The Sun. — London, England, 1847-11-30 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE. COURT OF EXCHEQUER, N0v.29. (Sittings at Nisi Prins, befole_th! Lord CHIEF BARON and Special Juries.) REVENIIIi CASES.-ATTORNEY - GENERAL V. GOODWIN ; SAME v. rnaADRIDGE AND ANOTHER. In both of the above cases verdicts were taken for the crown by consent. (Before Common Juries.) VIRTUE c. INBINSON. This was an action brought to recover the sum of 1.03/. 10s. 7,}d. for work and labour done, and money paid to the use of the defendant. Mr. Watson appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr, Hawkins for the defendant. The plaintiff was, it appears, employed as an agent to do certain repairs to some houses situated in Hampstead, which were the property of the defendant. The defence to the action consisted of several letters from the plaintiff to the wife of the defendant, pur porting to contain an arrangement, by virtue of which the payment for the work done should be made out of the rents arising from the property. The defendant also pleaded that the orders for the work were given by his wife, and that he was not consulted in the matter. On the part of the !plaintiff several letters were, how ever, put in from the defendant, admitting his lia bility, and also taking the agency out of the hands of the plaintiff and placing it in the hands of another party, who was, from that period, to receive all the rents arising from the property. A verdict was returned for the plaintiff for the amount claimed. COURT OF COMMON PLEAS, IVev. 29. (Sittings at Nisi Prins, at Westminster, before Chie Justice WILDE.) CHAMBERLAYNE V. WEST. In this action, which was brought to recover the amount due upon a bill of; exchange endorsed by the plaintiff, a verdict was found for the plaintiff for 2.54 ls. 6d. KENDALL V. WATKINS. In this case Mr. Lush appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. Humfrey for the defendant. It was brought to recover the snm of 301. upon an I 0 U, given by the defendant to the plaintiff, and it arose out of the disposal of a fishmonger's business, which was carried on in White Rose-court, Coleman street. The particulars of the case were entirely devoid of a❑y general interest. A verdict was found for the plaintiff. CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT. OLD COURT. (Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) Mr. Stinton, the other partner, was then examined at some length by the Attorney-General in corroboration. He was cross-examined by Mr. Sergeant Wilkins, who endeavoured to elicit from him that he had written letters to Anne Simmons,:and that when her boxes were being searched, he called her into the bed-room, and begged of her, for God's sake, to give him up all the notes he had written to her. The witness vehemently and indignantly answered, " Upon my soul, I never wrote to her a note on any subject in my life." Mr. Sergeant WILKINS—You are not here to swear upon your soul. The only soul you are upon here is the sole of your foot.—(Great laughter.) The ATTORNEY-GENERAL protested against the in decency of the observation, and said that the witness had only exhibited a natural resentment at an insulting imputation. The cross-examination proceeded, in which the wit ness solemnly denied that he gave Simons the dress in which she went to the ball at Cricklewood, or that he wrote a note to her, requesting she should wear a blue dress. A sister of the prisoner Simons was called, but she only proved that Hickman sent money and legal assist. ance to the prisoner when she was taken into custody. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL endeavoured to elicit from the witness that she obtained her living in a disreput able way. Mr. Sergeant 'WHArNs protested against the indecency of the Attorney-General disparaging so vilely his own witness. After some discussion, the question—" Do you live under the protection of any gentleman ?" was allowed to be put, the Judge informing the witness that she was not obliged to answer the question. She accordingly declined to answer. She had repeatedly seen Mr. Stinton walking in Regent-street and elsewhere at night. He always passed witness without speaking. The laundress of the chambers occupied by Hickman Was called. She merely proved that he occupied the room& for four or five years—that Simons visited him, seemed to possess his entire confidence, and had exclu sively the keys of the chest of drawers, as well as of the boxes in which the goods of the prosecutor's were found. He might not know anything of what they contained. Nothing was ever removed from the chambers by Mr. Hickman during:the years that he was there. The witness's servant confirmed this, and added that Rickman was out of town when the boxes were brought to his chambers by Simons. Several other witnesses were examined for the prose cution, but added nothing material. Mr. Sergeant WILKINS addressed the jury at great length for the prisoner Simons. He complained of th• conduct of the counsel for the prosecution, and said tbat the jury must have perceived from the questions put 'to Mr. Stinton, that the defence which he was instructed to offer would implicate him in this case, although the intimacy with the prisoner, alleged to have subsisted be tween them, was carried on in secrecy, and not per fectly capable of proof. The sister, however, had sworn to meeting them walking at night about the streets, under circumstances which gave some colour to her allegation, when it was considered that he was a married man. It was evident that the prisoner's statement that Stinton introduced her to the establishment was true, because Mr. Marshall swore he never saw her until she was in the house; and the sister swore positively that it was he who gave her the place. The Learned Counsel also dwelt at great length on the circumstance that Mr. Stinton had the control of the affairs of the establishment, the management of the books, purchases and sales, and of the taking of stock. It wasstrange, too, that whilst he denied that he gave the dress in which Simons went to the ball, he could not recollect the dress of any other lady whatever, not eK•n of his own wife. He contended also that the defence of the prisoner was corroborated by Mr. Stinton's conduct, from the time she was accused until she was coanilted. Ho said nothing upon the subject when the charge was first made in his presence—he never reproached the prisoner, never spoke to her, although she stood beside his desk. Mr. Stinton also admitted, itecontradiction of his partner, that Barber was discharged for saying that he (Stinton) Was too intimate with Simons. It was strange also that both partners admitted that not one of the articles found in • her possession had ever been missed, and they ad mitted that the persons employed were allowed to pur these goods at cost price over the counter. He pressed `the latter admission upon the consideration of the jury, in connexion with Mr. Stinton's saying, that he believed her to be a young woraan of some property, and her allegation that she had the property with his know ledge. Sir FREDERICK THESIGER then addressed the jury for Mr. Hickman at considerable length. Mr. Justice Coltman summed up, and the jury almost immediately returned a verdict of Guilty against the prisoner: Simons, and Acquitted Mr. Hickman. The e, was an attempt at applause in the court when the vi;rdict was delivered, but it was speedily repressed. sr.r. BODKIN said there were two other indictments in wh'Ach Mr. Hickman was charged as receiver, 'hut after the verdict that had been delivered, and the full inquiry etrat had taken place, he considered it unnecessary to Livoceed with them. Mr. Justice COLTMAN, in ordering the discharge of Itr. Hickman, said he quite concurred in the verdict of the jury. He believed that he had only acted with in discretion, and that there was not the least ground for supposing that he was actuated by any felonious intention. NEW COURT. (Before the RECORDER, Alderman FlucnEs, &c.) James Marshall and Elizabeth, his wife, who were re 'mauled from last session, were indicted for stealing divers articles from a dwelling-house where they were servants, and George Nicholls was charged with felo niously receiving part of the said articles. The RECORDER summed up with his usual minute neas, and favourably as to the charge against Mr. Nicholls, on whose behalf many respectable persons tes tified to his excellent character. The jury consulted for a short time, and then returned verdict of Guilty against James Marshall, and Ac quitted his wife and Mr. Nicholls. The CounT sentenced the convict to hard labour for three calendar months. (Be f° THIRD COURT. re Mr. Commissioner BULLOCI and Alderman Gears ~.. HUNTER.) h rai e itobson was convicted, upon clear evidence, of Peoru :V d ;P c i i v i reller's shop window, and stealing there- Sejanaltesencaeditt,ooaiin2' m & o e• nths' hard labour. watch and chain' Jr, was indicted for stealing a mold and , three diamond and pearl rings, and a silver watch o r ard, value 201., the Lovell, a surgeon, property of Mr. , in Clara , master ; a n d j sLreet , sen., was indicted for re ante, 0, 7).30n , Clare-market, his ceiving the property feloniously. It appeared that the younger prisoner had been in the Nervice of Mr. Lovell, days' as errand boy; but he suddenly disappeared one afto ha r d th b a e t e i n t 'neg, after h e cleaning the bedroom windows, and shortly quantity was found that a drawer had b If :prisoner's of jewellery, that had been placed thmeitind court t n i to the police, presence just before. Information was ' and Thompson, 62 F, proceeded to 0.