DION BOUCICAULT.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIII, Issue 28, 6 November 1885, Page 13

DION BOUCICAULT.

(The Nation, May, 1876.) Undeterred by the arrange reception given to hia generous offer of a relief fund for the families of the Fenian prisoners, Mr. Boacicault, we are glad to say, is carrying out his humane and patriotic project on their behalf. Our readers will recollect the announcement which he made not long since in oar columns of his intention to give for their benefit one representation of his national drama, " Shaughraun," in several of the great English towns and in the chief cities of the Western States of America. The play has recently been produced in tome parts of Scotland and in the North of England, and the result of the special performances for the families of the Fenian prisoners is communicated t« us iD the following note, which we have received from Mr. Boacicault, and have much pleasure in printing :— " Paris, April°B, 1876. "My Dear Sir,— My agent, Mr. H. J. Sargent, reports the representations of " The Shaughiaun " given in Scotland and the North for my benefit (the proceeds of which were to be devoted to the relief of the families of the Irish political prisoners) have so far realised £178 16s, which amount will be at once deposited in the bank to the credit of the ' Dublin Fund.' " Permit me to enclose you one of the bills we have in circulation throughout England and Scotland. It serves not only to keep the question living before the public, but was necessary to purge from the minds of many persons false impressions as to the nature of the offences charged against the prisoners. " A hundred thousand of these bills will be circulated ia Philadelphia, New York and Boston, bo this question may not be lost sight of when England joins in the American ceremonial intended to celebrate the independence of the United States and to exhibit their prosperity. — Yours faithfully, "Dion Boucigault." The handbill referred to in the foregoing note is of large size, and bears a black border surrounding the text, which is "set out " in a very striking manner. The following is a copy of its contents :— " In memory of the Irish Political Prisoners, condemned for life, and about to suffer their tenth year of penal servitude in English and Australian Jails. " The following list has been abridged from the Official Returnß of the British Government, furnished in 1874, in reply to a motion in the House of Commons, demanding the names of the Political Offenders, the offences with which they were charged, and the seatences inflicted :—: — " Charles M'Carthy— Tried in Ireland at court-martial in May, 1866. Charged with breach of the Articles of War ; coming to tbe knowledge of an intended mutiny and not giving information to his commanding officer, etc. Sentence— Death ; commuted to penal servitude for life. Duration of penalty to this date is nine years and ten months. "Ibonns Darragh — Tried in Ireland at court-marti »1 in February, 1866. Charged with breach of the Articles of War ; coin>ng to the knowledge of an intended mutiny and not giving information, etc. Sentence — Death ; commuted to penal servitude for life. Duration of penalty to this date is ten years. "Thomas Chambers —Tried in Ireland at court-martial in June, 1866. Charged with breach of the Articles of War ; mutinous conduct, desertion, etc. Sentence — Penal servitude for life. Duration of penalty to this date ia nine years and nine monthß. " John O'Brien — Tried in Ireland at court-maitial in January, 1867. Charged w'th breach of the Articles of War; mutinous conduct, desertion, etc. Sentence— Penal servitude for life. Duration of penalty to this date is nine years and one month. " Robert Cranßton — Tried in Ireland at court-martial m June, 1866. Charged with breach of Articles of War ; mutinous conduct ; and endeavouring to induce a soldier to become a Fenian. Sentence —Penal servitude for life. Duration of penalty to this d,\te is nine years and nine months. "James Kelly — Tried in Ireland at court-martial in Juae, 1866. Charged with breach of the Articles of War ; coming to the knowledge of an intended mutiny, etc. t-entence— Penal servitude for life. Duration of penalty to this date is nine years and nine mouths. " Michael Harrington — Tried in Ireland at court-martial in June, 1866. Charged with breach of the Articles of War, mutinous conduct, and desenion. Sentence— Penal servitude for life. Duration of penalty to this date is nine years and eight months. " Martin Hogan — Tried in Ireland at court-martial in August, 1866. Charged with breach of the Articles of War ; mutinous conduct, and desertion. Sentence — Penal servitude for life. Duration of penalty to this date is nine years andeeven months. " James Wilson — Tritd in Ireland at ourt-martial in August, 1 866. Ckarged with breach of the Articles of War ; mutinous conduct, and desertion. Sentence— Penal servitude for life. Duration of penalty to this date is nine years and seven months. " Patrick Keating— Tried in Ireland at court-martial in August, 1866. Charged with breach of the Articles of War ; mutinous conduct, etc. Sentence — Penal servitude for life. Duration of penalty to this date is nine years and seven months. " Thomas Hassett— Tried in Ireland at court-martial in August, 1866. Charged with breach of the Articles of War ; mutinous conduct! and desertion. Sentence — Penal servitude for life. Duration of penalty to this date is nine years and *even months. " Michael Davitt— Tried in London at tbe Central Criminal Court, in July, 1870. Charged with treason-felony, congpiiing to depose the Queen, etc. and to levy war, etc. (supplying arms to the Fenian organisation).— Sentence — 15 years' pen il servitude. Duration of penalty to this date is five years and seven months. " James M'Coy, — Tried in Ireland at court-iuartial in August, 1866. Charged with breach of tbe Articles of War ; mutinous conduct, etc. Sentence— ls years' penal servitude. Dnration of penalty to this date is nine years and seven months

" Thomas Delaney— Tried in Ireland at court-martial in August, 1866. Charged with breach of the Articles of War ; mutinous conduct, etc. Sentence— ten years' penal servitude. Duration of penalty to this date h nine years and seven months. " John Shine— Tried in Ireland at court-martial in August, 1866. Charged with breach of the Articles of War; mutinous conduct. Sentence— lo years' penal servitude. Duration of penalty to thie date is nine tears and seven months.

" Johu Wilson—Tried in London at the Central Criminal Court in July, 1870. Cha-ged with treason-felony, conspiring to depose the Queen, etc., and to levy war, etc. (supplying arms to the Fenian organisation). Sentence— 7 years' penal servitude. Duration of penalty to this date is five years and 6even mouths. " Kdward Bhore— Tried at Manchester Bpecial assizes in October, 1867. Charged with being accessory to the murder of Police-Sergeant Brett, at Manchester, 1867. Sentence— Death ; commuted to penal •ervitude for life. Duration of penalty to this date is eight yearg and five months.

•Patrick Meledy— Tried at Lancaster Assizes, March, 1868. Charged with being accessory to the murder of Police-Sergeant Brett, at Manchester, in 1867. Sentence— Death ; commuted to penal servitude for life. Duration of penalty to this date is eight years. " The object in publishing this official return is to keep before the minds of the English people the true nature of the offences of the Irish political prisoners, and to afford justification to those who advocate a mitigation of a penalty they feel to be excessive. " Dion Boucicaolt."