The National Register.
London, England, 1820-12-24 00:00:00

IRELAND.,
-4:-

Letters from Ireland, ot.o very recent date, pre-
sent the state of that country in a most melancholy
point of view. Most of the farmers arc luined iu
consequence of their land being held at the war
rents, which, from the extreme low price of provi-
sions, they are wholly unable to pay. The following
arc the prices in the country markets:—Beef and
mutton, priine pieces, 3d. per pound; pork, 235. per
cwt.; butter, 31. 10s. to 41. per cwt.; potatoes, one
penny per stone; fowls, Is. per couple; turkeys, 3s.
4d. per couple ; geese, as. (hl.. per ditto ; wheat, 2 Is.
the barrel ; barley, us. (id.; oats, 10s. ; hay, from
20s. to 21s. per ton. To this must be added, that
several of the small farmers are bound by their
leases to furnish to their landlords, when required,
a certain number of what are called " duty horses
and men ;" that is to say, to wor:. gratis, and also
a stipulated number of duly finvls, turkeys, or geese,
or in lieu thereof, an adequate compensation of
money. Another most iniquitous measure is, that
the Rector of the parish (generally speaking) will
not take their tithes at the low price of the corn,
and many unfortunate wretches have ken compelled
to sell the whole produce of their little farms in
order to satisfy the demands of the rapacious Tithe
l'roctor.

On Friday night, the Bth inst. about the hour of
nine o'clock, as Mr. Armstrong, attorney, was pro.
ceeding in a gig, on his way home to Belturbet,
from Cuven (having travelled from Dublin in the
day coach). he observed, on the b9g road, between
Butler's Bridge and Aena, three or four armed
men at each side of the road, apparently in a kneel-
ing position, upon which Mr. Armstrong, uut think-
ing it safe to approach them, immediately turned,
and drove back to Butler's Bridge, which was dis-
tant about a plater of a mile, but not until a
number of shots were fired atter him by the armed
banditti, who followed Li:n a considerable distance
—none of which, we are happy to say, took effect.
This is the first instance we have to record of a
similar nature in this peaceable part of the country
14 a number of years; and we can now only at-
tribute it to the distressed state of the poor, which
is most deplorable indeed.
On the night of Friday the Bth inst. a formidable
band of miscreants, upwards of sixty in number,
entered the vicinity of Kilbeggan, in the county of
Wcsuncath. There chanced to be billetted in that
place at the time, on their route flout Dublin to
their quarters at Athlone, a division of the .sth
regiment, being apprised of this circumstance, those
audacious villains immediately forced into a house
in which were lodged some of the soldiers, whom,
having effectually surprised, they stripped of five
stand of anus, and instantly decamped. Such acts,
so disgraceful to civilized society, must solely ema-
nate from the veriest dregs of mankind.
On Sunday night the 10th inst. it murder was
committed at Erke, in the county of Kilkenny, and
near the residence of John Marum, Esq. a number
of whose cattle were recently killed. Four men,
three of them tarrying lighted candles, and the
fourth a hammer, but without any disguise, entered
the house of G. Brophy, tythe proctor, residing at
that place, whom they knocked on the head with
the hammer, and when down, fired into his body,
which closed his existence. They next pillaged the
unfortunate man's house, burned his tythe books,
papers, &c. and then dispersed.

A few days ago a coVey ofPartri‘lges, sever in
number, were very closely pursued by a hawk, into
the bretvhouse yard of Samuel Wells, Esti. at Big-
gleswade, and flew with such violence against one
of the railings, that four of them fell dead upon the
spot, and were picked up by the men at work in the
yard; the other three were so stunned as to be
unable to escape, and were taken by another person
at u few yards distance. Their voracious pursuer
made his escape uninjured.
An awful event happened on Saturday, the IGth
instant, in Stamford. Mr. Wm. Ashby, an eminent
saddler (some years ago resident ut Boston), was
thrown from his horse in the street called Seotgate,
and killed on the spot. lle and his son were tilting
out fora morning airing ; the horse which the father
rode was a spirited animal, and had vexed the rider
by his mettlesome tricks : gallopping into the town,
he stumbled opposite the Green Man public house,
and threw Mr. Ashby with such force us to fracture
his scull in u dreadful manner. The unfortunate
man, covered with blood, was immediately token
into the public house, but never spoke, and died in
two minutes. Mr. Ashby was a very animated
politician. 'll he dav ou winch he met with the fatal
accident tt us to have be en one of festivity among his
Party, and the deceased had ordered the bells to be
rung at eleven o'clock; at nine, however, he was
awfully called into another world.
seu is mak,ng much riOd encroachments At
the Eastern extremity at Brighton, that it has been
deemed necessary to cell a .!..ipeLiul Sessions of the
Connuitioners of the town to devise suutc nude to
prevent the future destructive washin;s of tie. water.