- pri n so the s even _ dia's, where he apprehended the younger ing ascertained that he was there by a welln:or.'4llav scheme, the officer learned that the elder prisoner had been seen in possession of a silver watch, and a young fellow "off the Dials," named Crisp, stated to-day that 'the prisoner deputed him to sell a silver guard chain. He so:d that chain to a coal- higgler, in whose possession it was found. Mrs. Lovell believed that to be the stolen chain. The elder prisoner was seen in possession of a seal similar to one stolen. The jury Acquitted the father, and found the son Guilty. Sentence on the latter seven years' transpor tation. MILITARY M O N U MENT. Mr. Richardson, the sculptor, is engaged on two marble monuments, ordered by the officers of the 16th Lancers and the 31st Regi ment or Foot, to commemorate—in the nave of Canter bury C athedral—those of their brethren who fell in the recant actions on the Stale' Mr. FrenCh, M.P., had Georg ;e Gray, yesterday, an interview with Sir at the Home-office. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. GUILDHALL. Joseph Collis, a man about forty years of age, was brought before Sir Peter Laurie, charged with defraud ing some tradesmen by ordering goods to be sent home with him, and then tricking the porter out of the pos session of them. James Dallimore stated that the prisoner came into the ironmongery warehouse, 62, St. Martin's.le-Grand, and said he wanted two copper tea-kettles, on approba • tion, for a house in Bartholomew-close, and he stipulated for an allowance if they were approved. A bill was made out, 225., in case they suited, and the porter was sent with them to bring back either the kettles or the money. The prisoner asked if he mentioned any name or house. The witness believed he mentioned some name, but not the house. To show the pretence was false, it would be necessary to call the person whose name had been used, and the prisoner seemed gratified with the answer. George Read stated that he was sent with the kettles. When the prisoner came to a wine-vaults in Duke-street, Smithfield, he took the kettles and told him to wait at the door till he came out. The prisoner did not return, and he found he had gone off with the kettles by the back door in Bartholomew-close. The prisoner said he was willing to give all the infor mation in his power, so that the property might be re claimed—he had not sold it. A second charge was made of obtaining possession of 1/. worth of glass and crockery, the property of Mrs. Elizabeth Cheshire, a wholesale earthenware dealer, in York road, City-road. Sir P. LAURIE remanded the prisoner until Thursday. Thomas Welch and Robert Jones, two fellows of the vagrant class, were charged with wilfully breaking two panes of glass, value 145., at Spratt's Alton ale-house, in Fleet-street. Sir P. LAURIE adjudged them to be imprisoned four teen days. Mr. Spratt complained of the insufficiency of the punishment and of the grievous losses the shop-keepers were constantly suffering in this way. Sir PETER LAURIE said he was mistaken in supposing a longer imprisonment would have been dreaded by such men. Fourteen days was the longest time the law permitted men to be kept on low diet in prison ; and the prisoners would have thanked him sincerely if be had committed them instead for a month, because that would have secured them the full diet. They would have rejoiced if he had given them two months' impri- sonmerit. The great folly of the day was making the prisoners and prisons more comfortable, and making imprisonment the punishment for all crimes. Prisons must now cover acres. There must be airing grounds, and there must be warmth, air, and light in every place. Since prisons had been made more comfortable, and thieves had heard the Government would not trans port any more criminals, crime had increased by one third. He recommended Mr. Spratt and his fellow sufferers by window breakers to get up a petition to Parliament, and entrust it to Mr. Pearson, the City solicitor, for presentation. TEE SUN, LONDON, BOW-STREET. William Wood, a young medical student at King's College, Strand, was charged with stealing five great coats, belonging to his fellow-students. In the first case the prosecutor was Mr. Wm. A. Young, who resided with the prisoner, at the residence of their Professor, Dr. Partridge, in New-street, Spring gardens, from whence witness missed his coat. lie questioned the prisoner respecting it, when, to his sur prise, the latter stated that he had lent it to his cousin, and would get it back iu a day or two. Witness found that it had been pledged by the prisoner at a pawn• broker's in St. Martin's-lane. Two other cases were proved by Mr. E. J. Vivian and Mr. J. Wakem, also students, who missed their coats from the gown-room at the college, and subsequently identified them at the shop of Mr. Kirkham, pawnbroker, of the Strand, where the prisoner had pledged them. Mr. Kirkham's assistant proved that the prisoner, on presenting himself at the shop with a third coat, •n Saturday, was given into custody on suspicion of steal ing the two previously left by him in pawn. lIALL committed the prisoner for trial on three distinct charges. The guardian of the prisoner, a gentleman well ac quainted with his family, expressed his astonishment at the conduct of the prisoner, who had borne an excellent character, and had formed no bad connexions in London. MARLBOROUGH-STREET. Mr. Attenborough, pawnbroker, Oxford.street, was summoned before Mr. Bingham for detaining a quantity of plate, the property of General Sir George Berkeley, as alleged illegally pawned with him. Mr. Clarkson said he appeared for General Sir George Berkeley, who sought to recover some family plate pledged with the defendant, a most respectable pawn broker, under circumstances which it would be for the magistrate to ascertain if they did not bring the pledger within a charge of felony. He wished first to know whether the property was in court ? Mr. Petersdorff, for the defendant, required such a statement to be made as would warrant the production of the property. Mr. Clarkson said, in November, 1846, General Sir George Berkeley was appointed to a post at the Cape of Good Hope. Sir George Berkeley packed up his goods in 41 cases, one of which contained some valuable family plate, and consigned them to Mr. Silvester, an agent, for the purpose of his transmitting the property to its place of destination. in October last year Mr. Silvester became embarrassed, and he should show that he broke open one of the cases, took out some candlestieks, and other articles of plate, and pawned them with Mr. At tenborough, the defendant. The transaction having become known, Lady Berkeley applied to Mr. Atten borough, and was at once told that the articles in question were in his possession. Mr. Attenborough further stated that Mr. Silvester said the property belonged to a client, and that under the 6th and 7th Victoria, he was justi fied in detaining it, as he had a lien on it. (The Learned Counsel here read the datuse in the Act in question, whi;:h had reference to certain privileges granted to agents who were entrusted with goods.) He contended that this we, a case, notwithstanding the Act in ques tion, in which the magistrate had the power of giving the property back again into Sir George Berkeley's possession, through the agency of the Police Act, leaving Mr. Attenborough to his remedy by action against Sir George Berkeley. Mr. Silvester had broken bulk without leave, and had pawned some of them, as he should show, at a time when Sir G. Berkeley was in London, namely, on the 3d December last, when the last pawning took place. When the property was pro duced, he should be able to prove that the articles in question were old family plate, bearing either the crest or the arms of the Berkeley family. If the defence was rested on the sth and 6th Victoria, he should beg the Court to ask what the character of agent meant. Mr. Silvester was an agent, but not a mercantile agent ; and as he had stated to Mr. Attenborough that the property belonged to a client, the question arose whether Mr. Attenborough was justified, without sufficient inquiry, in taking the goods into pledge. Witnesses were examined, and the case argued at con siderable length, but the substance is contained in the preceding statement. Mr. BlNGreaar said the case involved so many points of great nicety, and particularly with reference to the construction of the sth and 6th Victoria and other Acts of Parliament, that he should take until next Monday to consider his decision. MARY L EB ONE. ASSAULT UPON A POLICE-CONSTABLE BY A " GEN TLEMAN."