The Express.
London, England, 1852-12-13 00:00:00

IRELAND

GOVERNMENT DEFEAT AT LISIURN.

Dumas, Dec. 11.
The government has sustained a must unlooked•for
defeat in Lisburn, where Mr. Johnson Smyth was
returned last eveninp by a majority of 14 over the
Lord Advocate, Mr. twits. Although neither party
i can be said to belong to what have hitherto been
, considered the liberal ranks in this country, the prin.
I ciplea under which the successful candidate has
tnumphed were these of free trade, freedom of elec-
tion, and local Mu:tests; and in the defeat of the
lininisterial candidate a death blow has been given to
the Hertford House interest, which has from time
immemorial, up to the present election, made Lisburn
a pocket borough. 'the result of this election is
therefore a most decided and gratifying popular
triumph. The numbers polled at the close of the
poll, at 6 o'clock last evening, as far as they could be
then ascertained, were—Smyth, 101; Inglis, 87 ;
in .jority for Smyth, 14.
Since the above was written I have received the
Northern Whig of this morning, which states that a
few votes had been knocked off Mr. Smyth's list; and
that the numbers finally stood thus :—Smyth, 18.);
Inglis, 87—majority for Smyth, 12. The If7riy says:
for the first time during a period of Inure than silty
years (when we taut of such a period the historical memories
of our readers are carried hack to the daysof that anmiated,
and brilliant, and amit-ing assemblage. the Irish parliament)
there has boon a disputed election in Lisburn. During all
that long period, the nomination of the Hertford family has
been sufficient to give a member to Lisburn. Now, fur the
first time that that nomination has not been received as a
law, but has bete fairly provoked to show its power, it is
found wanting, and the Hertford nominee is rejected. The
lectors et Mr. Smyth ureic,s to ground their preference of
their man on no other merit which he could boost of over
his opponent, then on the special and most desirable merit
of being entirely destitute of the influence of the family
whose will has hitherto given members of parliament to
Lisburn. In returning Mr. Smyth they I eve smarted the
indepead. two of the borough. They had to make their choice
between two conservative candidates, and they do not pro-
fess to have chosen thu one who is the more liberal of the
two in general politics, or the man of greater abilities or
higher character.
Apropos of Irish elections, the subjoined letter
from Mr. Alexander Stewart, of Ards, in the county
of Down, affords one of the most remarkable instances
that have yet been exhibited of a public avowal of
oppression on the part of the landlord as a penalty
for the free exercise of the franchise on the part of
the tenant. The Northern Whig, in publishing the
letter, thus explains the circumstances under Which
it was written:

It appears that the tenants of Mr. Alexi...der R. Stewart,
of Ards, had, last year, oa paying their rents, /*mitred
a deduction of fifteen per cent. on the amount. Ou Satur-
day last, on some of the tenants on the Bann coming to pay
their rents with the deduction of fifteen per cent., as
allowed last year, they were trld by Captain Bowen, Mr.
Stewart's .gent in that quarter, that in conaequence of
having plumped for Mr. Crawford, at the lest election, they
were to be deprived of this deduction, and that he could
not receive anything leas from them than the full rent with-
out any abatement. The agent, at the name time, showed
as his instructions the following letter which he bad received
from Mr. Stewart

"Ards, Monday Evening.—Dear Sir,—l received your
letter this day. In no case will I limn ge my decision ;
that those who voted—' plumped '—for Crawford ore to be
deprived of the abatement ; and certainly, if they do not
pay, I shall bring ejectment, against every man of them.
Tell them that by coming to me, in the first place they pro-
bably will not find me at home, and if they do, they will
have the same answer u I now give, and they will lie at
large expenses for nothing. As to wilds and others, Ido
not mind them in the least. Mr. Hobert Law must pay
the 15 per rent. bark again, or proceedings will certainly
be taken. Show thin letter if you like.—Yours truly,
" ALELANDIIII H. STIWART.
"G. E. Bowen, Esq., Lawrenettown."
In commenting on this extraordinary letter, the
Northern Whig says:
This bold, distinct, and shameless avowal by Mr. Stewart,
of a resolution to oppress all who refuse to submit to his die-
toilets, is everything that could be wished in removing all
doubt as to tl a re 'I cause why 15 per cent. more rent is
charged on the tenants who voted for Mr. Crawford than on
those who voted for Mr. Stewart's candidates, Messrs. Hill
and Ker. There is no ambiguity in this insolent missive.
The writer appears to have been desirous of directly court.
ing public obloquy. Lord Londonderry is the landlord who
might have been expected to be mod irritated against the
supporters of Mr. Crawford—but his lordship, in his deal-
ings with his tenants, basset an example which Mr. Stewart,
atiome future day, when, es is to be hoped rather than'
expected, he may have acquired more consideration fur the
just rights of his fellow men, and a better knowledge of his
duties to society—will regret that he has not imitated. His
lordship, in making deductions from the rents of his tenants,
made no distinction whatever between the supporters of the
liberal and the conservative candidates.
The dissatisfaction of the Irish forks with Mr.
Napier's landlord and tenant measures has at length
found vent in the columns of the Evening Nail, the
leading organ of tho party, which, in its number of
last night, calls the Insh Attorney-General to account
for his compromise with the tenant league party in
allowing their bill to accompany his own before a
select committee. The -Vail says :

