The Sun.
London, England, 1844-01-24 00:00:00

einnins As

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 1844,

The proceedings in the Irish State trials were
resumed on Monday with the examination of
three persons in the employment of Mr. Hol-
brook e, a lithographic printer and engraver,
Crow-street. This person was employed to print
many of the documents issued by the Repeal
Association. Among them the cards of the members
and associates, the forms of the awards of arbitrators,
and the deeds of submission to such awards. The latter

documents were stamped, and much of the cross-exami-
nation was directed to eliciting whether this stamp was
affixed by the authority of the Association or not. The
form of the award only was carried at the meeting of
the Association, and the Counsel for the traversers con-
tended that the stamp being part of the document, it
could not be adrititted as evidence, unless the whole of it
was proved to be authorised by that body as well as part.
The Court, however, decided that the document
should be admitted as well as the others.
Between one and two o'clock a little incident occurred
that not only varied the formality of the proceedings,
but exhibited in a striking manner the spirit that ani-
mates the Attorney-General.
The usual Monday meeting of the Repeal Asso-
ciation was announced to be held at two o'clock.
Mr. W. S. O'Brien, it was stated, would also attend that
meeting. Between one and two o'clock Mr. O'Connell and
his son John rose to leave the Court, for the purpose of
proceeding to the Conciliation Hall, when the Attorney-
General stated that he had no objection to the traversers
remaining in the precincts of the Court, but that he
would not permit them to attend the meeting ; if they
quitted the Court for that purpose, he should call
on the Court to enforce their recognisances. Mr. John
O'Connell then wrote a letter from the Court, which
was read to the meeting, amidst the utmost ex-
citement ; nothing could exceed the indignation of the
assembly at this manifestation of a petty spirit, and the
groans of the meeting " for the Attorney-General" were
tremendous.
In the Court the examination of the witnesses pro-

ceeded as before. A Mr. Macnamara was called to swear

to the speeches delivered at the monster meeting at Tul

lamore, of which he took notes, but their authenticity
was much shaken on the cross-examination. The other
two witnesses were an inspector of police, named Stewart,
and Mr. O'Neil Brown, stipendiary magistrate of King's
County. They spoke to details of the management of
the meeting at Tullamore. The examination of Mr.
Brown, did not elicit any new evidence against the
traversers, and at half-past four o'clock the Court
adjourned till ten o'clock next morning.
One of our Dublin correspondents, who dates his
letter Monday, the 22d, makes the following remarks :
" There was yesterday some repose for those imme-
diately connected with the public proceedings of the
Queen's Bench, but private discussions and speculations
were more frequent than on the days devoted to work.

The trials, it is generally supposed, will not occupy
more than another fortnight, the Crown being likely
to close on Wednesday, at the furthest. The
additional evidence to be brought forward on
the part of the Crown, will consist, I under-
stand of the Repeal cards and other documents, the pub-
lications of the newspapers, and the numbers who at-
tended the various meetings. Has the Attorney-General
no other evidence, is a question asked by every one ?
Why we all knew what has been proved months and
months ago, and yet no one ever dreamt of a conspiracy.
Then comes the question, will the jury convict on such evi-
dence? Jam informed they will, and that there is scarcely a
chance for the traversers. The moment the jury was
known, the public voice cried conviction. This in England
would appear strange—in Ireland it is quite natural•
Given, they say, three men of a certain character as
judges—twelve Orangemen for a jury, Daniel O'Connell
for a defendant, and, work the problem as you will, an
acquittal cannot be the result. The tone and manner
of some of the judges are bad, the demeanour of the
prosecutor is personal and petulant, the character of the
judges Orange, to the full extent of that fearful word. One
of the jurymen, Mr. Floyd, is an Englishman by birth,
though a long time in Ireland. He is highly Conserva-
tive, and his business connexion is Conservative ; but
there is just the shadow of 'a hope that, not being an
Irish Orangeman, some of the fair play for which
Englishmen are distinguished may accompany
him into the box. I was speaking this morn-
ing to a gentleman well acquainted with the state
of feeling in Ireland, and on my saying that I
hardly thought it possible the Crown would punish, even
if there was a conviction, his reply was, No one can say
what Government will do, Sir ; they appear to be mad;
but I assure you it will take all the influence of O'Con-
nell and the priests to keep the people quiet.' I believe
this is a true representation of the case ; but it is curi-
ous to have the peace of Ireland preserved by those who
may be punished—for a conspiracy to disturb it."

We do not meddle with the evidence given upon the
present State trials in Ireland. We do not interfere
with the question of legality or illegality of the pro-
ceedings upon which the jury has to decide. We are
entirely opposed to a repeal of the union upon princi-
ple, and upon a conviction that Ireland may be better
served, than by severing its legislative connection with
this country ; but we feel it strictly within our province
to look at the mode in which that evidence has been
obtained—to denounce the unfair proceedings by which
the jury-box has been packed with men, who may be
free from all bias, but whose selection is evidently most
corrupt—and to enter our indignant protest against
conduct, which will do more to effect a repeal of the
union, than all the harangues of O'CoNwELL, the acts
of the Repeal Association, or of the entire population
of Ireland.

Can any Englishman call to his memory the proceed-
ings previous to the selection of the jury, without
thanking his stars that he was born in this country and
not in Ireland ? Can any Englishman see justice
totally denied to Irishmen, in their own country,
without blushing for the Legislature which has not
conferred upon one part of the British empire, the privi-
leges enjoyed by the other part, and which ought
to be common to all ? Can any Englishman see
the tricks, the subtleties, the petty acts of tyranny,
to which every- officer of the Government has re-
sorted, previous to, and during the present trials,
without feeling a lively sensation of shame for his
country, of despisal for his country's rulers, ' and of
pity for the objects of the persecution which those
rulers have instituted, and are now carrying on ?
We do not believe that the Englishman exists, who in
his heart approves, either the withholding of all Ine s
from the traversers to make an effectual !.efiince, by
refusing every information as to the charge against
them, and the evidence to support it, or the nefarious
packing of the jury box, intended to make all and eves y
defence of no ultimate use and avail. Conviction.'
conviction ! conviction ! per fas aut nefas ; innocent or
guilty, no matter ; conviction, was the end, the aim, and
the intent.

___
In pursuance of this foregone conclusion, evidence,
such as no mortal man ever heard, has been sought
for ; the character of the public press 'has been