The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-08-17 00:00:00

Mt/ LLINGAR ASSIZES, MOXDAT, AVeU►s 9.

The fulluwiug Gentlemen composed the Grand
Jury :

Gnstaros Rochrort, M P. Pommes.
Hon. Thomas Nitenham, Hum. John Bev see, Sir Tim-
mas Chapman, Sir Richard Nagle, James Nugent, Willis..
Drury Slsgan, William Datum Pollard, Robert Sterne
Tiebe, Rirhs►d Haudirich, James Gibbous, Thomas Fe-
roton, Tlw•obalJ FeDunes, Richard Reynell, George
Pardon, J. W. Daly, Thomas Middleton Berry, Gerard
Dear, Thomas Hutchinson Smith, John Charles Lyons,
William Lennox Napier, Fitslscrbert Batty, sad Thomas

Moue), Hops.
Lord NORBURY addressed the Grand Jury as
follows
GIiNTLEMEN-1 am happy to meet you once
more. lam sure that, in common with we. you
deplore the Moles* of the High Sheriff of this
county, on which account hr is unfortunately ab-
sent to-day. The calendar, I am happy to say, is
unusually light, and you will agree with me iu re.
juicing at this favourable circumstance ; it is a
proof of the increasing quiet and returning pros-
perity of the county—a county so particularly situ-
ated as this is, placed in the exotic, sod I may say,
the heart of Ireland. A young friend of mine, on
the Grand Jury, has this morning inspected the
gaol, awl has been so kind as to communicate
some circumstances that require your attention.
He has ntentioned to me several great delecia that
call fur redress; and though it is not the incli-
nation or duty of the Judge to press fur the
taxation of the county, yet 1 cannot but re.
commend you to look carefully to this subject.
I will read you the Act relating to the gaols."
...[Here his Lordship read the Act of George 111.
providing for the arrangement of gaols, the plans,
places for exercise for male and female pri-
soners. &c. &c.]—His Lordship then stated, that
these were great defects in the present gaol ; 110
classification of prisoners, slot s sufficient number
of cells, and only one privy for the whole body of
the gaol, male and female, and only one yard for
the prisoners to exercise in. Prisoners committed
fur divers offences should be clasi.fied and divided,
so that rubbers, and murderers, and felons, should
not he permitted to live with persons eonfiiied for
slight offences, and who, perchasice, may be wholly
iniwcent of the crimes or charges laid against
theui, but who, from such cantact, will go out worse
than they came in, injured instead of unproved.
" Gentlemen, I must talk to you about the Ruud
Act—at length this Act has come oat—and at last at
has come orer. It was only enacted the 9tlt
of
July, so that the Legislature had the prudence to
insert a clause, whereby the Grand Juries might
avail themselves of the preceding Act, and pass
presentinesity at these Assix.s under the Act that
existed prior to 1818. This was very necessary in-
deed. I ant not to reflect on the Acts of the Legit'.
Wove ; du not meats to say that our Legislators
are not competent ; I airs bound to opeatt of them
with respect, but I will say. that it was a bold mea-
sure to destroy the falnic that stood fur so loug a
taste. end that stood so well. to slier the entire sys.
toss, mid pull it all dosenabout our ears at one slap.
•• Geutlesiten, I cannot pass over the present mate
of affairs without saying a word ur two upon them.
I am glad to bud that this county, whieit may be
called the bosom of Ireland. is now at peace—all is
quiet ; tor tumult. nu confusion. uo iutetitap ; a
prospect of a Moe harvest ; a likelihood of a plen-
trout, crop ; eve.),
Dingle ; curls Penis. alai not • ut.gle field
Orate • 1 out awry to say this no out the calor in
our itens,hirouring missal. Let us take care ;we sue
ass imitative people ; we Must taut burgs V6lllll bas
/appeased lir east limes. The histuitaa solmerves,