—A gentlemanly-looking person, who gave his name and address William hunter, No. 5, Upper Harley-street, Cavendish-square, was placed at the bar before Mr. Long, charged with having conducted him self in a grossly indecent manner towards Bartlett, 83 D. The accused appeared much agitated upon his entering the court. The evidence (the full details of which are quite unfit for publication) went to show that on the previous • night, about eleven o'clock, complainant, while on duty in Harley-street, was accosted by the prisoner, who walked with him for some distance round his beat, and upon more than one occasion put questions to him of a shamefully gross and indelicate nature. He (pri soner) at length committed the indecent assault for which he was brought up to answer before the bench, and upon his being told at the period of the perpetration of the offence, that he must be taken to the station house, he knelt down, cried, and begged complainant's pardon, at the same time offering to give up to him his gold watch, and all else that he was then pos sessed of, exclaiming also, " Oh, dear! what shall I do? It will be all published in the papers. What have I done ?" Badrick, 36 D, corroborated the evidence of the first policeman as to the prisoner's offering all he had to be Let off. Mr. LONG remarked that Bartlett ought not to have suffered the prisoner to walk with him so long a time as he did without any serious notice being taken of his behaviour. The prisoner, in answer to the charge, denied that he had been guilty of the indecent behaviour imputed to him. The MAGISTRATE said that he felt bound to send the case before a jury, but would take bail for the prisoner being forthcoming to answer the char ge a t th e sess i ons . The amount of bail which he should require would be, the accused in 5004, and two sureties in 2501. each, with notice thereof. The prisoner was then locked up. SOUTHWARK. Thomas Dennis, carpenter of the Margaret Hughes brig, was charged with smuggling tobacco. Mr. Pritchard, a landing surveyor, stated that he went on board the Margaret Hughes, and on examina tion of the defendant's chest, in the forecastle, he disco vered a quantity of Cavendish tobacco; the vessel bad recently arrived from Newfoundland. In answer to the Magistrate, it was stated that the tobacco in question was to be bought for one shilling per pound in Newfoundland, and that the duty here was nine shillings per pound. The defendant said he made no secret of having the tobacco ; that it was entirely for his own consumption ; andhTh couldaht v h ee a ot stowed fit e,c, had awesrie h a:a e iihtd a aa n tywh y la i eys n iet t ao e hum n e ttrei of brought bight.eoe efreghi in the the ashore, or e a similar defence when they got into t t r l o ie u h bl a e bi f t or of b tobacco Th e MAGISTRATEi thiso country, making ringing thed defendant had incurred a h eav y penalty for the offence, but that under the circum stances he should mitigate it to 50g. The defendant, however, refused to pay the fine, and he was committed to gaol. WORSHIP-STREET. THE LATE CASE OF MATRICIDE, AT HACKNEY. —This appointed by Mr. Hammill for the fi na l themurder of his mother, Mrs. Frances examinationbeingtedayof prisoner, William Stewart Sheridan, for the alleged i an officer in the army, and late of Sheridan, widow o who, it will be remembered, Mare-street, hackney, / expired on the 29th ult., after a few days'; illness, the ' office was crowded by some of the most influential per sons residing in the neighbourhood of Hackney. The prisoner, on being ushered into the dock, made a slight obeisance to the Court, and displayed similar coolness and self-possession as he had hitherto done. Mr. Humphreys, the prisoner's solicitor, was in at tendance, and re-examined some of the witnesses upon certain points of their evidence as it was read over to them by Mr. Houlston, one of the clerks, but Mr. Hum phrey's method of cross-examination did not appear, in some instances, precisely to suit the prisoner, as he exclaimed on one or two occasions, although cautioned by Mr. 11. not to do so, "If my solicitor will not cross-examine the witnesses, I will." The depositions of the various medical gentlemen who had attended the deceased prior to and after her death, and others, which were exceedingly voluminous were then read, and occupied between two and three hours. The prisoner, who was cautioned not to say anything. was now fully committed to take his trial at the Old Bailey Sessions, for the Wilful Murder of his mother, Mrs. Frances Sheridan. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. ROUSE OF LORDS. Nov. 29. The Earl of SHAFTESBURY took his seat on the Woolsack, in the absence of the Lord Chancellor, shortly after Five o'clock. INDIAN RAILWAYS. The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH gave notice that he intended on some future day to move for returns of the sums of money advanced for the formation of railways in India, and for certain documents connected with the proposed plans for encouraging railway corn• munication in that country. Their Lordships then adjourned. ROUSE OF COMMONS, Nov. 29. The SPEAKER took the Chair at a Quarter to Four o'clock. Ten Members took the oaths and their seats. IRELAND. Mr. F. O'CONNOR presented petitions from societies bearing the titles of the Irish Confedera tion, the Finsbury, Torquay, Blandford, Leicester, Westminster, and Bethnal-green Chartist and Irish Societies, praying the House to adopt remedial instead of coercive measures towards Ireland, and to afford employment for the people by an extensive scheme for reclaiming waste lands. Mr. PETO presented a petition from Norwich, stating that the petitioners had heard of the recent outrages upon life and property in Ireland with con siderable alarm, and praying the House to resort to coercive measures, in order to compel the people not to outrage the law. THE COTTON TRADE. Mr. A. HASTIE presented a petition from Glas gow praying the House to take into consideration the threatening state of the cotton trade, and to devise remedial measures. THE RAJA OF SATTARA. Sir DE LACY EVANS presented a petition from Westminster in favour of the claims of the ex-Raja of Setters. Sir B. HALL presented a petition from 3laryle bone to the same effect. ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOPS. On the motion of Mr. J. O'CONNELL, the three petitions presented by him, from the Roman Catholic Archbishops of Ireland, were ordered to be printed with the votes. HEALTH OF TOWNS BILL. Mr. BAINES wished to know whether it was the intention of her Majesty's Government to introduce any measure for the improvement of the health of towns, and if so, at what period might such measure be expected to be brought forward ? Lord MORPETH, in reply, stated that her Ma jesty's Government hoped to be able to introduce a measure on that subject upon an early day on the re assembling of Parliament after the Christmas recess. Dr. BOWRING—I beg to ask the Noble Lord whether it is the intention of her Majesty's Govern ment to include the metropolis in the provisions of that measure ? Lord MORPETII—I would rather not answer that question at present.—(Laughter.) RELIEF OF THE DESTITUTE POOR IN IRELAND. Mr. FRENCH wished to know from the Chancel lor of the Exchequer what course her Majesty's Go vernment meant to adopt for the recovery of the moneys advanced to the several unions in Ireland, under the provisions of the Act 10 and 11 Vic., c. 7, for the relief of the destitute poor and how much of' the money so advanced it was their intention to in sist on the repayment of? Whether or not it was the intention of Government to have completed those works undertaken in Ireland, under the provisions of the Act 1 and 2 Vic., c. 21 ; and if it should s'ot be the intention to complete these works , whether or not they intended to ask from the grand juries repay ment of any moneys expended by them on such works ? The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, that he had stated early in the year what the amount be expected would be that would be required of the several unions in Ireland. He was happy to say that the amount required had been found to be much less than had been expected. The vote he took was for 2,200,0001., but he was happy to say the whole cost of the relief, including the fever hospital, was only 1,673,0001. The whole sum, therefore, to be repaid was much less than was supposed. With respect to the said question, as to what was to be done with reference to certain works, that must depend upon what the grand juries of Ireland chose to do. The works referred to had been continued as relief works, and as the neces sity for them was now at an end, it was not his inten tion to propose to impose any further upon the people of this country for the purpose of carryiug on those works ; but when the sums that had been advanced were repaid, he would be ready to appropriate that amount to the carrying on of other works. SLAVE TRADE. Mr. HUTT gave notice of his intention, on an early day after the recess, to submit a motion to the House relative to the expediency of maintaining the existing system for the suppression of the slave trade. SICK POOR. Lord ASHLEY gave notice vf his intention, after the Christmas recess, to call the attention of the House to the evidence taken before the Committee with respect to sick poor. SCOTCII AND IRISH BANKS. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, in answer to a question from an Hon. Member, stated that the notice he had given with respect to banks was sufficiently extensive to include Scotch and Irish banks. SWITZERLAND. Mr. URQUHART gave notice of his intention to put a question to the Government to-morrow to the effect of whether it was their intention to interfere in the affairs of Switzerland except as a mediator invited by both parties. THE STEPHEN WHITNEY. Mr. HUME gave notice of his intention, on Wed nesday next, to move for papers connected with the loss of the Stephen Whitney._ - HOP DUTY. Mr. FREWEN wished to know whether it was the intention of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in revising the Excis• laws, to repeal the duty on hops ? The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER observed, that when he stated he hoped to be enabled to make a revision in the Excise laws he had stated that it would not have the effect of interfering with the revenue. ; Such being the case, the Hon. Member must excuse him if he declined answering his ques tion further. RAILWAYS BILL. Mr. JACKSON said he was afraid the House had not been in possession of the Railways Bill a suffi cient length of time to enable Hon. Members to con sider its provisions ; and he therefore had to asii of the Right Hon. the Chancellor of the Exchequer to postpone the second reading. