The Sun.
London, England, 1868-02-19 00:00:00

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THE II?I,ST PRESS PROSCUTIONS.T

In the proseaution which the GoVein*ent instituted
against Mr. Sullivan, for having published heditions libels,
kfter deliberating for an hour and a half, the jury, a mixed
one, aseturned into court with a verdict of guilty on all the
:punts except the seventh, which referred to the proclama-
tion sent up by a correspondent from Roscommon as an,
'Aide of news. Mr. Richard Pigott was then called, r.nd
urrendered to take his trial for seditious libel. Mr.
Peron, Q.C., applied for a writ of certiorari to have the
ndictments which had been found by the city grand jury
•emoved into the Queen's Bench. The Attorney-Genera
iad declared his intention to have the case tried by a
:ounty jury, and had no right now to change his mind.
k. very discreditable ebullition of temper then took place.
['he Attorney-General having stated that he had no inten-
Aon of proceeding in the city, and had the indictment sent
ip only to bring back the defendant, who had " fled from
ustice." Mr. Heron pronounced the statement " a distinct
intruth." The Attorney-General demanded a retracts.
,ion of the word before proceeding further. Mr. Justice
Fitzgerald also insisted that it should be withdrawn. Mr.
Heron said the Attorney-General had no right to maltr.,
such a remark "after the rebuke" he received from the
smut on Saturday. Mr. Justice Fitzgerald replied that
co rebuke had been administered or deserved, and added
that he never heard such language used by one member of
the bar towards another, much less towards the Attorney.
General. The imputation was certainly unfounded.
Baron Deasy concurred in the observations of his col-
.eague. Both judges required that the words should be
unequivocally retracted. Mr. Heron denied that his client
had " fled from justice," and said he believed the state-
ment was intended to prejudice the case. He admitted he
/vas wrong in using the word " untruth." The court ob-
served that he had not made the matter better, and that
there was nothing to warrant the unfounded aspiratirsos
apon the Attorney-General. Their lordships press;el to
have all the imputations withdrawn, and Mr. Heron still
;hewing some reluctance, the Attorney-General left the
:ourt. Mr. Heron continued his argument, and, the Soli-
:itor-General having replied, the court refused the applica-
tion. The Crown consented to admit that certain articles
:omplained of were copied from American papers, and the
:ourt intimated • that the trial must now proceed. Mr.
Justice Fitzgerald called Mr. Heron's attention again
to the unpleasant incident which had taken place,
observing that the expressions which had been made
fell little short of a contempt of court. They
were quite unwarranted, and no doubt would not have
been spoken but for the heat of the moment. He ought to
make a most ample retractation. Mr. Heron expressed
regret for having been betrayed into an expression which
was very wrong, but he believed that his client's case was
prejudiced by the observations of the Attorney-General
He recalled the word " untrue " in the most unqualified
manner. Baron Deasy suggested that the imputation
about prejudicing the case should also be withdrawn. Mr.
Heron said he sincerely believed that the Attorney.
General did not intend to prejudice it, but he adhered to
the opinion that it did prejudice it. The matter then
dropped. Mr. Sullivan was bound in his own recopni-
zances to attend for judgment on Thursday.