The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-03-31 00:00:00

IRE LAND.

It is with great satisfaction we notice the attention that
is now paid to the tinrrovement of agriculture in the Sakar
Wand. The amelioration of the condition of the peasantry,
anti their comic (pent contentment, must of necessity follow
in tae train of agricultural improvement, and induce a
flow of English capital into that country.

_
PLOUGHING MATCH.
GLENAIIX ASSOCIATION,,OR BRANCH HE THE COUNTT

ANTRIM FARMING SOCIETY.
The first ploughing match. under the ',anomie of the Parent
Society, was lately held in a field of Mr. Janie, Alartins, et Cans.
lough Bev, near Illenerm, when, notwithstanding the unfavourable
finite of the weather, the numermis assemblage of people, with De
zeal and interest excited among all classes for trial of skrt. In
this part of the country so novel and interesting, was altogether most
gratifying.
Seven ploughs waned on this decision, each • half r,041 of
ground ; six, however, were only understood as compe•ing fur
premiums, the seventh, a very nicely Rppoinied iron plough.
a pair of strong black hareem, was sent them RA we understand.
Alexander Davison, Esq. of Knockbuy, who, as a member of
Parent Soriety, attended on tae occasion i The followinic persons;
from a diliererit barony, were appointed .Ferigor.r—Mr. John 3lur..
phy, of lhllywher ; Mr. John Crawford, of Ballykeel : and Mr.
Alexander 51`Cambridge, of Dickeystown. •
The work in each case was performed in good time, amid iota
workman-like manner ; the good behaviour of the people, and the
regularity of the scene altogether, was alike c:editable to the cendi.
dares as to the concourse of eople assembled oq the occasion.
At five o'clock ti party, consisting of nearly Dirty persons, com-
prising the gentlemen and farmers of the district, with some of the
slembers of the Parent Society, who attended from the
booting barony of Lower Antrim, sat down to an excellent dinner,
prepared for the occasion at the inn in Blenerm. !Thome* Davison*
Esq. having been called to the Chair, on thi cloth being Tie.
moved, gave—
`• The King. and long life to him."
" The lord Lieuten tot, and prosperity to Ireland."
The CHAIRMAN then directed the..attention of the Meeting_ to
the more immediate business of the dlay, and in proposing " Th a
County of Antrim Penning Society- to them as a toast, took oC •
ca•ion to observe upoathe highly useful tendency of each Societies,
not the least beneficial result perhaps of which was, the opportunie
ties eihieb they afforded of meetings sushi as the prosent, whir.
those two classes of the community (the landlord and cement),
whose interests were so inseparably united, could freely discus.' the
different topic" so mutually interesting to both. In detailing the'
views of the Society, he felt that he could npt more foretbly daso
than in the words of one of its own Itesolutions—_•• That one int.;
portant object of the Society was to obtain and disperse useful in-
formation upon all matters tending to the improvement of agrkUls•
ture, rural economy, and the Comfort and happiness of the poor)'
He then particularly directed their attention to the Resolutions gar
the encouragement and formation of Branch Societies. which
read in detail from the 31inuteriat the Parent Society's Repast,
and strongly recommended the,f4mation of a Branch ff!soelatlvres
In that district, which was imrstediptsey haled by the Meeting, and
as quickly formed by the enrol tet upwards of 3f/ member..
Tate CMAIRLAY then. gavesir The Oienarm Branch of the
County of Antrim Farming limilety, and may success attend itst
exertions." After which ttes premiums were awarded.
The Rev. Mr. Wolsey, Rev. 3lr. Alontitomery, and Henry
O'Hara, Esq., the latter a memher of the Patent Society, each
took occasion to address the Meeting, and to express their warmest
approbation in favour of the formation of aemociations such as the
present.
One of the resolutions of the Branch Society goes to the extend-
ing of premiums for exemplary neatnesa and cleanliness in the cos-
tages of the peasantry of the district, for an!lual whitewashing of
their cabins, and the removal of dunghills from the doors; the
Committee to ascertain, from tketylll inspection of the districts, the
merits of the candidates to pendants in this dais. In framing
this resolution,
The CH Ain MAW stated, that he anticipated the best results front

an inspection such as was here proposed .1- that the orzy circum-
stance of a Committee going round the different districts, in order
to report upon th^ state of cle.inliness of the cabiroi, would, bs
felt convinced, in itself powerfully tend to promote the object tbsy
had in view.

