The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-10-10 00:00:00

THE PRIESTS AND REBELLION.

We feel it our duty to draw attention to the following
little episode in the State trials relative to certain docu-
ments belonging to the Irish Confederation, which were
not put in evidence by the crown
Sergeant 111‘Curdy, Dublin police, deposed that he found the
documents alluded to in an open press, in Keely's house; two
of Keely's daugh'ers were in the house at the time; one of
them xnta in a”andaytFe to be examined for the crown.

Mr. Whiteside—Did you get any more papers in the house?
I did.

Did you not get some hundreds, and a great number from
Roman Catholic clergymen, from some of the first dignitaries
of the chuich ?

The Solicitor• General objected to the question.
Mr. Whiteside—l ask the question because all the papers
are not produced; only two of them are produced.
The witness stated that he gave all the papers to Superinten-
dent Guy, of the detective force.

Here we have another example of the anxiety of the
government to conceal the complicity of the popish priest-
hood in the treasonable conspiracy, which they were the
chief agents in concocting. It is notorious that the pa-
pers of the Irish Confederation, now in possession of the
government, indisputably prove, by the evidence of their
own handwriting, that numbers of the Romanist clergy,
including several prelates, were deeply implicated in the
treasonable designs of the Confederates ; but every docu-
ment tending to establish their criminality has been care-
fully suppressed, and when Mr. Whiteside endeavoured
to elicit the damning fact, the Solicitor-General promptly
interfered to cloak the guilt of the ecclesiastical traitors,
who are the cherished object of government favour, while
their far.less guilty lay accomplices are outlawed fugitives,
or stand arraigned in the dock for high treason. Mr.
Whiteside but gave utterance to the unanimous feeling of
the public, when he denounced the scandalous conduct
of the government, by exclaiming—" Yes ; Mr. Kenyon
is at large in his parish, but Mr. O'Brien is in the dock."

They may depend upon it, however, that the public will
not consent to any such sinister reserve. The nature and
extent of priestly complicity with rebellion will yet be
brought fully under the public gaze. The evidence of
this revolting social statistic will be taken out of the
hands of the Castle officials, and brought clearly to light
before a tribunal who will not suffer truth to be gagged,
and national justice to be frustrated, by a technical point
of evidence. There is in England and here a growing
love of fair play, which will not connive at any base par-
tialities, and a growing distrust of the Roman Catholic
system, which is our best guarantee against seeing this
country and its laws overridden by the intolerable preten-
sions of the pope and his dependent ecclesiastics.

THE IRISH IRISH STATE TRIALS

BARRISTERS AND WITNESSES IN COLLISION

We extract from the lengthy reports of the state trials
at Clonmel one or two little conversational incidents,
which are worth recording.
John O'Donnell was called, and the Clerk of the Crown
handed him the book to take the usual oath.—John O'Donnell.
—What is this tor? Clerk of the Crown.—To be sworn. John
O'Donnell.—l am not inclined to take the book, and under
any circumstances I will not take the oath. Bring me out, put
a file of soldiers before me and lodge twenty-seven bullets in
this (striking his breast) heart, and I will not swear. (Sen-
sation.)

Attorney General.—l must ask your lordship to oblige the
witness to take the oath.

Chief Justice (to O'Donnell).—Do you refuse to be sworn?
O'Donnell.—My brother is concerned 2n this case, and I will
not go home to my family, and have the " insignia" of an in-
former upon me.
Chief Justice.—You must stand committed.

Attorney-General.—l may mention, my Lord, that I am not
going to examine the witness in ref, rence to his brothv'r.
O'Donnell.—l will not give evidence directly or indirectly, one
way or the other, so let the law take its course (sitting down).
Let the law take its course.
Chief Justice.—Let him stand committed.

O'Donnell was then removed to gaol in the custody of the
police.

•
Another witness, a soldier, apperas to have given offence
to Mr. Whiteside, who said,—
You may go down, Sir. You are a credit to the army.
Chief Justice Doherty.—That is a very improper observation,
Mr. Whiteside, at such a time.

Chief Justice 13Iackburne.—Do you not see the impropriety of
the observation yourself, Mr. Whiteside?
Mr. Whiteside.—lndeed 1 do not, my Lord. When a man
undertakes to swear informations, he undertakes to swear the
whole truth, and I contend that he has contradicted himself.
Chief Justice.—There is not the slightest contradiction in his
evidence.

A young countryman named Shee was brought as a wit-
ness, and looked very agitated. The following smart
dialogue look place :

ClOrk of the Crown.—Take thebook-
Shee--No.
Clerk of the Crown.—Do you object to be sworn ?
Shee.—Against such a gentleman I do.
Attorney-General.—Take the book, Sir.
Shee.--11 will not. Sir.

Attorney-General.—l ask your Lordship to commit this man.
Chief Justice.—You stand committed, Sir. Your refusing to
be sworn is a contempt of Court, and I must commit yoy to
gaol for refusing to give evidence.
Shee.—l will not be sworn, Sir.

fliepolice took him into custody and removed him

During the cross-examination of a witness by Mr.
Whiteside, the former said that he had been told of an
occurrence, when the following altercation was wit-
nessed :

Mr. Whiteside.—Who told you that? Witness.--A person
I am not going to tell you.
Mr. Whiteside.—You must. Witness.—l won't.
Mr. Whiteside.—l tell you, sir, you shall tell me. Witness.
—I won't tell you. _

Mr. Whitesirde (energetically).—T tell you I must have it out
of you. Ile witness (in a
_harsh yet tremulous tone)—You
won't have it out of me.

Mr. Whiteside (with increased energy)—l demand that you
shall answer me. Witness.—Do you think I'll give up a man to
be assassinated by the clubs of Dublin for your pleasure?
Mr. Whiteside.—Upon your oath do you believe that it would
he my pleasure that a man should be assassinated? Witrass—
I put myself under the protection of the Court.
The Court decided that he need not answer the question.

IRISH MISCELLANY.

The trial of Mr. M`Manua will immediately follow that
of Mr. O'Brien.

MESMERISED PATIENTS.-Six labourers lately sum-
moned Professor Barnett, at Limerick, for wages due
unto them for their services in feigning to be mesmerised
by him during his lectures on mesmerism; but the mayor
refused to make any order, as the transaction was a decep-
tion of the public.

Mr. O'BRIEN AND THE JUDGE.—During the cross-
examination of a witness for the prosecution in the state
trials, Mr. O'Brien attempted to cast a flagrant imputa-
tion on the honour of the judges. He said,—l beg your
Lordship's pardon. I am not familiar with the proceed-
ings of courts of justice, but I submit that, as your Lord-
ship has recorded what the witness said unfavourable to
me, you ought also to take down the answers that are
favourable to my case.—Chief Justice Blackburn : How
do you know that I am not doing so ?—Mr. O'Brien : I
did not see your Lordship do it.—Chief Justice Black-
burn : You had better not interfere.

The police have arrested Mr. Tronton, the person al-
luded to in the evidence of the approver, who was on Sa-
turday examined on the trial of Mr. W. S. O'Brien. This
Mr. Tronton promised to the confederates, at one of the
meetings, to bring over a brace of swivels from England,
as soon as the rebellion should explode. He is now in
Newgate, charged with high treason. Mr. P. J. Barry, in
a letter to the Freeman, denies the report in circulation
that he has turned approver. He was secretary to the
Curran club.