The Sun.
London, England, 1844-01-26 00:00:00

iv,
kitain.,l,l

LONDON, FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 1844.

The proceedings in the Court of Queen's Bench,
Dublin, on Wednesday, commenced at the usual
hour. The first witness examined was a con-
stable of the name of HALEY. He stated
he attended the Mullaghmast meeting, at which
he purchased a paper purporting to be " a full
and true account of the bloody massacre of
four hundred Roman Catholics at M ullaghmast,"
and also that he saw a banner flying at
the front of the platform inscribed with the
words—" Ireland dragged at the tail of another
nation." On his cross-examination the witness, not-
withstanding the frowns of the Attorney-General,
persisted in swearing that those were the words, and not
" a country containing a population of nine millions,

Mr. Lennie discharged the prisoner, ae it did not appear •
tamale had authorised the boys to ride the horse. Still, if it too great to be dragged at the tail of any other
:ad been proved to hie satisfaction that the prisoner bad gal- nation," which really was the inscription.
aped the horse furiously in the street, he would have fined ; "—IFEITJanz and Mr. MOICAIIAN, on the part of
eeavily.—ble was then discharged.

the traversers, objected to the paper mentioned by
the witness being read in evidence, inasmuch as
it was not proved to have been printed by the printer
of the Association, nor with the authority and con-
sent of the traversers.

The SOLICITOR-GENERAL contended that such
proof was not necessary, and that the fact of its
having been distributed in the presence of the tra-
versers, and therefore with their knowledge ;Ind con-
sent, rendered it admissible evidence.
The document was admitted.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL then applied to put in
evidence that portion of the speech of her MAJESTY
on the prorogation of Parliament, referring to Ire-
land, and expressing her determination to maintain
the Union.

Mr. Mown objected to this course, but the speech
was admitted by the Court, on the ground alleged by
the Crown lawyers, that it had been commented on
in several speeches of Mr. O'CoNximi., which formed
the subject matter of the indictment.
The speech, or rather the extract from it, was read
from the London Gazette of August 25.
JAMES Inwirr, station-house clerk of police at Liver-
pool, was the next witness examined. He proved
the posting of a placard in that town, containing the
" Address to all the Subjects of the British Crown."
C. Vsnworr, registrar of newspapers, proved the
registraoon of the Pilot, Nation, and Freeman's Jour-
nal newspapers, by Mr. BARRRIT, Mr. DUFFY, end
Drs. GRAY and ATKINSON, as the respective proprie-
tors of each.

The conclusion of the day's proceedings consisted
of law arguments on both sides as to the admissibi-
lity or rejection of certain extracts from the Nation
newspaper.

We add the following extract from a letter written
by one of our Dublin correspondents :—" The evi-
dence for the Crown is expected to close on Thursday
There was a report that the traversers would not pro-
duce any evidence, the peaceable character of the
meetings being established by every witness called by
the Crown, but it now appears it is their in-
tention to call evidence, and particularly Protestant
evidence, to prove the perfect repose of the country, and
the peaceable character of the agitation. Not a point
is raised by the Counsel for the traversers which is not
ruled against them by the majority of the
Bench. Mr. Justice BURTON, who is not likely
to sit again during these trials, was cer-
tainly disposed to decide according to law, and
there was at least an absence of bad feeling on his
part. His illness is a loss to the traversers. The
contrast between those he left behind on the Bench
is now more prominent. The " sliding scale" is gone,
and the Chief and his left hand brother are left to
rule or overrule as they please. With regard to the
jury, the opinion becomes more general that they will
prove " good men and true," on one side, though
gentlemen of Conservative principles offer bets
that the jury will not agree. Whatever be the
result, the cause of Repeal will be strengthened."

We would give no small trifle, to know what report
Lord ELIOT, when he arrived in London on Wednes-
day morning from Dublin, made to his chiefs as
to the state of Ireland. He, no doubt, reported that,
thanks to the care taken by that most excellent
Crown officer, Mr. Attorney-General SMITH, the
traversers now en their trial had bean deprived of
all privileges, and been put on their defence with as
little chance for themselves as possible. That, thanks
to those exemplary functionaries the parties con-
cerned in making out a fair jury list, nearly one-
tenth of the entire number had been suppressed, and
thus, the traversers had been confined to a panel con-
cocted by those gentry. That, thanks to those who now
administer justice to Ireland, every Roman Catholic
had been struck from the panel, and that none but
Orangemen and Tories had been left on the jary.
That, thanks to the Judges, every point raised in
favour of the traversers, had been ruled against them.
That, although the evidence for the prosecution had
signally failed, that circumstance would do no good to
the traversers, and that conviction was, at the mo-
ment Lord ELIOT left Dublin, believed to be certain,
and that so far the ends of the Government were
attained.

