former confidential stew-
ard in the employment of Mr. Hickson, late agent
of the Marquis of Lansdowne, and four others.
They are-all young men. If guilty, a turn of the
treadmill might sufficiently cure them of their Fili-
bustering propensities. The Belfast Mercury says
it is a ()Toss error to confound the organisation of
the Phcenix Club and its ramifications with the old
Riband Society :
" There is little doubt that the new organization
is entirely seditious, and made up out of the dregs of
Young Irelandism. It is perfectly ridiculous to
attaeh any importance to the secret and criminal
association of such elements. To endeavour to mag-
nify the incoherent schemes of a few madmen into
a formidable conspiracy is a rank absurdity." -
Respecting the objects of this Phcenix Club the
Belfast paper gives the following information :
" The club was preparing. to receive with open
arms the regiment of American militia which we
lately heard so much about as coming to Ireland
to see once more their native land. This was the
ostensible Object for such an unprecedented visit
from the American militia, but, coupling their
avowed intention to come with the fact of an illegal
society being established in Ireland to receive them,
it is,evident to us that they only wished to feel
their way. Colonel Ryan' was to command them,
and their stay in Ireland was to be something about
six weeks. During that time they were to encamp
(that was the military word employed) in the south
and in the north. Great things, no doubt, were
expected from these Yankee invaders, who would
have endeavoured to spread as much dissatisfaction
and disloyalty as possible in the breasts of the
ignorant people who would have flocked round
them. In fact there cannot be a doubt of the ob-
ject of their intended visit, and the result now
proves it. The British Government has very pro-
perly put a stop to their coming, and since they
have been stopped the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland
has issuer'. a proclamation against illegal societies,
and recent arrests of the members of the Phcenix
Club have closely followed the proclamation."
The Northern Whig of yesterday give the fol-
lowing full particulars of the arrests of Sunday
night :
" Yesterday evening, about 5 o'clock, the utmost
excitement was created in the neighbourhood of
Cromac-street and the adjoining districts by the
sudden arrest of a number of persons believed by the
authorities to belong to an illegal society. We have
learnt that on Friday last information was given
to Mr. Tracy, R.M., that an illegal body met
every Sunday night in the house of a Mrs. M'Kay,
in Great Edward-street, and the informer, who we
• have reason to believe was himself a member of the
body, went into such particulars of the nature of
the business carried on as left no doubt as to the
veracity of his statement. Mr. Tracy took imme-
diate steps to sift the matter. Head-constable
Madders had only recently arrived in town. He
was comparatively unknown in his perscmal ap-
pearance to the public of Belfast • and Mr. Tracy,
therefore, wisely selected that officer, and a sub-
constable of equal sagacity and prudence, to watch
the premises of Mrs. M‘Kay throughout the whole
of yesterday. In the garb of ordinary citizens
these two officers hovered about the premises during
the day. As darkness set in they observed men of
a suspicious character enter the shop, and their sus-
picion was further aroused by the fact that these
persons did not leave the premises after they had
been supplied at the counter with what they re-
quired, but passed upstairs. Head-constable Mad-
ders, at once, when some dozen of this class of per-
sons had entered in this way, and had not made
theit departure, found himself on a reliable track.
He then despatched information to the Queen-street
station, where the constabulary were held in readi-
ness for immediate action. Some 60 members of
the force, with side-arms, were turned out, and,
under Sub-inspector Bindon and Head-constable
Delany, were marched to Great Edward-street.
The constabulary surrounded the premises of Mrs.
141‘Kay ; an entrance was effected, and in an upper
room of the house 15 persons were - arrested. The
police, as we have said, had then only side-arms,
and, perhaps, fearing that a rescue might take
place, the majority of the constabulary were
ordered back to barracks for their fire-arms.
When they returned the prisoners were brought
out. There was then an immense crowd of the
residents of this usually quiet neighbourhood
assembled, every one of whom was asking his
neighbour the occasion of this unusual proceed-
ing. In the midst of two files of police, with fixed
• bayonets, the 15 prisoners were taken to the police
office. Some time elapsed before the arrival of Mr.