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said it was quite right that time should be given for the consideration of the Bill, but it was important that the measure should be pushed forward as soon as possible, and be trusted the House would take the second reading as a matter of course, on his promising that time should be afforded for its consideration before it went into Committee. On the motion of the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, the Bill was subsequently read a second time, and ordered to be committed on Friday. SUPPLY. The House then resolved itself into a Committee of Supply; Mr. BERNAL in the chair. Mr. HUME inquired whether it was the intention of her Majesty's Government to propose the ap pointment of a Committee to consider the subject of the general taxation of the country in all its branches, with the view of ascertaining if the taxes could not be raised in a manner that should be less troublesome and less expensive to the country than under the present system. Lord J. RUSSELL replied, that it was not the intention to propose any Committee, either on the general taxation of the country, or in relation to the whole expenditure of the country. The House then went through Committee pro forma, and the House resumed. CRIME IN IRELAND. Sir GEORGE GREY—after the passage in her Majesty's Speech relating to Ireland had been read from the Chair— said it was with deep regret that in accordance with the recommendation contained in that passage of her Majesty's Speech which had just been read, and in discharge of an imperative duty, that he rose to ask the House for permission to lay upon the table of the House a Bill for the better prevention of crime and outrage in certain districts of Ireland. The attention of Parliament had re cently been largely directed to the affairs of that portion of th e U n i te d Ki ngdom through a visitation of Providence, which, perhaps, was unprece dented in its severity and extent, for while it inflicted TUESDAY severe privations on the inhabitants of most countries of Europe, it fell with puliar intenseness and severity on the people of Ireland, on account of the unfortunate dependence of the great majority of the people on that article of food, which, from causes which hitherb had baffled all the resources of science, was almost totally destroyed. In consequence of the intense severity of this calamity successive Governments—the Right Hon. Baronet opposite in the first instance, asel his Noble Friend afterwards—felt it to be their duty to propose to Parliament measures for the relief of the sister kingdom ; and he had, until recently, been in hopes that this dreadful visitation would at least have drawn the people of the two kingdoms in boa's of good-will, which would have inflicted upon all the important lesson of the advantages, if not the indispensable necessity, of the mutual co-operation of all classes of society in discharging those functions which• devolved upon the highest and the lowest, for the maintenance of the laws of the land.—(Hear, hear.) He regret ted, however, to state that in this respect he had been greatly disappointed, though he was not yet prepared to abandon the expectation that Ireland might be restored to a state of peace and prosperity, in which all classes of society should be united in denouncing the criminal, and promoting the general prosperity of the country. The crimes and offences to which he should have to make reference, he was glad to say, only applied to a small portion Ireland, and he was glad to take that opportunity of repeating what he said on the first night of the session, that in the greater part of Ireland crime had diminished, while the crimes which existed in other por tions were held in the highest detestation and abhorrence by the great mass of the people. He was happy to state that the general re sults of the tabular statement of the statistics of crime which were transmitted from time to time from the constabulary force of Ireland showed a great diminution in the extent of the whole crime of Ireland as compared with corresponding periods in the last year. In October, 184 G, the amount of crime was 1,483 (as we understood), but in Januiry, 1847, this remark able fact presented itself—the amount of *rime was 2,885, whilst in October, 1847, it had been re duced to 1,035. He wished at the outset to state that the proposition which he now rose to submit was not an indictment Bill against the people of Ireleni, as the Government had been taunted with. He did not come there, as the Hon. Member for Cork had taunted him, to propose a measure as if "the whole country was looked upon as a country of assassins." Those who knew the details of Ireland would at once admit that such an imputation was quite unfounded, because he was prepared to show that there were districts in which there was, so to speak, a concentration of crime, and that the crime which had broken out within the last few years was of a peculiar character, and quite appalling. The reports which he had received showed that secret associations and secret conspiracies against large and small holders abounded in certain districts. That men were impugned for merely acting on their ordinary rights, and murdered whilst exercising those rights with wonderful forbearance. Was it a wonder, then, that the crimes which had been perpe trated had spread terror through certain districts, and though these crimes were not numerically great, com pared with former periods of Ireland's history, yet their confinement within narrow limits, and their dastardly nature, had spread dismay amongst all the peaceable inhabitants of these districts. He thought, therefore, he had a right to call upon Irish Members to support the Government in the determination to which they had come. The character of themselves and of their constituents were implicated ; other nations looked on in wonder, and he therefore called upon them to assist him in arresting the hand of the assassin, and of giving that protection to life which the peaceable and well-disposed subjects of her Majesty had a right to claim at the hands of the Government.—(Hear, hear.) The crime of which he spoke had not, he was glad to say, extended to those districts which were still suffering from famine. This fact was stated by the Secretary for Ire land on the first night of the session. The perpetratcrs of the outrages to which he was adverting could not set up the excuse that they were driven to desperation and madness by the pressure of poverty and want— (Hear, hear)—because these assassinations were committed in districts in which there was both money and food, as when pressed by the strong arm of the law money for holdings had been forthcoming, and no pretence set up that the funds had been raised with difficulty. Attempting to enforce those rights had led to much of the crime which had taken place. He might be taunted by some Hon. Members with attempting to enforce the oft-tried expedient of coercion, whilst the evils under which Ireland laboured were left untouched.— (" Hear, hear," from Mr. F. O'Connor.) It would be for the Hon. Member to show that it would be unjust to deal out a measure of coercion to Ireland ; but if he could not show that such a measure would be unjust, he should claim his vote in support of the proposition he now rose to submit. No doubt the Hon. Member wished as much as any man to prevent bloodshed by the assassin lurking behind a wall; whilst the unhappy object of his aim was uncon scious that be had given offence he in a moment was laid low on the highway by the hand of the ruth less assassin. He did not pretend to propose this measure as a cure for the evils which had existed from year to year in Ireland.—(Hear, hear.) It would be short-sighted policy on the part of the Government if it were to think that the re pression of crime was the only measure they should devise. On the part of the Government, he disclaimed that this short, this limited Bill, would be any panacea to the evils of Ireland; they believed that they should discharge their duty to the inhabitants of that country by passing such a mea sure.