A MAGISTRATE ON PATRIOTISM.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2495, 19 March 1881, Page 4

A MAGISTRATE ON PATRIOTISM.

At Greenwich on Jan J a laborer named Sam Powell was charged before Mr Balguy with unlawfully wounding John and Mary Renolds. by stabbing them with a knife.—The parties lodged in the same house in Marsh Lane, East Greenwich, a locality inhabited almost exclusively by Irish people. On Boxing Day a discussion arose between the prisoner and Reynolds on the subject of the future of Ireland, the former being an Englishman and the other an Irishman. Presently *they grew warm Reynolds exclaiming. “ England,’ 1 and the prisoner responding with “ Ireland,” upon which the former endeavored to strike him. Connell, the landlord, got between them, and it was alleged that while Reynolds was being held, the prisoner stabbed him over the eye with a penknife. Mrs Reynolds ran to prevent other injuries being inflicted on her husbaud, and received three cuts of a severe nature. —Prisoner stoutly denied having used a knife. He declared that all ho said was, ‘ Old England for liever.’ —Mr Balguy T —That sounds very much as if you were drunk. (Laughter.)— Prisoner said he held that if there were not so many in England that did not belong to it, there would be more foi those who did,—Mr Balguy—You were very foolish in saying ‘ Old England for ‘ hever’ ’ —laughter—when among a lot of Irish, and I have generally' remarked that when a man begins to be patriotic he is generally the worse for drink. (Loud laughter.)—The constable who took the prisoner into custody, said that Marsh Lane had been a continual scene of riot since this affair.—Mr Balguy said he would take a lenient view of the case. Prisoner had been in custody a week, and would now have to find two sureties in £lO to keep the peace for three months.