The Sun.
London, England, 1868-04-10 00:00:00

PAT AND THE EEL-FRY

The special reporter of the Cork Hcrald gives the follow-
,ngscene, which occurred at the Limerick petty sessions:—
fames M`Mahon and Thomas Hogan, two very tall, very
lean, and hungry-looking (and very ragged withal) poor
men, were brought before the " judgment seat," to
answer for the high crime and misdemeanour of catching
eel-fry, contrary to the statute enacted for the protection
of the promulgation and growth of eels. Constable
M`Garry, who never " winks," as St. Paul says, "at
small things," established the charge against the two
delinquents. Mr. Conolly, solicitor for the Conservators
of the Fisheries in the Lower Shannon, who attended to
prosecute, said he did net wish the poor men to be
punished—a small fine, with a cantlen from the bench
sgainst a repetition of the offence, would satisfy the
Jbject of the conservators, which was to protect the
spawn and the fry of fish from destruction. Mr. Moriarty
asked the hungry-looking defendants what they had
to say to the charge made against them. M`Mahon
(defendant) : " Why, yer honour, all we has to
iay is that Tom and I were looking for work all day in
:he city, and we could not get a job at all, and siz I to
Tom, Come, Tom, let us follow the example of sea-gulls,
and catch a few handfuls of eel-fry for our supper. See
how Almighty God—blessed be His name for ever, Aron
—feeds those vagrants of the air with eel-fry, and
there is no raison at all why two poor starving vagabonds
of the earth should not have a meal of them as well.'
Tom then siz to me, If any of the Royal Irish detect
us catching the fry, we'll be fined, and what will we do
4hen ?' Never mind, siz I, they can't be everywhere.'
and above all,' siz Ito Tom, no matter about the law ;
see how God Almighty is not afraid of the eel-fry dimi-
nishing in the waters of the mighty Shannon. When He
has put the idea into the heads and the taste into the
stomachs of these little birds to catch them and eat them
n millions for breakfast, dinner, and supper, He did not
pass an Act of Parliament to preserve the young of fish,
and particularly of eels.' So Tom said we'd come, and
ye went, and we caught a handful or two and ate them,
'cause we were hungry." Mr. Moriarty and Mr.
Phayer (the magistrates) here put their heads together,
and after some mutual telegrams had passed between them,
the former addressed the co-partners with the seagulls,
and said, " We fine you 2s. 6d. each ; hut, mind, if you
are brought here and charged with the same offence, the
fine will be a heavy one indeed." M`Malson: " What
fine will you place on the seagulls that defy the conser-
vators? Well, glory be to God. Amen ! There was
eel-fry before there were Acts of Parliament or conserva-
tors either, and there will be eel-fry in the waters, seagulls
in the air, and hunger. on land when Acts of Parliament
and conservators will be forgotten. Will your worships
give us time to pay these fines ?" Mr. Conolly said that
he had no objection to granting the request. Time was
granted, and the two-legged seagull and his companion
left the court.

BETHNAL-GREEN.—Mr. Charles Reed, F. S. A. ,
of Hackney, on 'Wednesday evening delivered a lecture on
" Bethnal-Green in the Olden Time," in the Peel•grove
Institution, Bethnal -green. Mr. Alderman Cotton pre-
Aided, and there was a crowded audience of the inhabi-
tants who listened to Mr. Reed's discourse with the
greatest interest.

VITAL PARTY DIVISIONS.—Annexed is a Sum-
mary of some of the vital party divisions of the last thirty
years. On August 24, 1841, a vote of want of confidence
in Lord Melbourne's Government was carried by 91, in a
House of 634 members. On June 8, 1846, Sir R. Peel's
Ministry was defeated by a majority of 76, in a House of
516 members. On February 20, 1851, Lord John Russell
tendered his resignation on being defeated by a majority
of 48, in a House of 157 members. Twelve months later
Lord John was defeated on the militia question by 11, in
a House of 226 members. The Conservative Budget of
1852 was rejected by 19, in a House numbering 596. Lord
Aberdeen's Government was driven from power in January
1855, by a majority of 157, in a House of 458. In
March 1857, Lord Palmnston's Chinese policy was con-
demned by a majority of 16, in a Houseof Commons of 515
members. A year later there was an adverse majority of 19
on the Conspiracy Bill, in a I rouse of 454. The Conservative
Reform Bill of 1859 was rejected by 39, in a House numbering
626. Two months later the second Derby Government
was ejected by majdrity of 13, in a House of G3B mem-
bers. On July 9, 1851, Lord Palmerston triumphed over
the Opposition on the Danish question by a majority of
18, in a House of 613. On April 29,1866, Lord Russell's
Reform Bill was carried by a majority of five, in a House
of. 636. On June 18, 1866, the Russell Government was,
however, defeated by a majority of 11, in a House num-
bering 624. Last year the Opposition had not effectually
" reconciled its sections," but on April 4, 11 68, it obtaineo
a majority of 61 over Mr. Disraeli's Admiuistrationou the
Irish Church question.