The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-01-10 00:00:00

THE "GETTING UP" OF THE O'CONNELL
MEETINGS IN IRELAND.

(From the Times.)
Those of our readers who are fond of a graphic sketch will
not have failed to amuse themselves with that very pleasant
and pungent letter touching the O'Connell meetings in Dub-
lin, which was published in The Times of yesterday, under
the signature of our correspondent " B." A Dublin Con,
servative has opportunities, such'as the English. in general
cannot possess, of seeing the ways in-which the Wires' of the
puppet-box are worked from beneath by the big show Man,
who, after acting both Punch and Devil, goes round with his
hat to coiled the halfpence. When " B." pulls up the cur-
tarn, and the showman's tricks are exposed, the excitement
ceases, the crowd -begin' to be'asharned of theinselves" for
gaping, every poor:fellow buttons up -his breeches pocket .
(whose pocket is: in sufficiently good repair to be garniihed
with a button,) and the itinerant's anticipated halfpence, in-
stead of swelling his pernicious means, are rescued • forthe
fitter and more natural uses of the sickly wife and the starving
children. This is a disappointment which the balked and fe-
rocious expectant can neither brook nor forget ; and his rage
so far outruns his cunning, that he commits the absurdity of
telling all the world how sore he is.
The getting up of one of the O'Connell meetings in Ire-
land is managed on the principle on which the city sharpers
launch a.joint-stock company. The first point is to present
a good decoy. A man of some rank, for instance a Lord,
or, it' that cannot be had, an Hon. Mister, is the best article
to put forward; but these are now become very scarce and
difficult to be procured. Such persons have usually some
reputation to lose, and they do not like to sell it for quite so
low a price as a " tremendous cheer." The next best thing
appears to be a barrister, or, as the Irish call him, a coun-
sellor: and as the whole patronage of the law is pretty.well
understood to be at the Agitator's- disposal, it is not to be
wondered at that now and then an ambitious young man
should allow himself to be tempted into a tool and flattered
into a dupe. Who can tell what honours, what emoluments,
may await the .professional progress of an orator who sig-
nalizes himself in the Corn Exchange or the Adelphi Theatre?
He may be a Solicitor-General, an Attorney-General, a
Judge, a Master of the Rolls, or, if it suit him to leave the
Four Courts for the More dazzling attractions of Downing-
street and Whitehall, he may become a Lord of the Trea-
sury, a Secretary of the Admiralty—nay, let him be but vio-
lent enough in Popery; and wholly guiltless of all acquaint-
ance with business, and he may come to be Vice-President of
the Board of Trade, and sit among the'Privy Councillors.
Yet even these allurements, potent as they are, will not
always secure a produccable person to undergo the dishonour
of being puppeted, patted, and patronised by such a master
as the Dublin demagogue. There is then no resource but a
stranger. Our correspondent gives an instructive and di-
verting example of the way in which a stranger is got up and
dressed for the day in the sort of importance necessary for
imposing upon au ignorant auditory. It is the instance of a
commercial traveller from a Manchester house, whom our
communicant, not recollecting the good man's real name,
calls John Gilpin. John, being desirous to see the lions of
Dublin, and particularly that very JOud-roaring and
..:ia 41.. 11.. 0' 9.i...u1L, t.-ki.a cu. i.-
Exchange to witness his antics. whowas driven
to his last straits for a chairman, happened in his extremity
to hear of this Manchester runner; and John, who as a
stranger was accommodated with a station near the head of
the room, had not been five minutes in his place, when, to
his unspeakable surprise and horror, he heard the demagogue
announce his name, with a motion " that the said John Gil-
pin, Esquire, should take the chair." " Poor Gilpin pressed
forward to O'Connell, and assured him that he was no
esquire, but a mere monthly runner for his masters, and that
he never was in a chair in all his life, and never intermeddled
with politics, of which he knew nothing, and implored to be
excused the high honour of which he was so utterly unwor-
thy. O'Connell replies at once, Go into that chair, my
friend, and all Ireland shall deal with your employers.' The
runner understood tlis businesslike hint at once, and got
into the chair, All this passed rub silentio in the upper con-
clave, and of which the greasy mob were utterly unconscious;
and then conies forth O'Connell—` Gentlemen, I have mov-
ed a stranger into the chair, and with Irish hearts you will
will give him an hospitable welcome. (Cheers,) Did I say
a stranger ? I was wrong. The name of Gilpin is known by
every man who hears me. (An awful silence.) Is there one
man in this powerful assemblage of Irish genius, intellect,
and talent; who can be so beastly ignorant as not to know
that the name of Gilpin, -in the north of England, was the
foremost in the cause of Irish emancipation? (Cheers.) Do
you'''now knoiv my' long-esteemed and valued friend ?