—(llear.) It was the duty of a wise Govern ment and Legislature to look to the causes of the evils, but they could not wait, they could not dis regard the symptoms which had manifested them selves. Crime and outrage must be repressed, and the encumbered estates, the grand jury, and other pro positions, must come under future consideration. They must meet the present emergency. It was not in the power of Parliament to do all for Ireland that had been said, but he trusted it would be able to place the relations of the landlord and tenant upon a better footing ; but he disclaimed the Utopian idea of those who thought that the land should be held in perpetuity by those on whom no more than a tenant's right descended. Neither could he agree with the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. F. O'Connor) that they " should take the idlers off the land." He did not think the House would confer a land lord's right upon the tenants: —(Hear, hear.) But, while the Government called upon gentlemen to discharge their duties upon boards of guardians, to carry out the laws passed for the relief of the desti tute poor, it called upon all men to co-operate with the Government in their endeavours to discharge the duties of their position. Those persons had a right to call upon the Government, if they were willing to discharge their duties, for ample protection against the hand of the assassin, and for security of life, so as to enable them to remain resident upon their property, for the purpose of co-operating with the Government in carrying out those laws which might be passed by the Legislature for the common good of all.—(Hear, hear.) With respect to crime, there were four classes which, he regretted to say, had within the last six months considerably increased. Those four crimes were homicide, attempts upon life by firing at the person, robberies of arms, and firing into dwelling-houses. A great increase had taken place in the amount of those crimes. He found that, in the six months ending Oct., 1845, the returns were as follow : Homicides Attempts upon life by firing at the person 55 Robberies of arms Firing into dwelling• houses For the . six months en — ding October, 1847, the num bers increased to— Homicides ... Attempts upon life by firing at the person Robberies of arms Firing into dwelling-houses It would thus be seen that there was a fearful increase in the amount of these four classes of crime. The whole of Ireland was implicated in the shame and disgrace consequent upon this large increase of crime. Looking at the police returns for the month of October (for from that period it was that those crimes commenced to increase at such a fearful rate), he found the following results for the whole of Ireland : Homicides Firing at the person Firing into dwelling-houses Robberies of arms .. Making a total of Looking at the districts in which these crimes were committed he found that the total number of all those crimes committed in three of the counties of Ireland, I. e., Clare, Limerick, and Tipperary, was to the whole of Ireland as 139 to 175, or that 71 per cent. of the whole amount of crime was committed in those three counties, which did not include more than 13 per cent. of all Ireland. Looking to these three counties, he found the number of crimes committed in them to be as follows : Clare. Limerick. Tipperary. Homicides ... ... 3 5 2 Firing at the person ... 9 5 6 k iring intodwelling houses 1 9 10 Robberies of arms ... 20 50 19 From which it would be seen, that in those three counties the homcides had amounted to 10 out of 19 cases of the whole of Ireland ; firing at the person 20 out of 32 ; firing into-dwelling-houtestO out of 26 ; robberies of arms 89 out of 118. It ap peared that 42 per cent of the crime was committed in the county of Limerick, with a proportion of only 4 per cent. with respect to the whole of Ireland. , EVENING, NOVEMBER BO, )847. It was to those three counties which he had named only that his observation would apply. He regretted to say that the peaceable inhabitants of the neigh bouring county of Fermanagh had been threatened with similar outrages to those which had taken pl ice in those counties to which he had referred. It was about the middle of the month of September last that these crimes assumed their present type. They were, for the most part, directed not against the landlords as a class, but they were directed in almost all the cases against the class of landowners, some of whom were possessed of only small portions of property, and the crimes generally arose out of motives of revenge, in consequence of circum stances in connexion with the possession of land. The first case to which he would allude was one that occurred on the 16th of September last : that was, the else of a small farmer, where the party was shot dead while attaching a rope to a hay stack, and the only reason for it was, that there having been a dis tress on the estate of which he was tenant, the landlord had returned some of his property to the man. There was a man employed on the same field who was not supposed to be a party to the murder ; the murderer was well known, but he would not mention names, and he had not yet been tried for that and several other murders he had, it was supposed, committed, but such was the height to which intimidation was carried, that the man in the field denied all know ledge of the murder, and declared that he had never beard the firing of a shot. This was no case of sym pathy with the assassin, but it showed the difficulty that existed in obtaining evidence of these murders in consequence of the great extent to which intimidation was carried.—(Hear, hear.) The next case to which he would allude was that of Michael Kelly, which occurred on the 17th of September. A loaded pistol was discharged at him, which wounded him in the back, and the inference was that the same party committed the crime who had murdered the individual in the last case to which he had alluded. In that instance Kelly had taken the farm of which the party charged with the offence had been dispossessed. On the 23d of Sep tember John Kelly, a brother of Michael Kelly, was, in the presence of his family, shot through the heart, and seven bullets were left in his body. This was one of the most awful of the cases to which he had to allude, and was a disgrace to the country in which it took place. Why was it, he would ask, that such crime 3 as these took place with such impunity ? Because it was well Itnown that such was the extent to which intitnida ti(in was carried that no one would interfere except the police.—(Hear.) That would account for the fearful crimes that took place in those parts of Ireland to which he adverted. He thanked God that such a state of things did not exist in this country ; in England and \Vales, when crimes were committed, the people did not wait for the interference of the police, but went in search of the offender themselves.—(" Hear, hear," from Dr. Bowring.) His Hon. Friend the Member for Bolton cheered him in that statement. Why, it was only the other day that the Honourable Member and his brother were robbed by two of their own workmen in Wales of a large sum of money, in the true Irish fashion, or rather, he should say, in the fashion in which these things were conducted in Limerick, Clare, and Tipperary. They gave up the money ; they were threatened to be shot immediately if they did not ; there was no resisting such an appeal. One of the men, on getting the money, pulled out his pistol, and shot the horse that was in the gig dead, in order to prevent pursuit. The Hon. Member for Bolt( n however, went to a house near at hand, got another horse, rode to the works, and immediately gave information of what had taken place, and what was the result ? Not such as would have taken place in Tipperary, Clare, and Limerick, but the whole inhabit a nts of the district, and all the workmen at the works, went out in search of the robbers and soon secured them. He wished he could see the same spirit existing in Ireland, and one object of the measure he was about to propose was to promote the growth of such a spirit, and to teach all the inhabitants of that country that it was their duty to assist those who were bringing guilty persons to justice, and to render the refusal to do so criminal on the part of the persons refusing.—(Hear.) He would next draw the attention of the House to another case : he held in his hand the report of the subeinspectot of police respecting the murder of Mr. Roe. That murder was committed on the 4d October —committed in the broad daylight, at eleven o'clock in the forenoon. 'This murder was not committed in a desolate place. There were houses within gun shot of the place of the assassination. Mr. Roe was on the high road, walking from his own residence to the residence of his agent, when he was shot dead, and the assassin was not discovered in consequence of the shelter afforded by the persons residing in the neigh bourhood. The murderer had been protected by the population of the district, who ought, for their own sakes, to have delivered him up to justice. The person who was supposed to have murdered Mr. Roe had held about six acres of land under him, for which he hal paid no rent for upwards of six years. He had been asked to bring only one year's rent, which he had refused to do, and he had set the landlord at defiance, who had served him with an ejectment, and had been in consequence shot dead by this man, who was five or six years' re n t i n arrears.