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

IRISH STATE TRIALS.
(From the Southern Reporter.)
We-are now in possession of the entire case of the
Crown against Mr. O'Connell and the other traver-
sers. Let-us suppose the Attorney-General's state-
ment proved by unshaken evidence. With that very
considerable supposition let us examine the question,
which a conscientious jury will have to try, and on
which they are to return a verdict. Let it be admitted
that the traversers had a common object—that object
being itself legal. It is laid down by the Attorney-
General, and before the grand jury, by Judge Button,
that the moment persons combining for a legal object, or
any of them, adopt illegal means to accomplish it, then
it becomes an unlawful conspiracy, and, moreover,
that though charged with several illegal overt acts, if
one only be established, the conspiracy is proved.
Supposing this to be the laiv, the case turns upon
this assertion—did the traversers, or any of them, in
endeavouring to obtain the repeal of the Act of Legis •
lative Union, which is admitted to be a legal object,
did they use illegal means ? This is what the jury
will have to consider; and, judging from the state-
ment of the Attorney-General, we strongly incline
to the belief that "not guilty" will be the verdict.
One opinion the jury will have to pronounce is
this—do they believe that Mr. O'Connell or the
other traversers contemplated a resort to physical
force at a future time ? Did they, when under the in-
fluence of the passing scene, using strong, fervid, im-
passioned language, did they for a moment mean to
convey to the multitudes they addressed, that at a
time yet to come and not distant, they wou;id seek
the restitution of their Parliament by any other than
constitutional means ? Is there one who believes
thus of Mr. O'Connell—the preacher of peace and
order, as the only instruments for effecting great
measures of amelioration ? And if they do not be-
lieve this of the great leader of the Irish people, why
should legal casuistry make him accountable for
every illegal paragraph and idle song sung in
a newspaper, the proprietor of which happened
to be a member of the Association ? If the
jury are of opinion that Mr. O'Connell
in attending and addressing those large meet-
ings did not contemplate the attainment of the Re-
peal of an Act of Parliament at a future time by
illegal means, then, inasmuch as those meetings
were perfectly tranquil and no breach of the peace
committed—the language used at those meetings,
though strong, does not justify the charge of con-
spiracy to effect a legal object by illegal means.
Again, the traversers are charged with a conspiracy
to bring into hatred and contempt the Government
of the country as by law established. If a verdict of
guilty be established on this point, then will it be
illegal for her Majesty's subjects to meet for the
common object of petitioning Parliament for organic
changes in the Constitution—such as the Vote by
Ballot—Household Suffrage, &c. &c. The Bill
of Rights protects the subject in the exercise of this
privilege, unless violent outrage or disturbance take
place ; this privilege cannot be interfered with. If the
charge be, that the traversers intended to bring into
contempt and hatred the Government of her Majesty in
Ireland, is there one who will credit it—seeing how
earnest and anxious they all were, and Mr. O'Connell
particularly, to infuse into the minds of the people a
respect and reverence for the Queen ? The third
charge is, that the traversers endeavoured by illegal
means to interfere with the established tribunals of
the cou..try by the appointment of Arbitration Courts.
Now the fact is, all that the traversers did was, on
application from the various districts, to testify their
opinion of the fitness of the persons named by the
districts, to arbitrate in any case they may be called
on by both parties—plaintiff and defendant—to ad-
judicate on the principle of the Ousel Galley in
Dublin. Whether this will be considered an illegal
act remains to be seen. In our opinion, when the
traversers' case comes to be proved, we are persuaded
the charge will fall to the ground. Where, then, is
this mysterious conspiracy of which we have heard so
much ?—where are the disclosures the Attorney-Ge-
neral was pledged to make ? Of what value is the
Evening Mail's assurance that a most deep-laid and
mysterious conspiracy would be laid bare? Is there
a single fact brought forward that was not already as
well known to the whole world as to the Attorney-
General ? What additional information has the jury
received from a nine-hour speech ?—None whatever.
They may have acquired some information on the in-
tricate law of conspiracy, but on that subject they will
get additional enlightenment. While the Attorney-
General was supported by the eloquent passages he
read from O'Connell's speeches, and the brilliant ex-
tracts from the Nation, his addtess was interesting
and considered well-arranged as to his material ; but
when he came to the prosecution, where he had to
depend upon his own resources, all accounts unite in
saying his was a complete and total failure. Of this
we do not complain, as we think it augurs well for
the traversers.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SIR, —The Peel project of compensating the payers
of the income-tax by certain visionary advantages,
which- they were to derive from an alteration in the
tariff and sliding scale, is now admitted on all hands
to have been a complete failure. But the experiment
of admitting foreign sheep and cattle into this coun-
try, on the payment of a very low fixed duty, has,
nevertheless, been attended with a valuable result,
inasmuch as it has proved, beyond all question, that
the rich pasture lands of the United kingdom enable
the agriculturists to meet any foreign competition in
those important articles of consumption, thereby
clearly indicating the direction in which agricultural
capital may be most safely and profitably employed.
The advantage which the agriculturist possesses in the
fertility, of his pastures, would be greatly enhanced
by a total repeal of the corn-laws, as he would then
be enabled to fatten his stock on cheap foreign grain.
Also, by the removal of those restrictions, employ-
ment would be given to a large starving or under-fed
population, which, instead of burthening the farmer
with heavy rates for its support, would, in its changed
condition of well. paid labourers and artisans, become
profitable customers, consuming annually many hun-
dred millions of pounds of animal food, more than
their present means enable them to procure.
With this extended demand for its produce, a pro-
portionate rise in the value of land would take place,
and rents would acquire a degree of steadiness never
to be expected under a law by which, on the mere
prospect of a short harvest, and by a skilful working
of the averages, enormous quantities of cheap foreign
corn are suddenly admitted into competition with the
expensively forced productions of our own inferior soils.
As these remarks are addressed, to the pockets, and
not to the hearts of the agriculturists, I have omitted
any reference to the great moral improvement which
would necessarily follow a mitigation of the physical
sufferings of the working classes.
If you can spare room fol. this letter in your jour-
nal, which has so ably assisted in fighting the great
fight against monopoly, you will oblige your obedient
servant, PHILANTHROPIST.

