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

4-Utlliil_4l .A"till+

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 Mullaghmast,"
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,
is too great to be dragged at the tail of any other
nation," which really was the inscription.
Mr. Moon and Ur. Mope x, on the part of )

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 and 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. MOORE 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'CoNNELL, which formed
the subject natter of the indictment.
The speech, or rather the extract from it, was read
from the London Gazette of August 25.
JAMES IRWIN, 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. VERNON, registrar of newspapers, proved the
registration of the Pilot, Nation, and Freeman's Jour-
nal newspapers, by Mr. BARRETT, Mr. DUFFY, and
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 SMITII, the
traversers now en their trial had been 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 onc-
tenth of the entire number had been suporr..,ed, and
thus, the traversers had been to a panel con-
cocted by those gentry. That, thanks to those who now
adminit:: justice to Ireland, every Roman Catholic
been struck from the panel, and that none but
Orangemen and Tories had been left on the jury.
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 JAMES
GRAHAM, or Sir ROBERT PEEL, and exclaiming— .
" Thus far into the bowels of the land
Have we marched on without impediment."

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 ?