The Sun.
London, England, 1844-09-18 00:00:00

REJOICINGS IN THE COUNTRY.

Once more the provincial journals contain numerous
accounts of popular rejoicings for the liberation of Mr.
O'Connell. They are generally of the same character as
the previous reports. We select the following, from the
Galway Vindicator, on account of the interference of the
magistrates, and the very peaceable conduct of the people
in the wild districts of Connemara:—
" CLIFDEN.—A large quantity of turf was collected
from all quarters. The hulls of two large boats were
destined to commemorate the occasion—they formed
part of a really monster bonfire upon the hill above the
church, which was visible beyond the Killery mountains.
Mr. D'Arcy, of Clifden Castle, as also Mr. S. Jones,
R.M. interfered to disperse the people. The people
quietly withdrew, but had their homes brilliantly illu-
minated. Here, too, Messrs. D'Arcy and Jones thought
to interfere ; but the people told them that in obedience
to O'Connell's wishes they yielded to the magistrates
orders abroad ; their houses, however, were their own,
and if either Mr. Jones or Mr. D'Arcy attempted to in-
termeddle further with them, representations would be
made to Government for their dismissal, as their illegal
conduct was calculated to lead to a breach of the peace."
The following remarkable case occurred at the Tulla •
mere (King's county) Petty Sessions, on Saturday last.
The report is taken from the Freeman's Journal of this
day. This is the only instance where the people had
been summoned for an alleged breach of the law,
in connection with the rejoicings for the liberation of
Mr. O'Connell ; and, as will be perceived, the magis-
trate who prosecuted them has been censured, and the
conduct of the peasantry has been lauded as most or-
derly and becoming :
" TULLAMORE, SEPT. 14.—This town and neighbour-
hood was in a state of the greatest excitement, to watch
the result of the proceedings instituted by the stipen-
diary magistrate, Neale Brown, Esq., and the sub-in-
spector of police, Mr. Stewart, against the people of this
town, for lighting a bonfire on the night of Friday, the
6th instant, upon the occasion of the liberation of Mr.
O'Connell and his fellow-prisoners. Mr. Brown and Mr.
Stewart (two gentlemen who figured as Crown wit-
nesses on the State trials), not content with scattering
the bonfire on the night in question, had also issued
summonses against several persons who had taken a part
in lighting the bonfire. The people of the whole town
and surrounding district were in a state of the greatest
exasperation that their bonfire on this occasion should
be interrupted, while on every other occasion their bon-
fires had been passed by without any interruption. The re-
sult of this was, that the entire population of the town
and neighbourhood thronged the court-house to-day, to
such an extent, that the magistrates had to adjourn from
the usual place of holding petty sessions to the County
Court, which in a moment was filled to suffocation.
After some time had elapsed,
" Mr. O'Hea, as counsel for some psrsons who had
been summoned for assisting in making a bonfire on the
night of Friday, the 6th instant, begged the magistrates
would proceed to hear the cases.
" Upon this John O'Brien, Esq., of Mountjoy-square,
took the chair ; the other other magistrates present being
Mr. Molloy, Sir Andrew Armstrong, (Members for the
county), and Mr. Neale Brown, stipendiary.

" The case of James Hea, heaci-constable, against
Thomas Mitchell, was then called on, and Mr. O'Hca
said that as several parties were summoned for the same
offence, that this case would rule the others.
" Head-eonstable James Ilea was then examined—He
said he accompanied Mr. Brown and Mr. Stewart to a
bonfire in Charleville-square, on the evening of the 6th.
Saw Thomas Mitchell there. He was fixing turf about
the fire. Witness told him to desist. He desisted in
about a minute. The fire was lighting at the time. He
asked Mitchell his name. He told it to him.
" Cross-examined by Mr. O'Hea—There was no riot
at the time—no tumult—no appearance of either. IClit-
chell made no resistance. Gave him no blow. Did not
lay hands upon witness. Used no violence to him. De-
sisted in the space of one minute. Made use of no in-
sulting language. Did no injury to the person or pro-
perty of any individual under Heaven on that occasion.
The police scattered the fire. They acted under the
orders of Mr. Bruwn. Never interfered with any other
bonfire but this.
" The Bench consulted for two or three minutes, and
then the Chairman, Mr. O'Brien, delivered the judgment
—That the ease should be dismissed, as the magistrates
were of opinion that the bonfire not being held on a pub-
lic road, it was no offence under the Act upon which the
prosecution was based. But he could not refrain from
saying that the conduct of the accused was very proper
and becoming, in desisting so soon as he did. He was
also bound to say that, in his opinion it was a most un-
fortunate occurrence that the stipendiary magistrate and
the sub-inspector of police had thought proper to inter-
fere in the manner they had done.
" The vast concourse of people then separated, highly
delighted and exulting, satisfied that, while they conduct
themselves peaceably and legally, the law can no longer
be outraged in their persons."
THE REPEAL RENT—STATE PROSECUTIONS.

DUBLIN, SEPT. 15.—The expenses of the traversers
in the State prosecutions were enormous. Every pos-
sible obstacle had been cast in the way of the defendants,
and the Crown prosecutors exacted every expensive for-
mality which they were empowered to enforce, all
through that protracted and gigantic litigation, from
the very first step to the ultimate reversal of the judg-
ment. No private purse could have sustained the de-
fence against a prosecution under such circumstances,
and most fortunate it was that the Repeal Association
had been provided with ample funds to fight the consti-
tutional battle against the Government, with the public
treasury at its back. The repeal funds have been found
much more than equal to the expenditure caused by the
State prosecutions. A large sum, nearly 20,000/, is
likely to remain to the credit of the Repeal Association,
after all the expenses shall have been defrayed.
MR. O'CONNELL'S VISIT TO DERRYNANE.

Mr. O'Connell intends to leave here on Tuesday week
for Derrynane Abbey, and several provincial dinners are
to be postponed until his return.
Two CLERGYMEN DROWNED AT ROME.—A melan-
choly event occurred at Rome on the 28th ult. ; two ec-
clesiastics, students of the Irish Franciscan College in
that city, were unhappily drowned whist bathing in the
Tyber. One of the deceased, the Rev. E. F. Martin,
was in priest's orders, and had celebrated the holy sa-
crifice the morning of his untimely and lamented death.
His companion, the Rev. Richard Ambrose Kavanagh
was ordained sub-deacon on the previous Sunday. The
former was an excellent swimmer, but Mr. Kavanagh
could not swim, and it is conjectured that one was
drowned in the endeavour to save the other. Both gen-
tlemen were natives of Ireland, and much endeared, for
their piety and t 41eLts, to the superiors and fellow-stu-
dents of their college.—ark Reporter.