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

THE PRIEVS 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 M'Curdy, Dublin police, deposed that he found the
documents alluded to in an open press, in Keely's house; two
of Keely's daughters were in the house at the time; one of
them was in attendance to be examined for the crown. _

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

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 Trish 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 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 tile 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 in 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.-1 may mention, my Lord, that I am not
going to examine the witness in reference to his brother.
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,—
Yon 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 Blackburne.—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 :

Clerk of the Crown.—Take the book.

§iiee--No

Clerk of the Crown.—Do you object to be sworn ?
Shee.—Against such a gentleman I do.

Attorney-General.—Tike the book, Sir
Shee.—l will not, Sir.

Attorney-General.-1 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 you to,
gaol for refusing to give evidence.
Shee.—l will not he sworn, Sir.

The Police 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. _

Air. \Whiteside (energetically).—l tell you I must have it out
of you. The witness (in a ;Marsh 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? Witness—
I put myself under the protection of the Court.
The Court decided that he need not answer the question.