Fancy, Lord ELIOT grasping the hand of Sir JAM'
GRAHAM, or Sir ROBERT BERL, and exclaiming—
" Thu far into the bowala of the land
Hare we toarshed oa without naludiataat."

And, after the first burst of enthusiasm had subsided,
picture the wily Premier coolly asking his overjoyed
Secretary, well, what then " Aye, there's the rub!"
What then ?
O'CoNxism, convicted-^a verdict for the Crown—
after a prosecution concocted and got up in such a
manner—before a jury so selected—and after such
proceedings in Court and out of Court! Will any
living creature tell us, what the Crown can do with
such a verdict—of what earthly use it will be to the
prosecutors—and how it will serve the purposes they
profess to have in view—namely, the putting down of
the Repeal agitation. We tell them such a verdict
as they hope and seek, such a verdict as they be-
lieve they have ensured, will be utterly useless to
them. It will be vox et preterea nihil, or, as an
Irish Latinist translated it, all moonshine, to the
accused, but death to the prosecutors.

The public like justice purely administered—they
respect the laws dispensed legally, and for legal ob-
jects; but they despise justice turned inside out—
bearing the name, but not the substance—dispensed
without regard to the statute book, and rendered
subservient to the worst passions of tyrants, rene-
gades, and persecutors.
The conviction of O'CoxNELL will be destruction
to the present Government. Its temporary triumph
will be the forerunner of its complete disgrace. And
what if the Jury should do their duty We palm for
a reply.

It may be remembered that when Sir EDWARD
COVRINGTON went out to take the command of the
Mediterranean fleet, just previous to the "untoward"
victory of Navarino, he was reported to have received
his instructions in these words, "Go it, Nan 1"
Parodying the pithy language of these instructions,
we may say to the monopolists, who are now begin-
ning to stir in all quarters, "Go it, Neddies,"
though we have not the slightest apprehension that
another " untoward" victory will be *e con-
sequence of their
_display of newly-awakened
energy. The truth is, they have stirred too
late for any efficient purpose. They should
have enlisted their recruits, collected their resources,
and taken the field months since, when the League
was less able to cope with them to advantage than it
is at present. They should have torn up the tree by
the roots when it was a mere weakly sapling, and
not have waited till it had become a lusty, deep-
rooted, matured oak, capable of resisting the strongest
hurricane that hatred, self-interest, and desperation
may let loose against it. The monopolists,
we repeat, are - too late with their displ:;y
of energy. The industrious classes have rallied
and combined against them; and even in the agricul-
tural districts—so many years their strong-hold—
men's opinions are seriously divided, and the League
can already number its converts by hundreds. Yet
the monopolists do not seem to be aware of their true
position, or else, from politic motives, they are keep.
ing it concealed from each other ; for they are at
work at Warwick, Spalding, Buckingham, and
Heaven knows how many other places, expostulat-
ing—vilifying—sophisticating--and pouring forth
twaddle and fustian with a profusion that bids defi-
ance to exhaustion. The Post, meanwhile—the
hitherto pensive, but now frisky and rejoicing Poet—
cheers them On in language of congenial beauty, and
riotously allude& yesterday to " large funds" at
their disposal—funds which are yet in embryo, and
which, we greatly fear, are never destined to
chip the egg-shell. Go on, gentlemen of the
monopoly persuasion—go on, we say, "fast and
furious"—uplift your oriflamme, and rally your
clodpoles under that august banner—declaim "a
whole hour by Shrewsbury clock" to every mob you
can induce to listen to you—mesmerise all Bucks,
and rouse all Lincoln to duck Mr. COBDEN in one of
those sleepy, stagnant ditches, which presume
to call themselves rivers—draw forth from
the shy depths of your reluctant breeches
pockets subscriptions that shall show you are
at length in earnest—do all this and more ; and when
all is done, you shall still have reaped no solid ad-
vantage-4n no respect have strengthened your
position—but continue on the same precarious footing
as that on which you now stand. To struggle with
any chance of success, a confederacy must strictly