—(dear, hear.) In the county of Limerick, on the 4th October, James M'Emreny was murdered. In Tipperary, on the 10th October, a man, Hanley, a steward of Mrs. Ot way Cave, was shot. In Limerick, on the 11th Oc tober, Peter Nash was fired at as he was passing along the high road, and killed. He next came to the murder ofMr. Lucas, which had been perpetrated in the King's county, on the 18th October ; he had .been fired at as he was walking on the high road accom panied by a policeman as a guard, and had been mor tally wounded by slugs. The shot had been fired from a plantation, and although the policeman had proceeded to the station-house close at hand, and the police had turned out within half a minute of time when the shot had been fired, yet the murderer has escaped. This gentleman had ejected fourteen tenants. In Clare a person named Reid had been fired at, and had been wounded in the head. On the 2-Ith of October, in Tipperary, Patrick Ryan had been shot dead. On the 30th Oct., in Clare, Miehael Walsh had been shot dead. In the same county a man, named O'Callaghan, had been fired at and killed in the high road, and money, to the amount of 171., had been taken from his person by the murderer, who had never been discovered. He now came to the case of Major Mahon, who had been murdered in the county of Roscommon. This was the only case, with one exception, which had happened in the county of Roscommon, but he regretted to say that, owing to the perpetration of this crime, and to the state of the adjoining counties, such was the terror existing in the county, that no person possessing property felt that his life was safe. (The Right Honourable Gentleman then proceeded at some length to detail the cir cumstances attending the murder of Major Mahon.) There were no circumstances which could in the slightest degree extenuate the crime of murdering Major Mahon, and he would not therefore allude to certain documents which he had received from the friends of the deceased gentleman farther than to state that no later than last spring he spent no less a sum than 6,0001. in enabling many; of bis-unfortunate tenants to emigrate to America. The vessel which he fitted up for that purpose was unfortunately lost during the heavy storms of October, and to this circumstance it would seem was to be attributed the foul and bar barous murder of Major Mahon.—(Hear, hear.) He would not insult the understanding of the House by reading to them documents, to prove that the parties who had the charge of fitting up this vessel were in no way negligent in the perform ance of their duty, and he should therefore reserve these papers till it became necessary to resort to them for the purpose of replying to any statements that might be made in the course of discussion, with the view of tracing the cause of the murder. The next case he came to was that of Mr. Keely, of the county of Limerick, whose house was at tacked on the 4th of November last, and serious injuries inflicted on several of his friends ; but it did nut appear that the culprits were desirous of commit ting murder, but only of possessing themselves of the arms they might find upon the premises. The next was the case of a person named Darcey, whose house was entered, and who, with a person named Mead, made a gallant defence against their assailants. They were obliged to surrender, but not, however, before one of them had been thrown on the floor, his body covered with a coat, and his body dreadfully beaten. Two guns had been levelled at them, but they both missed fire, and the inference was, that they had been rendered unwork able on purpose. One had his skull frac tured, his thighs beaten, and he was dangerously ill. The object of the party was the robbery of arms. This extract showed the state of that society in which armed men went about for such a purpose. The next was the case of a person named George Garby, wbo had been fired at on a former occasion, because he had assisted in obtaining the arrest of some person. He was a magistrate, and was returning from the Mullingar Sessions about 3 p.M. on the day in question, with a constable named Dobin, and a police-constable. The con stable, who was in advance on the public road, observed two men in a ditch. He challenged them and was fired at, the shots lodging in his breast, shoulders, and thighs. His jacket was per orated with shot, and he was lying dangerously i. Then a person named Smith was shot at in Limerick by three men, who supposed he had done them some injury. They were arrested on the 6th, and he died on the 21st. On the 7th of April a man named Daniel Harvey was shot at; he died on the 9th—none of the party are known. ' This showed that armed men went about the country firing shots into houses utterly reckless of the conse quences, and simply for the purpose of infusing alarm, and intimidating those who might be disposed to defend their legal rights.— (Hear.) The Right Hon. Baronet enumerated other cases— that of a schoolmaster, who was shot at from a grudge it appeared some one entertained against him whilst he was an overseer, and that of a person named Ryan, whose wife was shot in defending her husband. The neighbours did not sympathise with her. She was kind to the tenants, who, though they owed five years' rent, had only been proceeded against for one. In the hitherto peaceable county of Fermanagh crimes had also, he regretted to say, taken place. In none of the cases, however, had it been possible to discover the perpetrators of the diabolical deeds. In the case of Mr. Hassard meetings of the inhabitants and of the magistracy had been held, denouncing the conduct of the assassins, and regretting that the law was not of such a nature as to lead to the dis covery of the perpetrators of such crimes or to the protection of life and property. The Right Hon. Baronet proceeded to read the resolutions passed at the meetings in question, and stated that from the communications which the Govern ment had had with the magistrates of the county, the latter had pledged them selves to co-operate with the Government in car rying some measure adequate to the repression of crime. The course of conduct pursued by the Lord Lieutenant had been such as to give general satisfac tion to the parties interested in preserving the peace ; and resolutions approving of his conduct had been passed at several meetings held in different parts of Ireland on the subject of the disturbed state of the country. (A number of letters and reports from the constabulary were read by the Right Honourable Gentleman, all tending to show the fearful state of the country, and the inadequacy of the 131.1 set law for the .suppression of these outrages ) The next case, which was on the 17th of November last, was the murder of Mr. Ralph Row, in the county of Limerick, the daring atrocity of which crime was not suspassed by any other crime that occurred in the county. It appeared that the unfortu nate gentleman was murdered, to enable some of the tenants on his estate to evade paying their rents, but he was glad to say that the administrator of Mr. Row had had recourse to the strong arm of the law, and forced- these lawless tenants to pay their just! debts, and taught them as well as their neighbours that the law could not be vio lated with impunity. The Right Hon. Baronet then proceeded to say—The next case is one which was re ferred to the other night by the Hon. Member for North amptonshire (Mr. Stafford). It is thus described in the police returns :—" Nenagh, November 14, 1847.—1 t is my painful duty to report another dreadful crime to add to the fearful catalogue so recently recorded in this dis trict. Last evening, about half-past five o'clock, Mr. Richard Bayly (one of the most valuable and influential, and I believe the most esteemed and popular resident gentleman of the north riding of this county,) left Nenagh, accompanied by his brother-in-law, Mr. Michael Head. On their return to Mr. Bayly's residence, about three miles from Nenagh, they had proceeded about two miles, when they were fired at behind a wall which fenced the left of the road. The shot took effect, entering under Mr. Bayly's left ear, at the angle of the left jaw, which it shattered in pieces, and all the teeth on that side were knocked out. I proceeded to Ballinaclough, taking two surgeons, immediately on hearing of the oc currence, and remained until I could ascertain the opi nion of the surgeons, which, I grieve to say, is very un favourable as to any hope of Mr. Bayly's life. An express was at once sent off to Dublin for the Surgeon- General. Mr. Head was also slightly wounded in the head. I need make no comment on this outrage ; it is but another illustration of the fact, which every infor mation we can obtain confirms, that there exists a secret and diabolical conspiracy against life and pro perty. To demand the payment of rent, to take legal proceedings for the payment of arrears, is to incur a sentence of death, passed in deliberate convention. I could name several gentlemen who, I am informed, are already doomed victims of this fearful combination. No means within the ordinary course of the law are efficient against such a system of assassination." Extract from Constabulary Report, Nov. 16:—" From the police re port of the firing at Mr. Bayly, it appears that he had recently ejected a tenant of his brothe?s, who would neither till his land nor pay rent; that most liberal terms were offered to this man, but that he would not accept anything but a restoration of part of his farm, which was refused." The next case to which I must refer also occurred in Tipperary, to a man in the lower ranks of life, named Quin:—" Nenagh-barracks, Nov. 19, 1847. —This neighbourhood continues in the same disturbed and unsettled state; scarcely a day or night passes with out some outrage or other act of violence prevailing. On the evening of the 16th inst., at seven o'clock, not more than two miles from this town, two men, unknown, with blackened faces, entered the house of Thomas Quin, whilst himself and family were at supper; one of them fired a shot at Quin, which fortunately missed him, but struck a candle close to him; the villains then went away. The cause assigned is Quin having paid rent to his landlord." The next case is a very shocking one; it occurred in King's county:—" A party of four teen or fifteen men attacked the house of Patrick Larkin on the night of the 17th, at Newton, with the view of shooting his daughter, the widow M'Neal, who occupied a farm which her husband's brother en deavoured to turn her out of in vain. Larkin and son having resisted, the assailants fired and wounded them both. Larkin fell covered with blood, when the mis creants fled, thinking they had killed him." Let us hope, for the sake of human nature, that the suspicions entertained in this case may prove to be incorrect.