The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-01 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF LORDS—Last Evening,
AGRARIAN OUTRAGES IN IRELAND.

The Earl of DONOUGHMORE moved that considering
the extent to which agrarian outrages prevail in certain
counties in Ireland, and the difficulty which exists in ob-
taining convictions for offences of this description, this
house is of opinion thiit the power of the Lord Lieutenant of
Ireland to remit the whole or a portion of the sentences of
persons convicted of such crimes should bo exercised with
greater care and c rcumspection ; and this house observes
with regret that the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland orderedthe
release of Michael Duigan, Patrick Durgan, and Patrick
Egan, prisoners under sentence for an agrarian offence, con-
fined in the county gaol of Westmeath, upon grounds which
appear to be insufficient. In the county of Westmeath there
had been for some time a sort of hidden war carried on
against the rights of property and against those who took
part in vindicating them. Several of the judges had pointed
the attention of the grand juries to the atrocious character
of the crimes perpetrated in Westmeath ; they were not sud-
den outbursts of passion, but the result of a systematic
course of outrage, resulting from the mysterious operations
of the Ribbon conspiracy. The noble earl then entered into
the details of a number of casss in order to show the cha
racter of the agrarian crime in this county, and its connec-
tion with the Ribbon organisation; and he also mentioned
several instances in which men who had been convicted and
sentenced to long terms of imprisonment or penal servitude
had been released by the Lord Lieutenant before the termi-
nation of their sentences, and allowed to go at large, no
doubt to enlist others in the secret society to which • hey be-
longed. The men to whose case he was how calling atten-
tion were convicted of a gross agrarian outrage on the p
mises of a man named Doolan. He believed it was said,
in just-fication of the course whieh the Lord Lieutenant
had taken in rernitti g a portion of their sentence, that
tnere was a doubt, as to their identity But, so far
was that from being the case, that they were identified
in the clearest manner by witnes,cs who saw them
distinctly and had known them previously. The cause of
their release must, therefore, be sougat elsewhere. The
ruth was that the Lord Lieutenant had yielded to a memo-
rial sent to him. He had previously rejected one which
was signed by 47 people in a very ulterior grade of life, and
be (Lad Donoughmore) should like to know whether Chief
Jll6 ice Mendhen, wino teied these men, was then consulted,
and if so, what answer be returned. The second memorial
was site .ed by Mr Bury, a Presbyterian minister, who Was
nude stood to enteriain very peculiar views with regard to
punishment. And within six days fr m its receipt these
in.,n were liberated. He wanted to know whether Chief
Just ice Monahan was con, tilted on this occasion. On neither
occ,sion was any local inquiry made, nor were any of the
magistrat-s or grand jurors of the county consulted, a mat-
ter of which he thought they had good right to complain.
The men having been released, thera was within a few days
afterwards a renewal of agrarian outrages in the neigh-
bourhood. Two out of three men who had been released
had previously left the country; and almost immedately
the police began to make an inquiry with reference to the
perpetrators of these crimes, the third man also disappeared
from the neighbourhood, showing clearly his guilty con-
science. This kind of conduct on the part of his Excellency
was like that of Nero, fiddling when Rome was burning.
He knew the Lord Lieutenant was a very amiable man;
but they required a man of firmness and courage to admi-
nister the lew in Ireland, His lordship's clemency to Rib.
bon conspirators was death to the well disposed.
Earl GRANVILLE said that this motion was one of a
most unusual character, for it asked their lordships to
interfere with the manner in which the Royal preroga-
tive was administered, and to censure strongly the per-
son who was now entrusted with the exercise of that
prerogative. He was confident that the House would
not pass such a resolution unless they were satisfied
that there Lad been some gross want of discretion, or some
corrupt motive, on the part of the person whose conduct
was complained of. He regretted very much the state of
Westmeath, which was no doubt very unsatisfactory ; but
I it really had nothing to do with the present case, which

turned entirely upon a question of identity. Although the
prisoners were identified by one witness, they were not
identified by others who were present at the same time. An
alibi was, mi,reover, set tip, and Chief Justice Monahan in
reporting on the case, spoke of it as one of great difficulty,
and said that he did not know how ho should have voted it
he had been on the jury. That being the case, he could
net think that this was an improper case for the exercise of
the royal prerogative of mercy.
After a few words from the Marquis of WESTMEATH and
the Duke of LEINSTER,
The Earl o: LEI.I RIM made a vehement attack on the
Lord Lieutenant.

Lurd CIIELMSTOIGD said that it had not bren made

out that the Lord Lieuttrnant had improperly exercised hia
discretion in this case, and he theretore trusted that the
noble earl would withdraw the motion,
The Bari of DONO GLI.AOR,E then withdrew the
motion.
WINDOW BREAKING IN IRELAND.

The Earl of LEITRIM then moved for certain rivers
relating to some windows being broken at Eskaragh, alias
Esker South, in the pari,l of Mobil!, borough of Mobil,
court y of Leitrim, between the 24th and 30 h day of March,
1864. His lordship detained the house nearly a quarter of
an hour in detailing the particulars of this case, which he
made the medium of another violent attack upon the Earl
of Carlisle. He concluded by denouncing the noble earl as
a traitor in hi, Queen, his country, and his religion.
Earl GE.ANVILLE neolined to defend Earl Carlisle
agat such observations. He was ready to give a Fortion of
the papers asked tor.
The moiion us amended wa, then agreed to.
Their lordshipa then adjourned.