Tracy. All ingress was prohibited to the court,
and an immense, but a very peaceable, crowd had
collected in the adjoining locality. In the mean-
time the informer had given information against a
sixteenth person, named John Kelly, a lawyer's
clerk, and he was arrested while he was in bed, and
taken also to the police office. The appearance of
the prisoners, as they stoodbefore the railing of the
police office was that of respectable artisans. All of
them were decently attired, and few of them had
the slightest tinge of intoxication. In the midst of
any public assemblage they would have passed off
as respectable, intelligent-looking mechanics. But
not one word escaped their lips from the moment
they entered into the hands of the police until they
passed into the county gaol. We may as well here
mention that when the police captured the pri-
soners they found two bottles of whisky on the table
before them, and the party appeared fo be enjoying
themselves with great,conviviality. On the arrival
of Mr. Tracy the informations against the prisoners
were privately perfected by that gentleman in the
presence of Mr. Williams, county inspector. This .
part of the proceedings was carried on in an inner
apartment of the police office, and there was the
utmost secrecy attached to it. The warrant for their
committal to the county gaol was made out and
handed to Head-Constable Madders. The following
are the names and occupations of the persons :
James Kelly, law clerk ; Patrick Kelly, law clerk ;
John Kelly, law clerk ; Hugh Carleton, law clerk ;
Henry Smith, waterman ; James Donaghy, huck-
ster ; Daniel M'Kenna, operative ; David INl'Veigh,
greengrocer ; Bernard Smith, waterman ; John
Finlay, labourer in provision store ; Hugh Finlay,
labourer in provision store ; William J. Al'Aulev,
factory worker ; Wm Laverty, baker ; Wm. Fin-
nigan, quay porter ; Daniel Barr, labourer ; Francis
M‘Goran, labourer. The warrant of committal hav-
ing been placed in charge of Head-Constable Mad-
ders Head-Constable Delany ordered the police to
fix bayonets, and shortly before seven the prisoners
were marched, handcuffed, to the county gaol.
At this time large numbers of persons were on their
way to their respective places of worship, and the
appearance of this considerable police force, with a
body of prisoners in their midst, created some ex-
citement in the neighbourhood of High-street,
Bridge-street, and --I)oneo•al-street. There was, other•
wise, however, not the least manifestation of public
feeling, and the prisoners entered the gaol without
a single evidence- of disapprobation or applause
from the assembled crowd. We have heard a great
many statements in connection with these arrests,
to which it is hardly necessary to give currency.
Among the prisoners it is stated the master and
secretary of the society will be found ; and it is also
said that the premises in which they were disco-
vered has been weekly occupied by the body for
several years. This, at least, we have a good autho-
rity for saying, that Mrs. M'Kay had no knowledge
of the character of the .persps who met in her
house, although at the same time it appears strange
thdt the only available room in the premises—the
to
next being sublet another party—should have
p
been occupied by the so
in
prisoners. Last night the con-
stabulary were most activeii ehndeavours to
make further arrests, and at
named James Hughes, of Smith-street, fowl dealer,
was captured on information sworn against him.
While we write the most active members of the
force are sifting every quarter of the town in the
hope of discovering other members of illegal socie-
ties, their information on the subject, \VC have offi-
cial reason for believing, being very extensive and
minute. It should be recollected that the induce-
ments for information in these cases are somewhat
considerable. In the recent proclamation of the
Lord Lieutenant, with respect to illegal societies
it is stated:—` For the better carrying into effect
these our intentions and purposes aforesaid (the
suppression of illegal societies) we do hereby offer
a reward of £lOO for such information as will lead
to the conviction of any of the persons who shall
have administered any such oath, and a reward of
£5O for such information as will lead to the convic-
tion of any of the persons who shall be found to be
members of, or in anywise connected with, any of
the aforesaid societies.' We believe that the pri-
soners will to-day undergo a private examination
in the gaol ; and some time may elapse before any
important detaili of this extraordinary case may be
publicly brought forward."
A despatch, dated from Belfast last night, sup-