— (Hear, hear.) On the 17th of Navember the following offence was committed near the city of Limerick. These aro the facts of this case :—" Limerick, Nov. 19, 1847. I have to state that about eight o'clock yesterday morn ing, as Ralph Hill, under-agent to Mr. David Fitzgerald, wus proceeding to the lands of Raton, and within one mile and a half of this city, accompanied by four assistants, and several carmen, he was fired at and shot dead ; two of his assistants wounded, one of them dangerously. The party were about to remove sonic corn and hay sold on the previous day for rent and arrears due by a man named Quaine ; the assassins fired from the haggard of Quaint., close to his dwelling-house. The daring atrocity of this murder is not surpassed by anything that has occurred, even in this county. The place was actually within view of the new infantry and cavalry barracks. I have placed a large police force in the house of Quaint:, and propose to leave them there until the corn, &c., are removed, and this it is intended to do to-morrow. The state of this county and the part of Clare adjoining the city of Limerick is most frightful and alarming. —T. W. Barron, R.M." I must remark with respect to this ease, that information has been received by the Government, which shows that, either from sympathy or terror, such a disinclination to aid in the carrying out of the law exists, that when some hay was seized under distraint, not one cart or horse could be obtained to carry it off, and the consequence was, that the Lord-Lieutenant ordered the ordnance carts to be put in requisition, an operation which was attended with complete success, so that all that was seized was carried off the fields. This had the effect which it ought to be the object of all. Administrations to secure, namely, to convince the misguided people that the objects they had in view could not be attained by their atrocious acts, and that in the long run, instead of impeding the en forcement of the rights of property, it would only bring down upon them the strong arm of the law, a law which would be enforced to the utmost.—(Hear, hear.) What has been the result of that course ? I have before me the report of the constable employed on the occa, sion, from which it appears that a landlord, in applying to the Government to assist him, knew that the parties who owed him rent, and refused to pay it, were able to pay it. The L or d-Li eu t enan t accordingly gave him the assistance of the ordnanee carts, the military, and the constabulary, and when they succeeded in carrying the law into effect, and that the other tenants saw all further resistance was hopeless, when they saw the overpowering force that was present, not acting, but ready to act it necessary, not one sheaf of corn was sold, not one beast was sold, but all the tenants came and paid to the utmost farthing, and the tenants on other properties in the neighbourhood also came forward and paid their rents, thus showing they withheld them, not from poverty but from a desire to resist by unlawful means the payment of their just debts. From the lath November, the day on which Parliament assembled, up to this day, the ac counts which we have received, that the avowed inten tion of the Government to adopt further means for the a suppression deg r degree o f f crime confidencei n Ireland, t o t h h e a s well-disposed had its e effect in w giv ingwhich they had not before, and of striking terror into the breasts of ill-disposed ; and I sincerely hope that Par liament will not disappoint the hopes of those well disposed persons in Ireland who expect to be protected in the maintenance of their just rights.—(Hear, hear.) I hare nothing to complain of with respect to those Honourable Members who expressed themselves, the otber night, in favour of a measure for suppressing crime in Ireland, without pledging themselves to any particular measure, for I am sure that the unanimity which has been exhibited on the subject in this House will have the most important effect in restoring confidence in the administration of the law, and I hope that on this occasion Parliament will not be wanting in its duty, by refusing its assent to a measure calculated to put an end to crimes fearful in their character, appalling in their type, and altogether disgraceful to the country.—(Hear, hear.) I regret to say that the Government this morning received an ac count from the county of Roscommon, stating that a poor-rate collector was fired at. This is the statement sent to me:—" As Mr. Kelly, a poor-rate collector, was returning from ; rom dinner at Woodpark, he was fired at the slugs passed through his hat ; this occurred about ten o'clock of the 23d instant. No mo tive assigned, save his having enforced payment of the poor-rates." It was frequently remarked in the debates on the poor-law during the last session of Parliament, that all felt it was the administration of that law in Ireland which was to be looked to alone for its suocess c . , At that tim e we ca ll e d upon the Irish Gentlemen who were members of the boards of gua rdians to assista to their uttermo s t in the administration of the p o lia or d lw been we called upon the poor-rate collectors who withcgluiaarrgdeiadns, and g collect ct of the duty rates tot t c t o i; with et the t and I ask them is it to be tolerated that when one of those nceeec (Hear, subjected to an attack upon his life Hear hear)—that he is to be rucollectors, his in obedience duty , he to i s our to c h a e l 1 , —, fired at because he a b he attemptsenerolentto objectcar ry ?oul (Hear, ataw made with such h.) I fur ad thnk opitingl h ave s a measu h r o e w w n uitshallivelenewtly the n to suppreses: ing these crimes to which I hare alluded. I have shown examples of this necessity by instance, chiefly from Li• merick and Tipperary, partly from Clare and the King's County, and in two instances, Fermanagh and Roscom mon. I have shown the prevalence of crimes of a fear ful and appalling character, and I have shown that grave offences have, in numerous cases, arisen from the reckless use of fire-arms on the part of those sent for ward by the secret tribunals ; but there is too much reason to believe that other weapons are used by these combinations besides fire-arms. I speak not of the axe or the stone of the assassin, but such weapons are not deemed necessary to be used in all cases. I hold in my hand a letter which I recently received from London derry, but which has a direct relation to the murder of' Major Mahon, and to the counties of Roscommon and Mayo. The letter, which bears the Strokestowu post mark (Major Mahon's property), was addressed to Mrs. M'Causeland, the wife of the cousin of Major Mahon, and it contained another letter addressed to Mr. M'Cause land. This is the report which has been sent to me, with respect to those letters : (Copy) " County of Londonderry, Nov. 16. " I have to report that a threatening letter of a very violent nature, with the Stroke stown post-mark was received by Marcus M'Causeland, Esq., justice of the peace and deputy-lieutenant of Fruit-hill, near this town, by post on the 14:h instant. Mr. M'Causeland, who holds considerable property in Roscommon, was first cousin to Major Mahon, who was so recently mur dered near Strokestown. What marks this case with a deeper atrocity is the fact that the letter to Mr. M'Cause land was enclosed in one addressed to Mrs. M'Causeland, and was, consequently, opened by her, causing her deep distress and alarm. Copies of both letters are herewith Madam,—As e a[wed lines,np y , Afas apprizing letter teke u t y o 00 3 uf r o s f . transmitted : gratitude, y M o u • C r s a u p s e pl l r a ow n ar d ei . thl ] " i nt gu fate. teeu. these I am to inform you that, unless Mr. M'Causeland be comes a better landlord in this country, he will share the same fate as the demon Major Mahon did. There are resolutions made in this country to take down all the tyrannizing landlords. He (Mr. M'Causeland) is numbered amongst them unless he changes, and give a full remittance of al l the arrears that is due to him, and begin in the new with his tenants. As to think that be is far from the rath of the country it is useless ; the Cone naught men are determined, and perhaps meet him iss his own demesne. There is two men appointed for the expo" dition, they are to begin their journey on the 11th inst. I hope that you will not suffer yourself to be a widow, the same as Mrs. Mahon. As to Ross Mahon, the cries of the starred and desolated have reached the heavens, and, after shooting him, he is to be hanged and quar tered, unless he quits Ireland. There is a fund at pre. sent in this country, the subscribers chiefly in America, for shooting oppressors. I take the liberty of informing you of the fate of the oppressors.' Addressed on the outside—' To Mrs. M'Causland, Fruit-hill, Newtown Limavady ; post-office, county Londonderry. Poet' mark, Strokestown, Nov. 12, 1847 ; Longford.' "'Nov. 12, 1847 ; Dublin, Nov. 13, 1847 ; N• Limavady, Nov. 14, 1847.