The Sun.
London, England, 1858-11-17 00:00:00

RIBANDISM.

The Carlow Sentinel gives this circumstantial
account of the spread of the Riband conspiracy in
the province of Leinster :-" We regret to learn,
upon unexceptionable authority, that the Riband
conspiracy is extending itself to the surrounding
counties through the agency of ' delegates;' and un-
c
less the local authorities of ever county exercise
the utmost vigilance the fiends whose principles
are subversive of social order) wil once more usurp
sway in districts during many years remarkable
for industry and tranquillity. The ' delegates,' as
described to us, appear attimes as travelling dealers
frequently as mechanics out of employment; and
their heal-quarters are held at publichouscs, to
which they invite persons who are named in their
instructions ; andthey have been known to indulge
in the most lavish expenditure, with a view to
seduce young men into a confederacy the main fea-
tures of which are outrage and murder. Two of
these delegates were lately traced from Instill. to
Dublin; from that (by detectives) to the county of
Kildare ~ but, suspecting that the authorities were
on the alert, they turned to the county of Wicklow
from the Salins station, when all trace of these
ruffians was lost. Ribandism exercises an appalling
tyranny over the farmers of every district in which
it takes even temporary root, as their servant boys
are usually prominent members of the body. This
confederacy aims at the regulation of wages and
diet, as they do at present in the counties of Kerry
and-ork. They assume the right of adjudiature-
in the management of land ; they dictate to the
domestic circle by proclaiming marriage, on pain
of death, between the farmer's daughter and one of
their b0d3..; finally, if the farmer's sons enter into
the conspiracy, it assumes another phase—that of
compassing the death of those in the occupation of
land who do not surrender it to the former occu-
pants, who may have given ' their good will of it'
for a consideration some 10 or 12 years ago, and at
this point agrarian outrages and murder commence.
We desire particularly to advise young men to
avoid being seduced into these murderous confe-
deracies. The ruffians who are most prominent in
swearing in unhappy men are the first who give
information, and either save themselves from ex-
patriation or the halter by accepting. the reward
offered for the detection of offenders against the laws.
Should not this simple fact operate as a caution to
those who think that unlawful oaths present a bar-
rier to the discovery of crime ?"
___

THE ATLANTIC CABLE.
The Tralee Chronicle, under date of Valentia,
Nov. 11, publishes the following :
" The steamer Robert Bruce arrived here on
Tuesday to assist in laying-down the shore end of
the cable, the completion of which has been
looked forward to with so much anxiety. The
schooner Stag, of Yarmouth, has been employed
in the work for the last 16 days, but such is the
inactivity and want of energy displayed by those
to whom the work is entrusted that not a mile
of it has been yet laid down. It is now 31
days since this vessel left Greenwich, and from
the representations made at the time by the
directors, through their secretary, the public were
led to expect a speedy and effective method had been
preconcerted to secure the laying down of the shore
end before the winter, and thus satisfy the wishes of
the shareholders, and put to a practical test the
assertions of those who maintain that the defect is
at the Valentia end of the wire. The weather had
been remarkably fine since the arrival of the shore
end, but strange to say, with the exception of afew
manoeuvres for an hour or two each day, the vessel
has more the appearance of a ship waiting for orders
at our port than one engaged in a work of the
greatest public importance and of the deepest inte-
rest to the shareholders. In calling attention to this
matter through your columns a fortnight ago, I
alluded to the necessity that existed of taking ad-
vantage of the fine weather. Bad weather has now
set in, and the work will probably have to be dis-
continued. Both vessels are lying at anchor off
Begnish Island, the steamer, (to use the words of
the peasantry) helping the other to do nothing.'
These proceedings have given rise to agreat deal of
comment, and it is naturally asked, Where are the
directors, and why are the shareholders silent spec-
tators .of the farce that is beingenacted in Valentia ?'
It is time these questions should ho boldly put and
answered.'

TRICKS OF TRAVELLERS.
Before the Prince Albert sailed from Galway on
Thursday there was the usual God-speed banquet
on board the steamer, and towards the close of the
festivities a discovery was made which created some
amusement :
" Mr. Weir called the attention of Capt. Waters
to the fact that he had received a letter from one of
their agents in America, stating that in every ship
of the line that had arrived from Galway there
were a number of persons who had no tickets, and
who had contrived to stow themselves away when
the vessels were leaving—as many as 15 or 20 in
some of the vessels. Capt. Waters said he had no
doubt there were some on board at that moment,
but it would be next to impossible to discover
them. However, it was resolved to make
a close search, and for that purpose three -
Capt.
foraging
parties' were formed—one in charge of C
Thom-
son, another in charge of Mr. W. H. Butler, and
the third in charge of Mr. Nicholson, late chief
officer of the ship, but now promoted to command
one of the new ships. They were not long thus
engaged when Mr. Butler discovered the first
stow-away in the person
oof a very good-looking
young and respectably-dressed woman, who was
hidden behind some chests andg packages in the
second cabin. On being brought into the saloon
she appeared a good deal- abashed, but promptly
tendered six sovereigns to pay for a steerage pa: a ige
which was accepted, and she was let off. Some
men and boys were discovered in other parts of the
ship and put on board the Vesper, but it was an-
noune.d. by Mr. Weir that in future any pel so
attempting to conceal themselves on board any 0
the vessels would be prosecuted with the utmost
rigour, of the law."

In the general business of the port of London
during the past week there has been considerable activity.
The number of ships reported inward was 351, and, those
cleared outward amounted to 129, including 19 in Wiest.
Of those now on the berth loading outward 58 are for the
Australian colonies, 4 for Vancouver Island, 1 for San Fran-
d:l o, sad 5 for Chip,