PARTY PROCESSIONS IN IRELAND.

Grey River Argus, Volume VIII, Issue 526, 1 June 1869, Page 4

PARTY PROCESSIONS IN IRELAND.

The Dublin correspondent of the Times writes : — While the proposal gravely siibmitted to Parliament for the repeal of the Party Processions Act is still pending, it is desirable that the experience of the past should not be wholly forgotten when considering the probable effect of such a measure. The Assizes now proceeding bring to mind some events which may serve as a warning. At Monaghan, the celebration of the last 12th July by an Orange procession was attended, as many other commemorations of the same anniversary have been, by scenes of riot and bloodshed. The processionists were met and attacked by an exasperated mob. Amid a shower of stones they made their way to the Orange hall, where they sought shelter. Stones were flung into and shots fired out of the hall and from the adjoining house of a publican named Baird, A man named Hughes who was in the street received a bullet in. the ribs, and lived only a few minutes. At his funeral a shocking scene occurred. The populace assem bled in great numbers, and the whole multitude going down on their knees opposite Baird's house, heaped imprecations on the head of the supposed murderer. At the Assizes, i David Baird, the young man who was alleged to have fired the shot, and his father and cousin, who were accused as accomplices, were put upon their trial. After a long investigation the jury returned a verdict of acquittal. Another case, which stood for "trial at the same Assizes, afforded in all its circumstances more striking evidence of the malignity of party spirit and the influence which it excites upon the administration of justice. A man named M'Kenna was indicted for the murder of John Clarke, a Protestant. The facts alleged were that the deceased was in Campbell's hotel, in the town of Monaghan, with several others, on the night of the 26th November, when M'Kenna entered the kitchen. Clarke immediately observed to his companions, "Boys, mind M'Kenna, for he is not about any good." A dispute ensued, and the two men "got a hold." M'Konna, extricating himself from his antagonist's grasp }) exclaimed, :< Hell to my soul, but I'll shoot, one of you," and, pulling put a pistol, he shot Clarke in the abdomen, and he died that night. The prosecution, it is stated, was promoted by the Orange Society, which subscribed funds for the purpose, as it did in the former case for the defence of the accused. On the other hand, two special counselMr Butt, Q.C., and Mr Heron, Q.C.— were retained to defend M'Kenna. When the prisoner's trial came on yesterday, his counsel handed in a challenge to the ! array, upon the ground that of the 250 persons returned by the High Sheriff to serve as jurors only 48 were Roman Catholic; that Roman Catholics were wilfully excluded with the intention of prejudicing the case of the prisoner ; and that at the time of making out the panel the High Sheriff, Captain Coote, and the Sub-Sheriff, Mr Mitchell, were members of the Orange Society, which had taken part in instituting the proceedings. The total number on the array is 1207, of whom 800 are Protestants and 400 Roman Catholics, so that, event apart from the question whether the whole array was fairly apportioned, there is a striking disproportion as regards religious profession in the selection of the panel. It was further complained that of the 250 names furnished only about 30 were properly qualified. Counsel for the Crown joined issue, defending the construction of the panel, and denying that the High Sheriff was ever a. member or subscriber of the Orange Society, or that the Sub-Sheriff was a party to the prosecution. The first two persons on the jurors' list who answered to their natu«3 wore sworn to try the question, and a telegram to-day brings intelligence that they found in favor of the challenge. Whether thi3 was dor.c with thp intention of providing a jury which woiild acqui<; t-lio Bairds which is the more charitable and probable supposition— or to convict M'Kenna upon a capital charge, it was a proceeding which cannot be too strongly condemned, and

deserves a punishment more severely and likely to be felt than the most emphatic expression of public disapproval. The array was quashed, and the trial of this and other party cases was postponed to the next Assizes, in order to enable the prisoners to move for a certiorari to transfer the prosecution to another county.