The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-04-11 00:00:00

PROGRESS OF IRISH SEDITION.

CHESHIRE SESSIONS.

In the United Irishman of Saturday, Mr. Mitchell The following quarterly report from the worthy chaplain
publishes from himself a familiar epistle, addressed to of Chester Castle, to the Chairman and magistrates of
' His Excellency the Earl of Clarendon, Her Majesty's -the county of Chester, was read at the Quarter Sessions
Detective-General, High-Commissioner of Spies, and held at Knutsford yesterday:—
General Suborner in Ireland," and commencing with a "In presenting this my quarterly report, lam thank-
reference to the recent—to say the least—blundering re- ful to say, that under the Divine blessing, many circum-
velations before the police magistrates. Mr. Mitchell stances of a pleasing and encouraging nature have trans-
thus proceeds : pired which I feel it my duty to narrate.
" The Irish people are providing themselves, just as " Since the last sessions held here in January, 1848, 26
far as their means and opportunities will enable them, prisoners have been discharged, many of them I have rea-
with weapons of various kinds, for which they have con- son to believe are reformed characters. Two juvenile of-
ceived a sort of divine passion; no holier fervour since fenders have been sent to the Philanthropic Institution,
the crusades hrs possessed any nation of men—not to rob London. In a letter which I received from the chaplain
houses, as you, through your reptile spies, give out—not of that institution, he says,— Cosbett has behaved very
to attack ' person or property,' as your Queen's minister well since he came, and seems a very nice sort of lad.
dares to affirm—not to abolish social order,' or rights of Your boys are all very well, particularly Frazer. I hope
property, or savings of industry, as your rascal press to send both Cosbett and Frazer to Western Australia:
prints twelve times a-week. No, my lord ; the young several of our lads arc going. The governor of the colony
men of Ireland arm for a nobler enterprise ; they arm to has promised to make such arrangements for them as will
defend person and property against brigands of the law' ensure protection and employment.' Amongst the 26
and harpies of the ' government ;,..._they arm to make prisoners which were discharged during the last quarter,
social order possible, and to secure to industry its just re- J. N—m says,—' I have derived much good to my soul
ward ;—they arm to scourge you and your commissioner, since I have been here, and hope I shall be able to prac-
detectives, aides-de-camp, butchers, and stranglers, forth tice it, now lam leaving.' J. N—e says, Before I
from the island of Ireland with rods of steel. came to prison I was very careless and very seldom at-
"As for me my lord, your Lordship's humble corre- tended any place of worship. I hope now to'attend reu-
spondent,—you have been told that lam mad—a danger- larly on the means of grace, as I have derived very great
ous lunatic, labouring under cacoethes scribendi. Do not benefit by the ministry in this place.' J. C. says,—'
believe it; lam merely possessed with a rebellious spirit; have been a great drinker, and spent most of my money
and think I have a mission,—to bear a hand in the final in'the jerry shops. I have often been reminded of my
destruction of the bloody old' British empire;' the greedy, past conduct when you were preaching, and I hope to lead
carnivorousliold monster, that has lain so long, like a load, a very different life.' Several others have made similar
upon the heart and limbs of England, and drank the promises ht!Pe most of them are reformed characters.
blood and sucked the marrow from the bones of Ireland. Most of the prisoners are now taught writing. I felt it
Against the Empire of Hell a thousand thousand ghosts right trt encourage them in writing to me, and many of
of my slaughtered countrymen shriek nightly for yen- them have done
.so. A few extracts from some of the
..
geance ! vengeance ! And Heaven has heard it. That female prisOners mly not be uninteresting ; I therefore
buccaneering flag, that has braved so long the battle and give them M. F. writes,—' I feel great happiness in
the breeze, flies now from a vessel in distress. the Cha- being allqwed to write to you, and return my humble
rybdis of Chartism roars under her lee—the breakers of .thanks.forthe instruction I have received, and I trust in
Repeal are a-head, and the curses of the world swell the God, that the advice I have received from you may take
hurricane that rages round her, pirate and blood-stained deep root in my heart.' E. R. writes,—' I 13

laver that she is, filled with (fetid men's bones. and with
all uncleanness. Her timbers are shivering at last—
' Quamvis Pontica pinus

the instruction you please to allow me
be a blessing to my soul hereafter.'
return you my most sincere thanks fr

liank you for
and I hope it wilt
M. F. writes,—` I

you haie allo;ved me a iea:r

)our mor

you take in the wel

,he eart

a will give three

nestly pray that God of his ;
sing to me both here and I

mercy will make it a

Not one of these
could write when they came to this prison. I have
severel other interesting letters, but will not trouble the
court with any curt lier extracts.

The number of prisoners registerectin tiEly book from
November 29, 1845, to March 29, 1848; is 454. Out of
this number, I find that 46 earned from 10s. to 12s. per
week, 161 from 13s. to 16s. per week, 95 from 17s. to 20s.
per week, 31 from 21s. to 30s. per week, 12 from 31s. to
40s. per week, and one 60s. per week. The remainder

urn souners, women, and paupers.
seen that crime in this country has nu,
distress, or owing to the hardness of th
conviction is that it is brought on through drunkenness ;
and as 'I observed in my former report, I again repeat,
that until those abominable jerry shops are put down,
little good can be expected from our worldng population.
These small public-houses are the dens of crime and wick-
edness.

From this it will be

ned by

Le times

My firm-

" I am thankful to say, all things here seem to be work..
ing together for good. I receive the cordial co-operhtions
of the governor, the schoolmaster, and all the officers of
this castle.

During the quarter the sacrament was administered
The governor, his family, and the officers, together
with 13 prisoners, were present. -
" In conclusion, I beg to •say that my mind has been
much relieved in consequence of the resole- at

the last viz.--` That such dis-
charged prisoners as are supposed to be reformed cha-
racters, be recommended by the governor and chaplain to
the clergyman of the parish to which they belong, or to
some county magistrate, to procure them employment.'
This has already been done, and, if fully carried out, li
doubt not it will have a good effect.

essions at Knutsford

" HENRY S. JOSEPH, Chaplain.
Chester Castle, April 10th, 1848."