EXTAORDINARY AGE.—An old woman named Ann
Parry, lately residing on the Canal Parade, in this town,
with her daughter, who is also far, advanced in years,
died on Friday, the 12th inst., of a verity " full of days,"
having lived to the patriarchal age of one hundred and
five years and six months I She retained her faculties
to the last. Indeed, so retentive was her memory, that
within a few days of her death, she was able to talk co-
herently of circumstances which transpired in Newport
upwards of eighty years ago ; and it may be mentioned
that her medical attendant has frequently been requested
by her within the last few months to extract her last
tooth ! as it troubled her occasionally. The habits of
the good old woman's daughter were those of the most
industrious and cleanly kind, whilst her filial devotion
was above all praise, thus rendering her parent's last
days cheerful and comfortable. The ancient woman ex-
pired like the last f:limmer of a wasted lamp—without
pain or struggle, and full of the "certain hope" of a
joyful hereafter.—Wonmoutltshire Merlin.'
ANOTHER INCENDIARY FIRE AT THE RED BARN
FARM.— On Saturday night the inhabitants of Polstead
were again alarmed by the cry of " Fire." It was soon
ascertained that a stack of haulm, standing on the Red
Barn Farm, was in flames, and though every effort was
made to save it, it was speedily consumed. Not a doubt
remains but that this fire was also the work of some ini-
quitous incendiary. The name of the "Red Barn " has
already become sufficiently notorious by being connected
with one of the foulest murders on record ; but we are
deeply sorry to find that there are still persons living,
who, in the form of humanity, but with the characteris-
tics of fiends, seem bent on adding yet greater darkness to
its blackened history, by their fearful repetition of the
crime of incendiarism.

"REBECCA AND BER DAUGHTERS."—In answer to
a correspondent, who requests to be informed of the
origin of the above title, we beg to state that the term was
taken from the 60th verse of the 24th chapter of Genesis
which, having reference to gates and their destruction,
was adopted as the watchword of the first adventurous
attackers of toll-gates. The verse is as follows :--" And
they blessed Rebecca, and said unto her, thou shalt be
the mother of hundreds of millions, and thy children
shall possess the gates of them that hate them."— Welsh-
man.

LONG LIFE.—The most remarkable instance of
longevity which we have met with in English history is
that of John Cam, who, according to the parish register
of St. Leonard's Shoreditch, died on the 2d of January,
1588, at the astonishing age of 207 years. He was born
in the reign of Richard 11., anno 1381, and lived in the
reigns of twelve Kings and Queens—namely, Richard 11.,
Henry IV., V., and VI., Edward IV. and V., Richard
111., Henry VII. and VIII., Mary and Elizabeth.—Annals
of Health.

A MATTER OF OPINION.—A good wife, the other
day, -taking up a Manchester paper, said to her loving
husband—" This is just as it should be ; the marriages
are put before the births. The Guardian always has the
births first, and. I think that very awkward." The
husband gave an opinion in favour of the Guardian, as
he thought," people were born before they were married."
The wife, -however, persisted in the correctness of her
views of the matter, and preferred the Manchester
arrangement, as it was "a very uglything to have a
birth before marriage."_ The deaths, 4. would appea,.
were each- put in the- right place,' for they all% a).r s
came last.