The Sun.
London, England, 1852-02-11 00:00:00

OUTRAGES IN IRELAND.

Lord RODEN described, the dreadful outrages
which had been committed in Monaghan, Ar-
magh, and Down, not only at night but in
open day, upon the peaceably-di:Tosed of her Majesty's
subjects, and inquired whether it was the intention of
the Government to propose any measures to arrest the
wide-spread evil, the common law having been found
to be insufficient?

Lord LANSDOWNE said the Government were fully
alive to the importance of the duty imposed upon them
to repress these outrages, and they had for that purpose
increased the constabulary, and adopted other measures
which had been recommended by the local magistrates.
It was with sorrow he was compelled to add, that in
some instances the law had failed, but he was not disposd
to say that extraordinary measures ought to be adopted
until all the means of repression in the hands of the Go-
vernment had been tried. Information had been re-
ceived within the lust few days from parties concerned
in the outrages and others which led to the hope that
the object of the Government would yet be attained.
The Marquis of LONDONDERRY had been, during
last year, for a considerable time in Ireland, and he re-
gretted to say that in the northern districts, where for-
merly the population was industrious and obedient, there
had been some lamentable instances of insubordination
and murder. Much of that, he feared, was owing to the
agitation that had been going on with regard to the
question of what was called tenant right. In the north
of Ireland there had been a nucleus formed of these
murder associations; but a period had now arrived when
they must look to the general expression of popular
feeling. It was the tenant cry that had disturbed the
imaginations of she people, and he could refer to his
own case, for he had until lately the most orderly and
attached tenantry in Ireland, and the associations that
had been formed with reference to that subject had taken
very much the character of that Ribbon association or
organization, for the purpose of compelling the landlords
to reduce their rents. There was, certainly, a diminished
feeling of respect for their landlords on the part of the
tenantry. So great was the intimidation of some parts
of. Ireland that agents who performed their duty were
not able to insure their lives.

The Marquis of WESTMEATH recommended the
Government to reflect that that outburst of the Ribbon
system was one that had been going on for years, and
was not a sudden outbreak, while the remedy was only
calculated to act temporarily. When the Government
was about to prepare a measure, they should consider
that the Ribbon conspiracy involved the great bulk of
the population against their wishes and their choice, and
therefore it was necessary that very stringent measures
should be adopted. He would observe that in the pre-
sent condition of Ireland, the district in which the dis-
turbances took place was saddled with the expense of
the additional police force; bus these offences were gene..
rally perpetrated by strangers, and the proposition of
the Government was consequently an additional infliction
upon these people. It was a question with him whether
that portion of the Act ought not to be repealed. The
Noble Marquis had suggested that the landlords should
co-operate with the Government in endeavouring to re-
store tranquillity. It ought to be distinctly understood
lest the idea should go abroad that the Noble Marquis
was reading a lecture to the landlords, that these parties
were made to suffer for carrying out the most ordinary
provisions of the law in cases share for years and years
no rent had been paid. He hoped the Noble Marquis's
object in that respect would not be misunderstood.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said the view he
wished to convey was, that the landlords should co-
operate with the Government by taking care that the
instigators of these proceedings should not derive, nor
appear to derive, any benefit from it; that they should
have no pretence for saying that the reduction of rent
would be accomplished by the measures of outrage to
which they resorted.
The Earl of RODEN regretted the Government was
not able to announce any measure for the enforcement
of the law in Ireland. He should be happy to find that
the Noble Marquis was right, and that he himself was
wrong. Unless the Government took some measures to
uproot that conspiracy they would do no good. He re-
joiced at the explanation that had just been elicited from
the Noble Marquis, otherwise a false impression might
go abroad. He trusted also that the landlords would
use every exertion to restote confidence to the people;
and he trusted above all that they would not not be in-
timidated, and he wished his voice would reach all of
them, but that they would remain at their poste and in
the discharge of their duty, even at the risk of their
lives.—(Hear, hear.) He trusted that whatever means
might be suggested would be effectu,l; but he should
prefer postponing any further observations until he saw
how things went on in Ireland. He freely confessed,
from what he had heard and saw, he feared that things
would grow worse, and that the Government would
hereafter regret that they did not take more prompt and
efficieet measures.

The Earl of DYSART hoped some means would be
devised to put a stop to these tenent-league meetings.
The conversation then dropped, and their Lordships
adjourned.