The Sun.
London, England, 1868-02-24 00:00:00

THE MISR JOURNALISTS.

There was some excitement in Dublin on Saturday, that
day having been fixed for awarding judgment upon Mr.
Alexander M. Sullivan, proprietor of the Weekly News,
and Mr. Richard Pigott, proprietor of the Irishman news-
paper. The attendance in court in Dublin was somewhat
larger than usual. The bar seats were fully occupied,
and in the galleries a number of ladies (amongst whom
was Mrs. A. M. Sullivan) were accommodated with seats.
At twenty minutes past ten o'clock Mr. A. M. Sullivan
entered the court and took his seat at the traversers' bars
He was accompanied by Alderman Plunkett, Mr. James
Fitzgerald Lombard, J.P., Mr. John Martin, Mr. Donal
Sullivan, Mr. Scallan, solicitor, Mr. D. N. C. Whyte, city
coroner, and other friends. Shortly afterwards Mr.
Richard Pigott arrived, and seated himself between Mr.
Sullivan and Mr. John Martin. Mr. Justice Fitzgerald
and Mr. Baron Deasy took their seats on the bench at half-
past ten o'clock.
On the learned judges taking their seats,
Mr. Smart (deputy clerk of the Crown) informed their
lordships that Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Pigott were in
attendance to receive the judgment of the court.
Mr. Justice Fitzgerald : Send for counsel for the Crown.
In a few minutes the Solicitor-General, Dr. Ball, Q.C.,
Mr. Charles Shaw, Q.C., and Mr. R. H. Owen entered
the court.
The Solicitor-General said : My lords, we pray the
judgment of the court upon Alexander M. Sullivan and
Richard Pigott.
Mr. Justice Fitzgerald then addressed Mr. Sullivan at
some length, concluding as follows : That you be impri-
soned for six calendar months from this time ; that at the
end of that period you give security, yourself in £5OO,
with two sureties in £250 each, to be of good behaviour
for a period of two years, and that in default of such
security you be further imprisoned for a second period of
six calendar months.
Mr. Baron Deasy next passed sentence upon Mr. Pigott,
sentencing him to be imprisoned for twelve months, and
at the expiration of that time enter into recognisances to
be of good behaviour for a period of two years—himself in
£5OO and two sureties in £250 each—or, in default, be
further imprisoned for six months.
Mr. Crean : I have to ask your lordships whether you
commit the prisoners to the city or county prison. You
have power under the Act to name the prison.
Mr. Justice Fitzgerald : The offence being committed in
the city, but tried in the county, I believe the Act gives
us a discretion as to what venue we shall direct the
sentence to be carried out. What is your application,
Mr. Crean?

Mr. Crean : That they be imprisoned in the city.
No opposition being offered on behalf of the Crown,
Mr. Justice Fitzgerald said : We direct that the sen-
tence be carried out in the city, and accordingly the pri-
soners are committed to Richmond Bridewell.
Mr. Sullivan : As far as the court is concerned I wi.in
to say I consider that I have had a fair trial.
A number of persons, including several Roman Catholic
clergymen, here came to the front of the clock and shook
hands with Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Pigott.
Mr. Philpotts, deputy-governor of Richmond Bridewell,
then took the prisoners into custody, and conducted them
to the cell beneath the court. In their progress, a crowd
which completely filled the passages leading to the court,
shook hands with them, and they were loudly cheered
until the cell door closed upon them.

Shortly after one o'clock Messrs. Sullivan and Pigott
arrived at Richmond Bridewell, where they were received
by Mr. Boyd, the governor. The records of their convic-
tions were handed in and entered in the usual form. A
record was made in the governor's book of their reception,
together with the general details of their ages, religion,
occupation, &c., as in the case of ordinary prisoners.
Cells were then allotted to them, and they were soon
after removed. Some members of the board of
superintendents of city prisons met in the course of the
day to consider in what way the prisoners should be
treated. After a consultation it was determined that, as

prisoners rece:ved on Saturday are not " classed" until

Monday, no step should be taken at present, but that a
special of the board should be summoned for Monday to
take the subject into consideratiol. 'Under the General
Prisons Act for Ireland it is stated that all prisoners,
whether felons or misdemeanants, must conform to tLe
prison discipline in all respects, except that in regard to
the latter class a discretion is vested in the board of super•
intendence to relieve them from the operation of the
regulation respecting the compulsory wearing of prison
uniform.