The party separatA at a late hour, all highly gratified at the
proceedings of the day.

CARLOW ASSIZES, MARCH 21.

Before Lord NORAI7III
TRW. Oki JOHN KELLY FOR

-..—.--.....
The prisoner was indicted for the wilful murder of Thom
Mooney, on the lfith of February last. striking deceased with
a stick, and by oiler means, which prositicA the death of 3looney.
Counsel for the prosecution stated that the deceased, Thomas
Mooney, was a boy in the employment of the prisoner, who is a
chininey.sweeper : whether the boy was un appvetnice or not was
not the question. although it was supposed that he wns the former
on the 16th February last. That the prisoner was on tf,,,t day ac-
companied by a woman and two boys, and that he applied for
lodgings at the house of a person named Byrne, at Ballynockrn, in
the county of Wicklow. That Byrne's wife was present that.
That the deceased boy was sent out to buy a candle, but remained
longer titan he should. That the prisoner expressed his dc,erm.
nation to inflict punishment on the boy, and accordingly rushed
out wi.h a heavy stick : followed anti a:ruck the boy, who cried
out, "Oh, John, honey, I'll never do it again 1" That by some
of the blows given the buy was finally knocked down ; that he made
no complaint after, but went to bed, and appeared exceedingly
hurt. That on Sunday, Feb. 20, the prisoner, the woman, sad
the two boys, went from thence to one Hagerty's, at Tullor.
Here the beamed founsel would peeler, he said, leaving the de.
'tails of the case to time witneioes; but lie would remark, that there
were not on the face of the earth greater ohjects of tender com-
passion than the children brought up to the trade of chimney sweep..
ing. lie said, that if an apprentice mistle.neans himself, if he diet
not attend to his legnl orders, the master has a right to Chastise
him as a parent would, with a view to reasonable correction. But
it, under colour of such chastisement, he seems to gratify malig..
nity of heart, and appears totally regardless of social duties by the
infliction of severe and brutal treatment, in such a case there is no
necessity for other expression of malice; the law implies it from the
frequent repetition or weight of the blows, the nature of tltc instru-
ment, and the amount of correction.

};leaner Byrne, examined by Mr. CLARKE—Says she lives as
Ballynocken„ in the county of Wicklow, near listbdrum ; she is
married ; identifies prisoner ; saw him at ten o'clock on the morr.
ing of the 16th of last February ; a woman, two little boys, arid a
person who is half-brother to prisoner, came into her house to get
lodgings—in all fire ; they remained from Sunday until Friday
morning ; Thomas ,Monney, whose name she heard, was sent for a
candle in tkie evening to a place calicd Biellynaclash, three-quartets
of a mile distant; the boy was eleven or twelve years tad ; the Loy
had been out about a quarter of an hour, and the prisoner. saying
he was out ton Icing, took up a handstkk, and went out ; soon after
sbe heard a child's cry. and, do going out, saw the prisoner strike
the child, and knock him down : she saw but one blow ; she did
not hear any words, except that the boy, after rising, said, •• John,
honey, I'll never do it again." Prisoner called to his mother to
warm some water to wash the boy ; she SSW his left ear cut ; the
boy was left outside washing himself; the prisoner came in : the
boy ate little or no supper, and appeared sick; he was in good
health before he went out for the candle; witness saw all the parties
next morning ; he was then very sick—very unwell, anti item to
Rathdrum, to steep the chimmes cf the police barrack there ;
they all went away on Friday morning, and witness did not see hint
after ; she does not know where he died.