(Cheers, and cries of `We do, we do.') And yet I had great
difficulty in prevailing upon this modest English merchant
to take the chair. (Cheers.) But could Ido less, when lie
came 'over as the head of the greatest mercantile establish--
ment in England, to be present at this meeting, and, as he,
himself so happily said, to see and hear what we were doing,
knowing well that there can be no safety in England unless
justice be first done to Ireland ?' (Tremendous cheers.)"
For a piece of genuine " blarney," this effusion is not to
be exceeded. Our correspondent, taking a name at random,
has been rather lucky in hitting upon that of John Gilpin ;
for it is clear that the worthy traveller, like his prototype,
was made to go a good deal " further than he intended."
Such frauds as this provoke only a laugh ; but others, from
the same crueible, are too flagrant to be ludicrous. The last
new impostnie is an address to her Majesty, to be signed by
the inhabitants of all the parishes in all the counties of "the
first flower of the earth. and first gem of the sea," and to be
presented tn'the Queen in person, by the member for all Ire-
land inperson. We shall see in what way the whig ministers
I of the advise her Majesty to receive and answer
thieltiolent"composition. It insults the Sovereign by de-
nonit6ifikli tilt body of the most loyal and faithful as well as
Of the most respectable and honorable among her subjects as
" a art that disgrace the constitution," and " sully the sa-
cred nanierif religion ;" and then with unparalleled audacity,
it calls upon the Queen to violate theduties owing from every
Soveriegn as the equivalent of the people's allegience, by
joining the conspiracy of the Popish faction against the whole
Protestant'pdpidation of the three kingdoms. It goes on to
beaSt, as usual, of the peaceable conduct shown by -the Irish
people, with a special vaunt of their readiness to peril life and.:
property " in defence ofthe rightful prerogatives ,of her ma-
s throne with Whip' rightful prerogatives the petition-
ers are :4o far from interfering, that their prayer to her is merely
a modest and humble request, "for ever to exclude" all con-
servative protestants (who are here called the bigotted ene-
mies of the people of Irelan4 " from participating in the
councils of the Sovereign, or the power • of the state."
proposal to exclude almost the whole property, respecta-
bility, and intelligence of the country, together with a large
majority of its actual members; from any participation in the
councils of the Sovereign, is a tolerably large demand ; but
a proposal for excluding all these from any participation in
the power of the state, that is, for putting them in the very
situation from which' the Roman Catholics have just been
relieved, and restoring all 'the' Vices- of an unequal law,
with ' the additional aggravation of giving the ascendancy
to the minority, and that minority • a Popish one, it
really is a stretch of iniquity and impudence which, even
at a time and from a person such as this, we were not quite
prepared to expect. How, we again ask, will the Ministers
deal with this libel in the shape of a prayer? How will they
counsel, her Majesty to answer the intruder, who shall dare
to force himself into her presence with such a petition as
this, which he has admitted—nay, boasted—to his Corn-Ex-
change mob, "is principally his own composition ?" Will
they not advise her to avert her head on his approach—to
withdraw her hand from• the contamination of his salute—
to signify in brief, but indignant terms, her repugnance to
his arbitrary demands, and her abhorrence of his slanders on
her subjects' loyalty ? No, none of this. His petition will
be placed in the hand of the Lord in Waiting, without so
much as a hint to the Queen from her time-serving Minis-
ters of its unprecedented and.abominable contents : and the
sturdy mendicant will leave the Royal presence unrebuked,
to brag of the graciousness of .his reception at Court, and of
the thriving condition of the Popish cause.