The Weekly News and Nation of Saturday published an
address from Mr. A. M. Sullivan to the readers of these
journals. In this address Mr. Sullivan says :—" Fellnw
countrymen, the dictates of justice, the conclusions of
judgment, the emotions of the heart, are beyond
the coercion of man. England may send us to gaol,
but she cannot force us to praise or worship that
against which our heart and conscience are in
revolt. She may get verdicts as she pleases from
permitted juries, well trained in treason-felony
trials ; but she cannot change the verdict of the world
furpoomn
the that hi
momentlu' deou
the
es cce nr
oe win n
oAaima ne c hu epsotne r.
me Awsi
tfi ()Ir myself, a
double
prosecution I knew my doom was sealed. I knew that
cooofnnsdi
oolenonte ochdi incarceration
silencing ivi icoTcrwrtdhmaiecstnetenr terrorising orlf.mb be achieved,
the
oj
t niannl irse et Ntolv'niel ieNhb:
theaoi tilhhi
ordealonaill-y:
stlillegys'oltCho'eendscious that, come what
fellow-countrymen would be
wmp.liiatghihntl3:mtea.ned Tdoirecetxlcyh;ange home and family for the
rigours of a prison may be hard ; but brave and good
men are now daily consigned to severities far more pro-
tracted than those awaiting me at Kilmainham. The
spirit of sacrifice was never stronger in our race than it is
to-day ; and never since first Ireland had a press that she
could call her own have the national journalists been
missed from the roll of those fallen at their post.' Fel-
low-countrymen, I will not haul down the flag. Neither
will it fall to the ground when I am struck down by the
foe. Other hands, true and tried, will bear it onward
still, till I once again can take my place at the post of
responsibility."
The Irishman of the same day thus referred to Mr.
Pigott's conviction and the future conduct of that jour-

nal

" All we can say is, that these prosecutions and
convictions will not break the spirit of the national press.
No matter what may be the period of Mr. Pigott's
incarceration, he has friends who will bear the
lamp he has lighted, and keep this journal
worthy of his suffering and hi.s name. It would be
senseless bravado to say that they will defy the
law even as administered by Green-street juries,
but within the limits of the libel law —arbitrary and there-

fore tyrannous as it is—it is possible to advocate the
national cause and animate the national heart. Next week
we shall have something to say of the restrictions which
these extraordinary convictions place upon the liberties of
the Irish press. To-day we will content ourselves by saying
that, whatever be his punishment, Mr. Pigott will en-
dure it like a man. There is one privilege, of which neither
prosecutions, nor juries, nor judges, nor gaolers can deprive
him. In his dungeon cell he can utter the aspiration which ii
now, it seems, branded as the watchword of sedition,
' God save Ireland.' "

A marriage is arranged between Colonel Bart-
telot, M.P., and M'ss Boldero, only. child of Mr. Bolder°,
of South Lodge, Horsham. The marriage is to take place
early in April.

. s.
_ IN IVIARTZE.I3O#,.AI;j 447:
.
On Sunday morning, shortly after mianight;Sge 'Mon"'„,,o
assumed the most serious aspect, and Aeskroyed
amount of property, broke out in Portmant-ntirket;'Ne
Church-street, Marylebone, exactly opposite the Maryle-
bone Theatre. Owing to a high gale of wind the flames
extended with frightful rapidity. Portman-market is com-
posed of a regular square of buildings, consisting on three
sides of shops and dwelling-houses, and on the fourth of a
line of stabling and sheds for storing hay, &c., and enclos-
ing an extensive open area, which on market days is crowded
with stalls and itinerant dealers of every description.
Fronting the main street is a boot and shoe warehouse, and
in this shop, shortly after twelve o'clock on Saturday night,
the fire was first discovered. An attempt was made by a
mob to " save " the contents of the shop, but the
door was held fast by two policemen until more aid ar-
rived. The flames shot out simultaneously with the arrival
of several engines, and whilst the hose was being laid out
the fire spread to an adjoining ironmonger's and attained
a terrific force. Unfortunately, when the firemen brought
the hose to bear it was found for some time to be useless,
a puny jet of water proceeding from it amidst the jeers of
the bystanders ; and although the firemen, guarding their
faces as much as possible, walked literally up to the fire,
the water dribbled in an impotent manner upon it. A
powerful stream was soon obtained, but the conflagration
had by this time extended to several shops down an avenue,
and its entrance was. a perfect furnace. Twenty minutes
had not elapsed after the flames had first broken out
when they shot out in a continuous body from the
roofs of some half-dozen of the shops in the avenue, and
reached far into the air above in the form of a pyramid.
Despite the number and power of the fire-engines, and the
energy with which they were worked, the flames rolled on
until the whole of the avenue had been siezed, and the open
area of the market was brilliantly illuminated. At 1.30
the fire was evidently giving way, although it was not till
an advanced hour in the morning that it was entirely ex-
tinguished, when it was found that several shops in New
Church-street and the whole of the market avenue were
completely destroyed ; altogether twenty shops were laid
in ruins. A large number of persons who were suddenly
rendered houseless were taken in by neighbours.