—(Copy of a letter to Mr. M'Causeland, Roscommon.)—Honoured Sir—As a token of gratitude for a former kindness bestowed on me and, my family, I write you th ese f ew li nes a pp r i s i n g you o f man er y v o il u l r s than approaching emue efate.re fate at Ua present n l 3 e , s o a ti r tyou kinsman ny s h e m e t, become o n m t t e l se e n e yeti t demon Major Mahon did. I a m t o i n f orm y ou thatth re are resolutions made in this country to take down all tyrannizing landlords. You are numbered amongst them, which I do sorely regret, unless you give a full remittance of the arrears and begin in new from the Ist of August last. As to think yoU are far away, their vengeance will overtake you ; the Connaught men are real determined. If you do not comply to this, fly to England on receipt of this until the times mends, as you may depend on it I would not give three farthings for y our lif e b e fore the Ist ot- November. If it was known I wrote you this, I would share the same fate as is intended for you, so hold it to yourself. As to Ross Mahon, any part of Europe he goes to he will fall if known where he is. There is • fund at present formed in this country for shooting Or pressors, the subscribers chiefly American emigran ts from this country. There i s t wo men appointel_ t . o . r going to the northern counties to you and a Mr. dulls, 'county of Cavan. They are t o b e gin their joil!lle on the 11th instant. Unless y ou c h ang e your way from oppression take heed to the contents of this. if you make any effort to goodness you will often bear from M.; —I remain, for your welfare,' Sec." Letters i n some cases have been addressed to the wives of lindown ers ; in order that should the gentlemen themselves have nerve to withstand, alarm and anxiety /night created iu the mind of those most nearly connected wlffi them—that alarm and anxiety which could not fail to he excited when such letters were addressed to the wives of those who are so marked out, and who might pin e la _ hourly apprehension for the safety of those who were dear to them lest such threats should be carried into execution. Is it to be wondered at if, in consequence f_ such a state of things, so many are flocking to Du bl . : or this country, neglecting thelcare of their properties I will not say neglecting—but flying from their duties. I should now wish, before entering upon the other pal of the subject—and still with reference to the state 0 1 A p f e r. t y ß ts a e y s l s y i as the country—to read to the H ouse t h e memor i a l of the themurder magistrates of assemheb let©e d in t count of the present conditi on o f t h e district w ith which they have to d o . (Th e Ri g h t Honoura ble session Nvienng their tie . , after agh Baronet then read the memori a l, w hi c h d eta il e d at length the fearful stat e o f soc i ety. ) A' it might be said that they were actuated by feeling; of alarm, and that their account is highly coloured, le' me call the attention of the House to an extract from • remarkable document which I have received from the Lord-Lieutenant, comprised in a letter addressed w his Excellency by Mr. Sergeant Howley, after returnin.g from presiding at the quarter-sessions held at Neoag n : The learned gentleman said, " I have now stated some es the cases which you wilt have to investigee at the Pr ( !:,. sent fessions, and numerous as they are, and maul them very serious, it would still be satis factory' if they _ presented the full picture of the present condition o f county. It is truly alarming, and none bu t the Wi er. turbers are without apprehension and fear. A ll law . the arms of the assassin govern , control, an d p unish al mostt p pears to be pushed aside, and threate nin g Rakes and every exercise of right, of property, or of du from the written threats they have he receiv ed , shadow of death. their daily avocations they walk in t Those whom the blow has not yet reached knowan th d e f t et No courage, no precaution, no life, comprehensive, no benevolence, however large and whet! the saves the victim from his doom ; a nd e it would OP sr bloody deed is accompl ished , for no as if it was the work of an invisible ha nd, seen. however blameless — trace is found, no information gleaned, no eye _hat the perpetrator of the crimHear, hear.) Ser geant Howley to the grand jurors of the county of have just read is an extract from the address of 3,15.fr5:.. ne 0 by perso " The acquisition and possession of arms e arner/4 perary. The letter to which I have referred also say the worst character was the subject of general rs and !general reprobation. A general fear apiatrailel pervade all ; no person, if he could avoid it, wou ld 9' after nightfall. Some of the gentlemen summ oned __ grand jurors made private statements, w hich. would grounds for believing to be correct, that their liv es 5 ; 1 ; be in danger if they attempted to return had received threate exemption on this ground—they of the letter he says :--- ing notices." In another part the business of the day concluded, and ear . nestly me soug n h! prevails ; the humble, the weak, that servile tyranny no w a Prevalike to its relentless rule. the defenceless, are subjected " But it is not alone ov er the better r wealthier classes Many examples of this come before me. I was sorry to observe t h a t the repeated acts of assai ls tna ion and murder which are now occurring Tipp era ry tend in some measure to lour* the impunity by dtaednint t h e perpetrators, not only by °Pe' rating of the well-disposed, but in mo ms degree on r the moral sense. There was • ti • ehoeffea when the felonious taking of human life was a sadden• ing and painful surprise to those who heard it, shockin g the feelings, rousing up the general indignation, ri exciting an unsual activity to apprehend the cri min o , r the hare latterly observed the account of the mur der best men beard without much emotion, and refer r e d yeell as topics of conversation, without any strong too „IN_ of the feelings. The sensibilities of the hearet_wu......u... under other circumstances, lessen the chances f . 0n.P.,, a ni 'ty to the offender, and are, in a well regulated. reventton of of things, no mean assistance towards the p int° greater offences, are in danger of being deaden e d _me be' inactivity, unless the progress of unpunished cr i me speedily checked."—(Hear. hear.) Other p assages t he this letter, in connexion with the reports given . et ,; e d murder of the man Hill, in Limerick, s how the tiello b and unrestricted possession of fire-arms by all classeL_ the people. It is stated that, in former times, wlll l .7 0 a were heard the attention of the police were attra ct there was some chance, if a crime had been conotlt'tl; of the arrest of the perpetrators; but now, owing fi e red 11/ indiscriminate possession of fire-arms, shots are 0 the all times of the day and night, and in all ple ees s.! • most reckless way. And the natural effect of th is ..s tinued fusilade, within sight and hearing of ie-- valry and infantry barracks, and the police statio e the that the report of firearms is now no intimation military or police that a crime has been comreltt_ eu i t (hear, hear.) If they were to proceed in the chr et; woula of every report of fire-arms they heard, they In one literally have nothing else to do.--,(Hear, hea . r.) of the documents relating m to the murder of s , _ li ri pe constable states that in the immediate in ity of the L _ Lto where the crime was committed , a nd within two oe after its occurrence, be heard and counted as man! . . o f giro forty shots—(Hear, hear)—fired, perhaps sa w .._, bravado, expressive of triumph at the deed n, the distracting been done, or perhaps for the purpose of ala attention of the police.—(Hear, hear.) Referring to the letter of Mr. Sergeant Howley, I find t his r wite sage with reference to the subject:—" When be lately in Tipperary, passing along t he high r " the der' tween Clonmel and Caher, at one o'clock ill pa nied by that day Sunday—l observed a person , acc"n the roa d two others, present a large horse p istol acros s and fire. He then passed across to see the .nie:logc his shot, and was reloading for another ...ignst as I drove up opposite to where he stood• _ ..: now ed say he obligingly me allowed to pass before De f ; hea rd his practice. Every half hour shots rnsi towns , in the fields, on the roads, in the streets o r . theFor nig in the suburbs, and this by day and by st o we merly, when the report of a gun was hear d, " e wa rn.. m attracted the attention of the police, and was eo , violen ce ing, if at an unseasonable hour, that some act ? o f fire the noise as or outrage was being committed. But least operates arms no longer gives any notice, or at , _ clov er?, such. The police woteld be constantly runninrg and forward if they attended to every repo rt The Right lion. Gentleman continued —I thi , i c t ience to have now laid before the House su fficient evi _dies Lure f the r show, that whatever :may be the na tu re o th ust ao Al .we shall propose, or' whatever may be I i C t 0 a,