The Sun.
London, England, 1844-01-25 00:00:00

IRELAND.

THE STATE TRIALS
EIGHTH DAY-BY EXPRESS.

(FROM OUR OWN REPORTERS.)
COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH..
DUBLIN, TUESDAY.
THE QUEEN r. DANIEL O'CONNELL AND OTHERS.
The Court sat at ten o'clock. The traversers were in
Punctual attendance. •
The first witness called was John Maguire, Head-
constable of Police, who being examined by Mr.
Bennett, Q.C., on the part of the Crown, de-
Posed—I am a Head-constable of Police ;in the
Month of May last I was stationed in the town of
Sligo. I remember having attended the Longford
Repeal
I meeting, which was held last May on a Sunday.
saw the people coming into the town that day. They
came flocking into the town between eight and nine
o'clock with musical bands playing before them. They
Walked down the street playing " St. Patrick's Day,"
had peculiar
and " The Irishmen." The bandsmen
aad peculiar dresses upon them. They wore military
clips, some of which had red bands and some gold bands.
there was here some trifling noise in the Court which
4l3pared to annoy
Air. Bennett, who requested that Mr. Hatchell would
Use his influence with the gentlemen around him to pre-
lecYe order, as it would be otherwise very difficult to
conduct the examination.
Mr. Fitzgibbon (who was sitting next to Mr. Hat-
chell) said—l can assure you, Mr. Bennett, that no one
hi making a noise in the vicinity of Mr. Hatchell.
Mr. Bennett—But I can assure you, Mr. Fitzgibbon,
that there is, for I can hear him speaking at this dis-
tance.—(Laughter.)
Mr. Fitzgibbon—l'm sitting nearer to Mr. Hatchell
ualln you are, and tea ther was ny voice I should hear it.
Mr. Bennett—l assert there is noise, and I would not
Say so were it not that I know it to be true.—(Laughter.)
Mr. Fitzgibbon—This interruption is quite uncalled for.
Mr. Bennett—l'm not alluding to you at all now, so
keep yourself quiet.—(Laughter.)
Mr. Fitzgibbon—Yes, but you said there was noise in
ttaY vicinity, and there is nothing of the kind.
, Mr. Bennett—l repeat what I said before ; some gen-
tlemen around Mr. Hatchell are speaking so loudly that
4 Ern interrupted in my examination of the witness.
Mr. Fitzgibbon—lf there is noise in Court it does not
ecrne from this side of the Court—(A laugh)—l'm right.
Mr. Bennett—So am I.—(Laughter.)
Mr. Forde—My Lords, I was only making a sugges-
tion to my counsel, Mr. Hatchell, and this I submit I
had every right to do.
The Chief Justice—You ought not to be interrupting
the Court, Mr. Forde.
„ Mr. Forde—Nor was I, my Lord. I merely leant over
e bar to make a suggestion to Mr. Hatchell relative to
the cross-examination.
I ?dr. Fitzgibbon—I don't think Mr. Forde's voice could
"ave•interrupted anybody.
Mr. Bennett—Ah, Mr. Fitzgibbon, do permit me to go
"."--(Laughter.
Mr. Fitzgibbon) —I have not the slightest objection.—
(Laughter.)
Mr. Bennett—Well now, witness, you were proceed-
-ng to"- describe the bands ; they wore military caps
You say ?
Witaess—Yes, with red or gold bands ; some of the
,suallds were preceded by a man dressed like a drum-
"taior,. who held a large stick in his hand ; the
People followed the bands ; I formed an estimate
frtlie numbers who were present ; I should think
rcm 40,000 to 50,000 people were met together
the occasion ; I observed a person leading the
crowds ; the person in question I believe to be a Ca-
tholic priest ; the people came on in military order ; I
mean by military array a kind of rank and file order of
"'arching ; there were several persons on horseback ;
about 100 of them came into town with Mr. O'Connell ;
he sat on the front box or seat of his carriage ; there
Was a gentleman sitting with him, whom I under-
Stood to be Bishop Higgins. Mr. Steele was inside,
and another person, who seemed to be a clerical
gentleman. I did not know who he was. Mr. O'Con-
nell arrived about two o'clock. He was preceded
'Y three or four bands playing before him. The houses
la the town were decorated with green boughs, and
ihBome of the people carried boughs in their hands, waving
ein ; some of the people had sticks, and on approaching
he platform way was made for them, and some of them
had sticks and were brandishing them; the meeting broke
thlala between four and five o'clock ; I was near the platform,
ieh was very large, and a number of
persons on it ; I
4 not see any of the traversers, except Mr. O'Connell and
!r. Steele; I took notes of the mottoes that day ; but Mr.
christen took notes of the speeches from a window, under
Itemobservation, as we could not both conveniently take
rin ; the motto over the platform was "Ireland for the
and the Irish for Ireland ;" that was very conspi-
:Pus ; in another part of the town was " A population
of nine millions is too great to be dragged at the tail
,another nation ;" it was on a large piece of white
l'itutco or linen, and was fastened to the wall on the
it Uclin road ; it was after the meeting I saw
nuts
eth another motto was "rn
He that co-
a crime strengthens the enemy ;" I am quite
,e the word enemy was there . another motto was
LRe eel and no separation"—" Cead mille fealtha." I
