The National Register.
London, England, 1821-12-02 00:00:00

THE NATIO24AI; REGISTER

share of punishment to a man who believes, and de-
clares his belief, that the Government of his country
is badly administered, and another to a man who
would support the lle'vil himself, if he were in
administration, and had, therefore, the power of
bestowing preferments, whether Mitres or Chief
Justiceships, we hail the recent lenient sentences
with great satisfaction—convinced that an ame-
lioration of feeling has taken place since the
excessively heavy sentences of imprisonment were
pronounced upon the Messrs. Hunt, of the Exa-
mine►, Mr. Finnerty, Mr. Hunt, &c. &c. the guilt
of either of whom, when compared with the delin-
quents in question, was certainly about as Feathers
are to Lead.

It is with much concern we state, that the intel-
ligence from Ireland continues to be of a nature the
most afflicting. The disturbances have assumed a
most sanguinary character, and differ totally from
those circumstances which we had occasion to notice
at the commencement of the unfortunate troubles.—

Another atrocious murder has been committed upon
the person of Major Collis, who resided in the
county of Kerry, near Tralee. His house was en-
tered by 3 large party, and plundered, not of fire
arms alone, but of every portable article on which
the ruffians could lay their hands. Not content with
robbing the house, they gave the unfortnnate gen-
tleman a blow with a gun, and killed him on the
spot. The premises of the Rev. Mr. Nash were
attacked also on the same night, but the fellows
were beat off, as he had arms in the house. The
bublin papers of Wednesday give the evidence
taken before the Coroner's Inquest on the bodies of
the unfortunate family of the Sheet, when the facts
sworn to were similar to the details previously pub-
fished of that horrid and blood-chilling affair. A
proclamation has been issued by the Government of
Ireland, offering two thousand pounds reward for
the discovery of the persons concerned in the inhu-
man and merciless outrage. The system of intimi-
dation, robbery, and bloodshed, is spreading to an
alarming extent. The ostensible objects of the law-
less peasantry, it is said, are the abolition of tithes,
no middlemen, and low rents. When, however, the
passions of these misguided men are inflamed, artful
and designing individuals may easily direct their
views to other purposes, calculated to shake the very
frame of Government itself. At present we cannot
perceive that politics have any thing whatever to do
with these alarming proceedings, and those to whom
the Administration of the affairs of the country are
entrusted cannot too quickly enquire into the cause,
and have recourse to some remedy, if possible, to
cure the evil, which has now arisen to a most alarm-
ing height. Those acquainted with Ireland, and
the internal state of that fertile yet unhappy country,
must know and feel that the absence of the great
landed proprietors from'', their estates, is among the
greatest m:sfortunes which oppress the Island.—
Between the lords of the soil and the tillers of the
earth, there are land agents and jobbers, that keep
at a distance those who should be more intimately
connected, when the peasant could appeal to his
natural guardian, who would listen to his complaint,
and if well founded, would afford him redress.—lt
has been justly observed, that a year or two since,
when some of the cities and counties in the center of
England were agitated and disturbed, his Majesty's
speech from the throne, at the close of the Session
of Parliament, concluded with an earnest exhortation
to the Members to return with all diligence to their
country residences, that by their presence in the
midst of their tenantry, and of those who were ac-
customed to look up to them as guides and protec-
tors, they might check the progress of sedition and
immorality. If then this advice was good for Eng-
land, how beneficial must it also be lbr Ireland, if
men of fortune in that country were to reside on
their estates, where their presence at this moment is
SO necessary, and so much wanted. As a proof of
this, we have only to look to that part of Ireland
where noblemen and gentry reside on their estates,