Proverbial wisdom pronounces that certain articles may
be too cwt et to be wholesome ;" and we confess the maxim
intruded itself into our thoughts when we read Mr. Na-
pier's very elaborate and bland speech on the introduction
of his four land bills. Recognising soma points of good in
the plans stated, we owned our inability to penetrate the
haze of words in which the meaning of the fourth measure
especially seemed to be shrouded. Much light was not
thrown into this thick obscure by the descriptive pamphlets
which the Attorney-General (somewhat unprecedeetedly)
circulated under the name of bills ; and up to this moment
we have not been able to procure a sight of the bills them-
selves. The doubt, we must even say suspicion, created by
these very peculiar circumstances has certainly not been re-
moved by the compromise agreed to by Mr. Napier en
Wednesday morning when he consented to refer Mr. Ser.
jeant Bhee's project for the confiscation and re-division of
Irish property, along with his own measures, to a select
contra ittee.
The sales, yesterday, in the Incunibered Estates
Court, gave the following results :—An estate in the
county of Limerick, yielding a nett rent of 1631.,
but valued by Griffiths at 2301, and for the poor laws
at 2131., was sold for 2,6001. An estate in the same
county, belonging to Wm. O'Dell, and yielding a
nett annual rent of 3561., was sold for 5,6504 The
estate of Thos. Welah, of Woodstock, in the county
of Waterford, was sold in three lots for 8,2351., the
aggregate nett annual value being about 6441. The
estate of John Chapman Judge, in the county of
Westmeath and King's County, was put up for sale
in six lots, and realised the sum of 11,7601:, the ag-
gregate annual value of the whole being, according
to the Ordnance valuation, 9354 An estate in the
county of Waterford, belonging to George Wyse and
others, and producing a nett yearly rent of 9121. 145.,
was purchased for 13,1004, in trust for Mr. Har-
grave, of South Park, Lancashire ; and the day's
sales closed with a lot of a small property in the
Queen's County, of the annual value of 371. 12a.,
which was sold for 2901. The sum realised by the
sales yesterday was 47,6461.
Dr. Banks, Physician in Ordinary to the Lord
Lieutenant, and one of the most distinguished me-
dical men in this city, has got involved in a dis-
agreeable affair, which is likely to cause him much
trouble. It appears that some days since he saw a
young man, who, he thought, wished to annoy him,
commit a nuisance near his hall door, and, in the
excitement of the moment, he struck him on the
head with a cane. The man was taken to the hospital,
and died yesterday; but whether from the imme-
diate effects of the blow or not I cannot say, as I
have not yet heard the result of the coroner's
inquest, which was held this afternoon. Dr. Banks
appeared to-day before tho magistrates of College..
street Police-office, and was held to bail to appear
whon required, on his own recognisance in 6001., and
two others in half that amount each.

THE MURDER AT IRELAND'S EYE.
THE SENTENCE.

At ten o'clock yesterday (Friday) morning the doors of
the court-house were thrown open W the vest number of
persons who had congregated outside rem an early hour,
for the purpose of securing as f►vourable a position as pos-
sible within the court. In a very few minutes after the
doors were opened every available spot was crowded to ex-
cess. The conduct of all present was most decorous and
becoming, the strictest silence being preserved the ughout
the entire of the solemn proceedings that ensued. Some
inconvenience was caused in the galleries by the endeavours
of occupants to get a look at the prisoner.
Shortly before eleven o'clock Mr. Justice Crampton and
Mr. Baron Greene took their seats on the bench, and at
once directed the prisoner to be put to the bar.
In a few moments Mr. Kite au advanced to the front of
the duck. He was as neatly and as studiously dressed as on
the previous days, and his manlier was exceedingly calm
and collected.

The Clerk of the Crown Living a.ked if he had anything
to say u to why sentencs of death should not be wooed
upon him,
Mr. Kirwan, in a firm and nerfcrtly calm voice, then
spoke as follows --My lords, !night I claim the indulgence
of the court for stew moments, for the purpose of stating
some matters connect. d with this unfortunate affair that
have not been broueht out on feint. On the morning of the
day in question, before we left Howth for Ireland's Eye,
Mrs. Kirwan parked the small bog spoken of wit • provi-
Mona, u she had done on former occuinas ; sad when your
Lordship was speaking in your charge of the evidence as to