Sarah Hagerty, examined by Mr. CLARKS Says site lives at
Crosslow, near Tullow ; the prisoner, whom rite recognises. was
at her house at Shrovetide, in company with his mother, brother,
and two little sweeps ; Thomas Mooney, the creature that died,
was bare, naked. and cold ; on a Sunday evening, about six or
seven o'clock, prisoner told witness, tin her asking him what ailed
the child, that he was almost killed from tilling out of a window at
Rathdrum ; he said that he brought him from Carnew to Newtoc.
berry, and that no one would let him in, the child being ;Pe
had two cuts—one on the calf of his leg, the other on his head ;
witness said that the child was in a cold place ; prisoner's mother
took hint to the fire, and called for a saucepan to warm a sup of
milk ; prisoner had his teeth closed, and witness said the child was
for death, and told prisoner he was a " big rogue." Prisoner the',
pulled the boy by the ears, and slapped him, but not severely ; he
used to sty, " Tommy, won't you take a drink." The prisoner
had a black thorn MICK, which he had brought with him ; the
boy died at her cabin ; witness told prisoner to go to Dr. Nola.i
for relief.

Lord N.—Whose estate do you live on ? Witness—Mr..fones's
my Lord. I have a poor miserable Untidy of seven children. and I
was obliged to go out that day to seek for money to pay ter a quart
of meal, that I got on credit the evening before that.
Anastasia Hagerty examined by Mr. PLIINKETT--Swear,
that prisoner brought the child in with a piece of an old sheet on
him ; he went and put the child sitting down on a stool, when hi
slipped off; prisoner said it was roguery; pulled his ears and
slapped him on the cheek; he took the child up after that,
and threw it Into a corner; she did not see the boy dying. but
saw him dead In a coffin ; heard him called Ton Mooney ; Ned
Darcy is her landlord ; she knois Hr. Nolan and Mr. Dayne.
To a Juror—She said prisoner put some lighted straw to the
child's belly, but she did not swear it.
Piisworth Whelan, Esq. examined by Sir J. DREENE—Wit.
ness is a magistrate ; thinks it MU on the 21st February that pri.
stoner was brought before him ; he and Mr. l)oyne held an inquest
on the body. but held out no hopes to the prisoner for any dis-
closures he should make ; he had heard there that the prisoner had
sent the boy out on a message, and on his return beat him for
staying nut too long ; that the boy was saved by people returning
from a lair ; that the boy was again sent out and again beaten ;
that he was afterwards carried away by prisoner from that place ;
witness heard a story of the child's having fallen through a chief,.
ney, but cannot say whether it was prisoner or his half brother now
in gee! that told Pones,' this story ; the child was 1101, 55 prisene•'
had acknowledged. an apprentice to hint, and prisoner could nor ac-
count for where he got him.
Andrew Nolan, surgeon, aworn.—Safs he' resides in Ttillow ;
was called on professionally to ♦isit Thomas 3looney, the de-
ceased ; went to Hagerty's,, a former witness, where the child wra,
nn a Monday, at seven o'clock P. M. the child was then qui.s
insensible; little mnre than just dive : there was a cut an his le:t
ear ; the left arm was touch swollen; there was a trifling wound
on tine left leg, and lie died in a few Wore attn. Witness ex.
antiaed the body at tine inquest next day; ott romovinl the aiton
(rein toe head, there wire bruiseaunder that skin at b..nnti Odra 01 11,

*PIM Inside the skin of the neck, both shoulders, and breast in
hem. The prisoner accounted the it by saying that the child had
fallen dawn a chimney. The cause of death was effuaiot. in the
bend, and en inflammation of the lungs that corresponded to the in.
jar's, Oa the cheat.
'Joon Hanlon, a child about five or six years old, was here pro.
duced on the table. This very interesting little child, if we consi-
der his features merely, notwithstanding the most squalid misery,
email give no account whatever of himself. He was totally ig-
' natant of any principle or doty of religion—had never been to any
how of worship, or been taught a prayer, and had never heard of
bell or heaven!

This child having been dismissed, his mother was brought up
on the table. When called upon by the Court to give some ac.
count of herself, said she was an Englishwoman, which was
evident from bee accent; that. Irons distress, she was obliged to sell
to prisoner the child last produced for 15s. ! Said further, that
she rainefrom Basingstoke, in Hampshire. tier husband is dead,
he *As a pensioner, and she is seven years in Ireland. To Lord
Nurbuty--ithe knew nothing of a Parsln Craven, who lived at
Basingstoke. The unfortunate woman retired, after receiving some
immer collected fur her round the table.
rdlOrtly after the ease of the prisoner had been given in charge by
his Lordship to the Jury, they returned a verdict of " Guilty of
ilanslaughter," and the prisoner was ►entenced to transportation
tur life.