POSTSCRIPT.
SATURDAY NIGHT.
It was rumoured in Dublin on Wednesday evening, that the Attor- ney-General would move in the Court of Queen's Bench to prevent the publication of the evidence until the completion of the whole ; but Thursday came, the Court met, and the examination of witnesses pro- ceeded without any attempt to impede the newspaper-reporters. The first witness was Frederick Bond Hughes, the short-hand-writer engaged by Government to report the proceedings of the Repeal Associa- tion and " monster-meetings. ' He read reports of the Mullaghmast masetiag.,and diatom, two meetings at the Association on the 2d and ad October, and meetings at Calvert's Theatre and the Rotunda on the 9th October. It will be remembered that a great outcry was raised at the time Mr. Hughes laid informations against Mr. O'Connell and others, on the score that he had sworn falsely : the two chief alle- gations being, that he had interpolated a quotation in a speech by Mr. Steele on the 3d October, which was printed in the report of that gentle- man's speech, but not spoken ; and that he had wrongly represented Mr. Barrett to be at two meetings from which he was absent. Mr. Hughes's cool, business-like and ingenuous manner under cross-exa- mination, made a favourable impression ; and the two cases of "false swearing" came to nothing. The following little colloquy, which oc- curred early in his examination, throws some light on the question. The witness was repeating Mr. O'Connell's speech at Mullaghmast-
On reading the passage, " We have not had a Sovereign who was not an enemy to Ireland," Mr. Hatchell (counsel for the traversers) said—" Save herself."
Mr. O'Connell—" Pray read correctly, Mr. Bond Hughes. You have already omitted three words in what you previously read." Witness—" You are reading print, Mr. O'Connell : I am reading from ma- nuscript, and following it."
Mr. Hughes read Mr. Steele's speech on the 3rd October, including the lines
" Behemoth, biggest born of earth. • Up-heaved his vastness:"
which now passed unchallenged ! He freely admitted that he had made a mistake in stating Mr. Barrett to have been present at two meetings on the 9th October : he mistook some one else for Mr. Barrett, and he himself it was who first pointed out the mistake-
" I was present when Mr. Barrett gave bail, and I saw him subscribe to the bail-bonds. I then amended my mistake on the instant. I spoke to Mr. Rae and Mr. Kernmis on the subject. Mr. Rae is Mr. Kemcnis's manager. I spoke tio them about the mistake when I went out of the room and was leaving the house. I told them that I bad a doubt about Mr. Barrett. I do not recollect what Mr. Kernmis said to me. I do not remember what Mr. Rae said. I am now satisfied Mr. Barrett was not present at the two meetings on the 9th October."
The other witnesses examined were, Mr. Latham, assistant to Mr. Hughes, who spoke in corroboration ; and Mr. Charles Ross, correspond- ent for a London paper and reporter engaged by Government, who gave evidence about the Donnybrook meeting. The Court adjourned at half-past five.
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