~!rd Mr. O'Connell speak that day in the early part of
3 rilY speech. He said theirs was no vain cause. I cannot
charge
memory with having heard him make any
allusion to trial by jury or the administration of justice.
Did you hear him make any allusion to judges or
courts of justice 7—He said "they took the commission
°f tthe peace from your respected supporters ;" he also
friends the people "Go home quietly, and tell your
what you have heard, and when I want you
again won't you be ready ?" That sentence was im-
pressed on my memory, as it was the conclusion of his
t%leech ; after that Mr. Steele came forward, with a
areel of papers ; he said they were speeches of the
J'iherator's, made about some measure of Sir R. Peel's.
hr After Mr. O'Connell made his speech did you see any
Ildishing of sticks ?—No.
the last
Fitzgibbon—Having regard to the testimony of
Put in
witness yesterday I would ask is that question
rtir'ln a fair or legal shape?
tr',,tai.ge Perrin—Sure it has been answered.
;',,hlef Justice—What harm is the answer?
Fite r. Bennett —I would be exceedingly obliged to Mr.
laztLizigibbon if he finds me putting an illegal question to
st,r c an objection to it at the time, and I shall either
I,..ain it or give it up.
Fitzgibbon—" After Mr. O'Connell's speech did
a se
4 e any brandishing of sticks ?"
ti r. r• Bennett—Yes ; I had a right to put that ques-
for 'and you are not to judge of its legality, Sir ; it is
hie Court.
C f
e Justice—Oh, go on with the examination.
chiPless—The people all dispersed after the meeting.
so4a Chief Justice—Can you state about how many per-
and suppose were there 9-1 think between forty
fty thousand.
c(4°sa-examined by Mr. Hatchell, Q.C.—I am in the
stibstabulary, and a first head constable. I am not a
stor;l4sPeetor, but it is the next step to my office. John-
l'her was the head constable there on the occasion.
There are two degrees in the class of head constables.
kre Is one chief head constable in each county.
Sots Connell—Speak up, Sir, let us hear what
5„,43'•
itlspEeL'i a first head constable, and the next step is sub-
et°r. I came to Longford on the 27th of May, the
t before the meeting. I came with Johnston, who
exarni
I)id ned here yesterday.
You read any report of his evidence in the papers
tss clorn;. •
, ruing ?—Not this morning.
kr ou last night, Sir ?—Yes, I did.
Iv; llatchell—So I thought.
Je you ever in the army ?--No.
lii)i,s;tere did you stop in Longford ?—We got into a
Ataconvenient to the platform.
bi,q You saw it of course ?—Yes, certainly.
1,Z04,," Yc)u see any breach of the peace committed ?
; hatever.
bas „any tendency to a breach of the peace ?--There
viic breach of the peace committed.
tell ~OY do you evade giving me a direct answer ?—I will
.
all I know about the subject.
did 440 st there any tendency to a breach of the peace ?—I
see any breach of the peace committed.
`Leneuee_tile a direct answer, Sir. Was there any ten-
/ a breach of the peace ?—None that I saw.
....,(tttiatike it for granted you are not a Repealer ?
bowtghter.)—No, nor do I belong to any other party.
,roa Youbelong to a party of police ?—(Laughter.)
(;,,a'w a great deal of people there ?—Yes, after
onnell arrived.
there there
e t, no
as breach of the peace, and having gone
lot hrOjiPreserve the peace, and finding the peace was
414 t,. Alas, Othe 110 's occupation was gone,"
tatnead-constable Maguire had nothing at all to
here (G laughter.) Was it not so?—I did not go
I)ittri9 preserve the peace at all.
Zttlnghtt You though. Ah, me l Well, and what
thenent ou there Mr. Head-constable Maguire ?—I
air. /e to make observations.
4rat4hell Hah ! That was the tactic. of a good
(1, ..1 to
la oad la see how the land lay in the first instance.-
1,• the „ugliter.)— When we are assembled for preserv-
-'lPeetrace, we act under the command of the sub-
The PSeoPle were coming in merrily ?—Yes, they were.
co yaxce as to a country fair ?—Eh.
fair ver see the People coming into an Irish
~(Alfte'r itietn merrily?—Yes, very.
1.441 d lacing UP their heels and dancing a little bit ?
I.e Oh sai,ghter.)—Yes, something after that fashion.
i,NB, Ili the people were brandishing their sticks ?
sei)j,
.Nvere,
lt-,get. or anger or disorder, or had it a tendency to
'Ter, quarrel amongst themselves ?—Not the least
tt‘el'6Y
Oncoming
in in parties, you said ?—Yes, they
4, de in military array.
Gents thence, in military array. Now had they their
ll eta ir shoulders this way ?—(Here the Learned
aathatanthachlovuld, ere. d a large pen amid great laughter.)
bi on und_ar), ?—No they had not.
~.d the_
carrye stand me P—l suppose I do.
id the?:
co arms ?—reat laughter.)—No.
theYy presentport? arms when the General came up?—
'allghter.)___No.
They el charge ?—No.
they--No, they- did not. Yet ea . .
in military array. Wonderful
to.totery
array
!—(lmmense laughter.) They came
q4)..!stpr_ Port, xr,aY and did not carry arms, did not come
."-to, not present arms to the General, did not
I'l;4' ?--,17'°.-hter)—and yet they came in military
`l.-.)141 the' es, they did.
5 }(41ta11e441,,t
,_—Some of them might have halted.
" Mat
ntro) of them were mote?—(Shyuts