there never saw a convulsion in England that was
not followed by one in Ireland. It was so from the
time of Witt Tyler down to the present. The state
of England is lamentable ; proceeding. there have
bent allowed to go too far ; from what mason I
know not ; whether it proceeds front weeklies., or
ignorance, or pusillanimity. Things have gone to
such r pitch that they will nut um., 1 Fear, be
stopped without some difficulty. The Gentlemen
Magistrates there seem not to know the laws of the
land; they do not appear to know the strength of
those powers committed to them. Since the time
of Henry. the Fourth there has existed a poser to
suppress all riotous meetings—ell seditious Ob.
'nubile,. The posse eomitatais may be called out,
and if need require it, resort may he had to armed
force. Now it seems ar if mete had been asleep,
aid 'sever awakened until the danger had noosed
them. They have at length begun to act; the
Magistrates have met and have passed some resolu-
tion', that will,. I hope, be acted on instanter ;
but it is for you, Gentlemen, to rook to yourselves
care—proxinsas ankt
" I remember the time when the empire was
nearly lost—when apathy and cowardice had almost
cost us HO Ira than the City of Laudon—when an
infuriated mob, headed by a crazy Lord, nearly
demolished the capital. seized the treasures, loosed
the felons and vagabonds out of the gaol, fired the
City, sod, in short, endangered the State. An
Irishman, Lord Sheffield, was the first to oppose
these outrages, and with an armed force be saved
the Bank. Our good and glorious King, he took an
active part. and not waiting for the assembling and
debating of his Council, lie assumed the responsi.
batty. repressed the violence of the rebels, and
rescued himself and his kingdom front rebellion
and devastation. Now, Gentlemen, should men
in the present day wait for the asseinhlege of Ma-
gistrates and Counsellors ? Some of these legal
authorities, perhaps. ale not iii the county ; some.
perchance, are rambling and plearuriug on the
Continent, while the State goes to pieces. No,
Gentlemen, the Legislature has armed the Execu-
tive and the Magistrates with sufficient force. Here
is the Act, I have it in my hand; every man should
know it, every man may know it ; it is quite plain
and clear ; he that runs may read."—[llere his
Lordship read the Act of 1817, against societies
and clubs sod assemblies, who meet under pinnace
of petitioning.]
" I am happy that there is not a single Gentleman
that has joined these wild and visionary men ; there
is but one man of any name who has taken a part
in this reforming business--a Sir Charles Waterier
—a poor fool—he to be sure regrets that he is the
only one : bat I rejoice and I prophecy that he will
pay dearly too—a bill of indictment has been found
against hint, and I warrant that he will very shortly
be laid by the heels. We must take care of our-
selves. Let us remember in the time of Charles
the First, that every thing was quiet and tranquil,
just as peaceable and seemingly as much at rest as
at this very moment. when all on a sudden, in
one minute. oat blew such a /torrid rokarso
as turned every thing topsy turry--the Condit's•
don was pulled down, the poor King was dragged
to death, au usurper seated himself in his place,
and a sad rebellion here sprung up that wasted the
entire land. Gentlemen. I love you well—l love
the country much—l wish Ireland and England to
be united. and with the blessing of God I soil
Olive with aught and main to keep them so. All
these immaculate are imprinted on the tablet of my
memory, that I might make use of them in prover
time, that I might be of service to you aud of oti.
lily in my station, otherwise it would be idle few me
to attempt to address you.
'I Gentlemen, you know 1798 ; you remember
how that business was brought about ; it coin..
menced in France, then rose currespouding societies
in England; clubs. jacobin meeting., mid revo-
lutionary doctrines were the order of the day. They
were not afloat in our island; they took seed and
sprung up. The errors 111 the prosecutions about
that period, sod the acquittals, in consequeuce, of
men who ought to have been punished, gave cou.
rage to the eviloninded. Then the whole history
of the forfeitures here was revived, it had been
kept alive all the time, and all the sad scenes that I
followed are well known to you. We were nearly
all consumed. fur the fiery comet of that year
swept along. and almost set us in a blaze with its
bur 1111 l g tail. but, like this of the present day. it
low vanished. Yet advantage was taken of all this.
The French were on the alert; they pitched their
camp at Boulogne, and afrighted these island., till
at length Bonaparte was taken, and now he is safely
at S. lieleuu, and all his revolutionary projects are
at sit end.
" Gentlemen, we are fine people ; the Irish
have great and good national qoalitier ; tiny eptitig
front a good heart, and a good stature, and seein
to
be the effect of a good temperature, a good soil, sod
• good climate; but their atimbslities snake them
liable to be easily worked on, and they are too
readily worked on by every itinerant orator; any
preacher of nonsense and sedition will Le listened to,
and may perhaps d vert them f their natural
good disposition. lam sure it will not be the Case
at present. They are not *bat a foolish Novelist •
bas lately represeuted them to he a barbarous,
base, sod a cowardly set of mess. No, Gentlemen,
they are a hoe set of mots. and, please God, tlicy
will continue sit.
" I know there may be some men listening here.
perhaps, who do not like all this, and who will state
much to my prejudice ; but I have not need set
long as not to know my duty, our have I tweet so
often in the habit of addressing you, that I vhould
be deterred from raying what I cosiceive is right said
good. l see as my auditors a fine body of uteri.
some of shoot will. I trust, in time succeed to the
battalion I now hold ; for I hope that we shaih too
be obliged to go to England to get men M fi t u,e.e
arduous sitaatious--no, host thy soul. I uelieve
Irelasol aid Irish aliens will be best admiseseirstil

••Mr. willsaus Parma, M.P. Ainimor of " and
1 ergialta."

by I.islimen ; they are my legal fiends. and you.
too, Genile,iien. will find Oral a good and useful
bully to coneiilt if you Art into any d•fficulty—th,y
will judge fairly of me ; but I ..hc,uld not he seem-
eif the duty I owe my swim, nor should I dis-
charge that duty with the dignity that belongs to
it. it I was nut above such misrepresentatious, and
if I did out despise them. Perhaps some village
fool may throw some mud upon the robes I wear,
when I sin retiring froth the town-..this, to be sure.
is valiant conduct ! this is a noble proceeding ! he
will not appear face to face, but he lights me be-
hind my ha. k--such conduct I despise—and such
vileness will fall otf the ermine I wear. like dew
drops from the inaue. Gentlemen, go to
your chauther."
There were very few prisoners, and only eight
records.
wairoau, AUGUST 9.
On Saturday Bridget Oakley was executed in
front of the new gaol, for the murder of Jae
Doyle. At two o'clock the unfortuuste crimes.'
was brought nut, and shortly after ascended the
step-ladder. and took her station on the fatal plat-
form with an astonishing degree of fortitude. hie
a painful amid melancholy reflection, that the
wretched sufferer wade uo couteseion of guilt, Of
such an indirect amid unsatisfactory one, as would
warrant us in saying that no confession was made.
After repeated endeavours to extort it from her. we
understand she made answer, " Ii I was at the
murder. I'm to die fur it. and is not that sufficient ?"
This was all the iitromation she could be induced
to give. She was about 24 years of age, and a aa.
tire of Duhliu.