Much surprise was created last evening by the announcement that
Mr. Feargus O'Connor had been arrested : like the other semi-gigantic Fergus of the Italian romances, he seemed to have an enchanted skin, to and go scatheless amid the tumult which he overrode. He was arrested at his house in Highgate, yesterday morning, on a warrant issued by Mr. John Frederick Foster, a Manchester Magistrate, charging him with seditious conspiracy in that town on the 17th of August ; and in the afternoon he was brought before Mr. Hall, at Bow Street. There was another prisoner on a similar charge, John Archbold Campbell, a cheap bookseller in Holborn. Mr. Waddington's appearance as counsel for the Crown gave solemnity to the occasion : a solicitor assisted Mr. O'Connor. Mr. O'Connor repelled the charge of sedition, and said that he had even been accused of being in the pay of the Tories because he prevented the people from committing outrages on account of the Corn- law. Mr. Hall declined to be the depository of Mr. O'Connor's con- fessions, but consented to hold him to bail to appear in due course before the Manchester Magistrates. Mr. O'Connor entered into his own re- cognizances to that end for 1,0001.; and Mr. Cleave of Shoe Lane, and Mr. Oldfield of Bolt Court, became bound for him under penalties of 5001. each. Somewhat lower bail was exacted for Mr. Campbell; but it does not appear whether he availed himself of the arrangement.
The warrant under which Mr. O'Connor was arrested charged him with
"having, on the 17th of August, with divers other persons, unlawfully and wickedly conspired, confederated, and agreed to excite her Majesty's liege subjects to sedition and disaffection against the laws of this realm, and to cause insurrection, riots, tumultuous and illegal assemblies, and by force, violence, and intimidation, to prevent certain of her Majesty's sub- jects from following their lawful occupations, and to force them to depart there- from, and to disturb the peace of our said Lady the Queen and the kingdom of England."
From Manchester we learn that ten Chartists were arrested, yesterday, on a charge of the same kind. The following were the persons placed before the Magistrates—the Reverend James Scholefield, William Scholefield his son, James Leech, John Massey, Robert Ramada, Bernard M'Cartney, Thomas Railton, Christopher Doyle, James Elli- son, and John Norman. Mr. Gregory, the Government Solicitor, said that the charge upon which the prisoners was arrested was one of con- spiracy of a very serious nature, and quite distinct from any yet brought forward. The charge was made against a great number of others, who were not yet in custody ; and he applied for the ten to be remanded until Tuesday. William Scholefield was released on bail ; but an appli- cation to bail James Scholefield and Leech was refused, and they were with the rest remanded till Tuesday.
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