SPECIAL COMMISSION.

TRIAL OF THE CHARTISTS AT MONMOUTH.
SIXTH DAY—MONDAY.
THE DEFENCE.
• •At the sitting of the court, this morning, Sir Frederick
Pollock was to address the jury for the defence of. the pri-
soner; and in the course of a speech which lasted five hours
and a half, pointed-out a number of trifling inconsistencies
which appeared in the:evidence for the prosecution, and sug-
gested that the object of the prisoner, and of the parties who
'assembled under his command, on the 3d of November, was
not to •omiertnr,Olme 'government, or work any change in the
institutions of the country, but merely to rescue the prison-
ers who had been apprehended during the night, and confined.
in the Westgate Inn. He argued that the mob, as appeared'
-from the-evidence of Sir Thomas Philips, and from other cir-
cumstances, did not see the military when they fired into the
room where theinayor, and one of the soldiers were wounded ;
and that, -as soon as they became aware of the presence of a
military force, they gaVe way immediately. In concluding
his speech, the learned gentleman said :—" Taking, then,
Mr.- Frost's conduct, his character, and his demeanour on
that day, his prompt surrender when accused of the part he
had taken in the transactions, the. issue of which he had
witnessed but did not expect, I see nothing which can war-
rant the imputation of the treason with which he is charged,
and still less of that strong, clear, and convincing evidence
which my friend admits must be produced to work out the
proof of it. Gentlemen, under these circumstances, I
again say that I know no. public measure that would
tend so much to the honour of the country, to the
peace of the community, and more to the quieting of
that alarm which these lamentable transactions have
created, than a verdict of " not guilty" from you, if it can be
pronounced by you with truth. There is here no question of
safety—there is no question whether you can with safety
pronounce that verdict. The single question is, can you
pronounce it with truth ; and if you can, you will provide
the largest measure of safety to the country that can be be-
stowed upon it. If you can pronounce it with truth—if you
can assure her majesty's subjects in all parts of the empire
that the thousands and thousands who assembled on that
lamentable occasion did not meditate rebellion—that their
object was to enforce certain claims on behalf of a suffering
brother chartist—that accidentally prisoners were made upon
the spot, where only they had the means of demonstrating
their strength, and that in attempting to rescue them, when
blood was shed in resisting this rescue, they tied in dismay
from the field which they had never intended to enter.
Several witnesses were then called on behalf of the prisoner,
who swore that when the chartists entered the town, on the
morning of the 4th November, they said they were going to
rescue the prisoners confined at the Westgate Inn ; and three
of the witnesses swore that, on going up to the door of the
inn, the chartists demanded that the prisoners should be
given up, and that the tiring began in consequence of an at-
tempt made by one of the constables to seize a pike in the
hands of one of the mob. Of these transactions, however,
the witnesses gave very contradictory accounts. Other evi-
dence was called to prove that there is.no mail coach passing
through Newport, the stoppage of which could haVe convoyed
nueing,eme to Ditotingba.....d the north, of the rising which
had taken place; and that the fact lutist have been perfectly
well known to Mr. Frost.
The court rose at six o'clock. It was understood that,
after the examination of one or two witnesses, on Tuesday,
Mr. Kelly would sum up the case for the prisoner.
TUESDAY.
The report of the proceedings in this case on TuesdUy
occupies nearly nine closely-printed columns of the Times.
Sir FREDERICK POLLOCK having, in his address on Mon-
day, stated that the prisoner had made provision for the
payment of a bill which fell due on the day succeeding that
of the attack, witnesses were called in proof of this assertion.
William Morgan, a book-keeper, of the firm of Parsons
and Hurles, stated that they had dealings with Mr. Frost for
many years. They supplied him with goods. Prior to
November last, there might have been a running account of
about £2OO. When their travellers went round, they gene-
rally valued upon the customers, who accepted the bills,
which were remitted to their employers. He knew of a bill
of £57. It came to them between the- Ist and 12th of August
last. It would have been due on the 4th of November.
The bill was dated the Ist of August; 1839, drawn by Rees
Woods, (who is one of the travellers for the house in ques-
tion,) upon John Frost, Newport, and accepted by him,
payable at the West of England Bank, Bristol. That bill
was duly paid at maturity .; they received bills of that kind
from Mr. Frost about four times a-year. The preceding one
to this would therefore have been due about August last.
In cross-examination, the Solicitor-General asked if the
witness did not know that Frost's business was principally
conducted by his family. The witness could not tell, he had
never seen Frost. After a few other _witnesses had been
called, from whom but little that was material to the defence
was elicited.
Lord George Somerset was called and, examined. The
evidence of his lordship was to the effect that in the spring of
1831, he was a candidate for the borough of Newport, and his
brother, the Duke of Beaufort, was afterwards a candidate.
During some electioneering tumults, on two occasions, when
he and his brother were in danger of being assaulted by the
mob, Mr. Frost used his utmost endeavours to stay the vio-
lence of the people, and was the cause of rescuing them from
their peril.
In consequence of some of the matter which had arisen in
the course of tlic defence having been new matter, which
could not be foreseen, the crown was allowed to call other
witnesses. The testimony did not materially strengthen the
case. When it was concluded,
Mr. Kelly then addressed the jury in a powerful speech,
which occupied five hours and a half in the delivery. The
learned counsel concluded with a very eloquent peroration,
calling upon the jury to look at the whole features of the
case; the life, behaviour, and character of the prisoner, and
say whether lie was capable of entering upon so vast a scheme
of rebellion, and involving his wife and family in the general
bloodshed without warning. He would beg them to reflect
that if they should hereafter discover that, from some error
as to the evidence, they bad consigned this wretched man to
a dreadful death, what would be their feelings should they
meet the wife, whom they had made a widow—the children
whoni they had made orphans. He had exhaustedhimself
entirely,. and would only pray. God to direct them to a just
conclusion.
The Chief Justice then said—Prisoner at the bar, have you
any thing to address to the Court in addition to that which
your learned counsel has said for you ?
The prisoner, who was sitting, rose, and said in a firm tone
—My Lords, I am so well satisfied with what my cOuilSel
have done for me that I have nothing to add, '-
The Attorney-General then asked at what hour their Lot&
ships would adjourn ?
The Chief Justice said the Court would sit for some time
yet, in order that the case might finish on the following
night.
The. SOLICITOR-GENERAL then commenced his address,
which occupied the time 'of the court up to six o'clock, when
it was agreed that the court should be adjourned till the fol.-
lowing day. .
WEDNESDAY.
•
The court met, again at 2 o'clock this morning, when the
Solicitor-General resumed his address. His speech occupies
nine. columns in the Times of yesterday. We find it imprac-
ticable to give even a condensed report of this address. ' •
Chief Justice TINDAL then proceeded to deliver his charge.
.After explaining the law by which the case should be deter-
mined, he proceeded to recapitidate the evidence, which he
did in his usually clear amid succinct manner. The learned
judge then proceeded to direct the attention of the jury to the
declarations made by Frost, as evidenced by the several
witnesses, and stated that it was for them to consider whe-
ther or not it was the intention and object of the prisoner to
attack the military, the Queen's forces, or to seize and keep
.possession of the Queen's town of Newport; or to blow up
the bridge, and stop the mail to Birmingham ; or by delaying
of the arrival of the letters there, or other means give effect
to any, concerted plan to spread general insurrection through-
out the kingdom ; or whether they believed that his object
.and intent was the more moderate one alleged by his counsel,
of making such a demonstration of the moral force as it was
called, by showing hoW large an amount of physical
force he could assemble as might ;induce the magistrates
tck, mitigate -the severity of Vincent's punishment, or to
liberate Mai altogether. ,of
need not (said the learned
judge) so much trouble ,yourselves as to see that the
prisoner. has clearly made that out—becanse that is
not imposed upon him, but it is for you to look at the cir-
cprostances.with ;ill possible candour and fairness, and see if
anything like such aniutention appears to be probable on the
face of them. For you are not to call on him to prove his in-
noeence,.it lies on the crown to prove exclusively that the
crime charged against him, amounts to high treason. It is
your province to determine whether the crown has done this.
You will look to the evidence before you, and unless you find
that, by clear, conclusive, unambiguous, and certain testi-
mony, the crime is proved to amount to high treason. with all
the penal consequenees attached to it, it will be your duty to
acquit the prisoner; but if that crime is so clearly and satis-
factorily proved, you will find him guilty. If such, unfor-
tunately should be the case, and you should be fully satisfied
that the evidence well establishes the guilt of the prisoner,
then, however painful the matter may be to your duty to de-
clare him guilty by your verdict. The case is entirely for
your consideration. It is a question in which the court can-
not interfere, and which it leaves to you, quite certain that
you will come to that conclusion which the truth and justice
of the case requires.
The jury were then asked if they wished to retire to consi-
der of their verdict.
The Foreman answered " yes," and the bailiff was ordered
to swear them in.
After the bailiffs had been sworn to guard the jury,
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said—lt is usual, my lord, in
such cases, that the jurors should be asked if they wished for
refreshment before they left the bar.
Chief Justice TINDAL then asked the jury if they desired
any refreshment.
The Foreman.—Yes, my lord ; we have had nothing since
morning. [He then turned round to his fellow jurors for a
few moments, and added]—Some of the jury, my lord, think
it will not be necessary.
The jury retired at a quarter to six o'clock. The greatest
anxiety prevailed in the court, which was crowded in allparts.
The jury returned at half-past six o'clock, and brought in
verdict of GUILTY, with a recommendation to the merciful
consideration of the court.
Chief Justice TlNDAL.—Gentlemen, your recommendation
shall be reported to the proper quarter.
The verdict was received with deep concern by a very
crowded court ; but Mr. Frost maintained his self-possession
and firmness.

The farmers in the neighbourhood of Lanchester are busy
securing their hariest. The day after Christmas-day three
farmers entered Lanchester for the purpose of engaging
shearers, and on that day the novel sight of fourteen shearers
in one field was witnessed.

CAN IT BE TRUE ?—The borough of Marylebone, so noto-
rious as " a refuge for the destitute politicians—to wit,
Messrs. Bulwer, Hall, Evvart, and Thompson—is about, so
it is rumoured, to become still more notorious. Rat Gibson
is, it is said, to be brought forward by the Potters, the Ken-
setts, and the Langhams. If this be the fact, surely Mary 7
lebone will no longer be called the " refuge for the destitute.
If they receive the rat, the borough will become the very
common sewer of politicians.—Morning Herald.

DISASTERS AT SEA.—The stormy weather experienced
during the last fortnight has been attended with considerable
danger, and some injuries to the shipping along the east coast.
The two following disasters have occurred in our own imme-
diate neighbourhood, but it is gratifying to state that both of
them have been unaccompanied by loss of life :—On the even-
ing of Wednesday week, the sloop Apollo, of Leith, Mac-
•kintosh, master, from Newcastle to Leith, with coals, ship-
ped her anchor and cables in the Skate Roads, and the crew,
finding the vessel to be leaky, were obliged to run ashore be-
low Bamborough Castle. The night was very dark, and it was
blowing a tremendous gale. Immediately on the event be-
coming known, the Castle life-boat was launched, and the
crew of the vessel was promptly rescued. The following
individuals manned the boat with considerble dexterity:--
-Mr. Evans, custom-house officer, Bamborough; Mr. Willis,
fisherman, North Sunderland; Mr. Patterson, fisherman,
Monk's-house ; two fishermen of the name of Rutherford,
and a stranger, name unknown. Several attempts were
made to get the vessel, but without success, owing to her
having filled with water. The cargo would be saved. The
other case referred to is that of the Albion sloop, of Peter-
head, Mathewson, master, bound to Newcastle, with pit
props, which struck on Goswick sand ridge on Friday last,
about six o'clock. The crew remained on the vessel till the
tide left her, when they were landed in safety. Part of the
cargo was discharged in order to lighten her, and it is thought
that, if the weather continues moderate, she may be got off,
and brought into Berwick-harbour. The Britannia, of Dun-
dee, got ashore this week at Beadnell, but we have not been
able to,ascertain the particulars, or amount of damaged sus-
tained by the vessel.---Berwick Warder.