The Sun.
London, England, 1839-01-14 00:00:00

IRELAND.

ASSASSINATION—MEET-
NG
0 F THEOF LORD NORBL T R
MAGISTRATES.Y
The Dublin papers of Saturday supply a report
big of the Magistrates of the Ring's County, held of a meet.
is
last Thurs-
daythe at Tullamore. One of the objects contemplated
obtaining an amended Arms' Act.
Lord
dhe
Lieutenant
gant was
of con-
venedthe by Lord Oxmantown, as
County, by a circular sent round to all the Magistrates. e,
cannot find room for all the speeches made on the
but shall limit our repert to the substance of his Lordship's
address, with a few of the accompanying comments of the
Dublin Evening Post.
Previously to the appointment of a Committee, by whom
was drawn up a series of resolutions on the subject of the sad
and abominable outrage committed in the Queen's County,
Lord OXSI4,NTOWN, after a few prefatory remarks, spoke' to
effect :—The murder of Lord Norhury was an
outragethe
culatedfollowing
noof
tt
loennhmtsot antfiroixcio
junsdealnibdlegudiilstgyrcalcie uponaraeter,
tahnedciosuncatyl:
dismay into
utheehr haseartsboefentchoenarmesiitdteednzt
nboubtletomsetnriaknedtegrerioarleamnei
en.A foul murder
and the victim of the assassin was a nobleman possessing every
good quality, which ought to have insured to him the love and
esteem of all who ever knew him, or who heard of his amiable
and estimable character. He was an excellent landlord, and in
the management of his estates he took care to consult the wel-
fare and happiness of his tenantry, and of all who were in his
employment. I have heard so much of the manlier in which
he managed his estates that I have frequently spoken to his
agent on the subject, and I intended to have taken his plans as
a model to go by—they were the same as those adopted in
England, and I may say that they ought to form a model for
every landlord in Ireland. It is a fact that no man was ever
ejected from his estates, except for non-payment of rent, or
being of notoriously bad character. And those whom be did
eject for non-payment of rent had but themselves to blame,
for he let his lands always at such a rent, that tenants who were
commonly industrious would be not only well able to pay their
rents, but to live comfortably. What I am now stating are un-
doubted facts. and those living in the neighbourhood of his Lord-
ship's estates know them to be so. Those estates in the King's
County which the late lamented Lord Norbury possessed were
formerly the property of the Stepney family, and et the time
his Lordship came in upon them the tens; is were in a state
of the most abject poverty ; but freni the mployment his
Lordship gave them they were soon not only able to pay their
rents, but to live most comfortably. From the large expert:.
diture which his Lordship made, and the numerous acts of ge.
nerosity which he had extended towards his people, i* was
impossible to believe that any man could be found to summit the
dreadful crime which has brought such disereace upon the
country. At the time of his Lordship's '.'reaih he was giving
employment to all classes of the people who resided in his
neighbourhood. His Lora.elrip never interfered in politics;
and what, then, coetld 'nave induced the perpetration of the
deed ? What, then, could have prompted the assassin to have
committed such an act, is the question which we have met this day to deliberate upon. I answer that it is the efTeet of
a dreadful combination that exists in the country to *extermi-
nate landlords; and to effect by a foul conspiracy :lid assassi-
nation that which they have not the courage to effect by open
rebellion. It is evident that a conspiracy so atrocious cannot
exist, except amongst a people in the lowest state of demora-
lization. I may be asked could such a system of demoraliza-
tion exist in any country, where tho assassin is not screened
by the people ? I answer no. There is another sub.
ject to which I would wish to direct your attention, as
evidence of the demoralized state of the country. It
is this—that the crime of perjury has become one of such fre-
quent occurrence that it is not looked upon by the people as
any crime at all. For every three trials which occur, there
are two of them which are supported by the most direct per-
jury—at least there is swearing in such cases so diametrically
opposed that the magistrates should at least come to the con-
clusion that one party or the other was swearing that which
was false. Again, when we look at the state of society here
we must be shocked beyond the power of description. In other
countries, and indeed in every civilized state of society, the
crime of assassination is looked upon with such horror that the
assassin is hunted down by the people, and every effort is made
to bring him to justice; but in this country the assassin finds in,
every peasant his friend, and in every cottage a place of refuge.
These are facts which prove that the peasantry are sinking into
a rapid state of demoralization, and that in no part of the world,
savage or civilised, is there a parallel to be found for
the present condition of Ireland. Seek for a lin
any quarter of the globe, and in vain you may loopkara forlle such
a state of society. In no country of the world is truth and
an appeal to God set at defiance but in Ireland, where there
is a total disregard of oaths or an appeal to God and his Gos-
pels. The Irish peasant, then, from some cause or other, is
far inferior in point of morality to the most savage people in
the ,e..orld. Not many years ago, the peasant of Ireland was
a different person from what he is at present. The Roman
Catholic Clergy, who are the pastors of the great bulk of the
people, in this country, are in a great measure culpable for
the want of morality that exists amongst their flocks, and the
wretched state of demoralisation to which they are sunk.
The system adopted by clubs and petty agitators was to sepa-
rate the Roman Catholic tenantry from their landlords. To
accomplish this separation clubs of petty agitators were esta-
blished, who inculcated the principle, that the tenant ought
to look upon the landlord as no longer entitled to respect as
his benefactor, but us his enemy, and holding him up to the
execration of the country. The death's-head and cross-bones
system was introduced in the place of those kind and friendly
ties which had so long bound the Irish peasant to his landlord.
—( Cheers.) In most cases the Roman Catheelic clergymen were
members of these clubs, and by their presence they gave counte-
nance to the unhallowed scenes which resulted from these combi-
nations.—(Cheers.) The effects of this agitation were soon
visible throughout the country—the respect
for landlords soon
diminished, disregard for oaths increased, and the frequen
of crime followed in rapid succession. Shortly after the pce-y
tied that this agitation commenced, an event
occurred vvhich
system
led the peasant to believe that a compact had taken place be-
tween the leaders of these Clubs and theGthe w
overnhie hamoent
t
the Dublin clubs, the parish clubs,
and of agitation had the countenance and support of the Executive
Government. Nut long ago Mr. Stoney was waylaid ; Mr.
Smith was fired at; Mr. Drought was also attempted to be
assassinated; Mr. Dunne was waylaid ; and several acts of
outrage and insubordination followed. iu succession. Those
are all facts which cannot be disputed. But the question now
is, what is to be done ? I think that the Government ought to
be called upon for an amended Arms' Act. We ought to
lay before the Government and the British people the
causes which lead to those crimes, and call upon them to
adopt such measures as may be calculated to arrest the
progress of crime in this unfortunate country, with an as-
surance on our part that we will co-operate with them in
whatever course they may think advisable to adopt, If we can
persuade the people from this agitation, or the Government
to suppress it, the will be doing a good deal, But have no
sanguine expectations as to any application that may be made
to the Government. We must, however, rely upon ourselves
—upon the British Legislature, and. the British people.—
( Hear, hear.) We will appeal to the people of England, who
will not screen and encourage the assassin ; but, above all,
we must rely upon ourselves ; we have great power if we only
exercise it rightly.—( Hear, hear, and loud cheers.) We
must exercise that power without fear, and I think the plan
which Lord Lenten has acted upon, is one which ought to be
followed by every Protestant landlord in Ireland. It is a
most proper plan ; and, if we act upon it, we will soon find
the advantage of it. The well-disposed and peaceable
people have as great an interest in the suppression of crime as
the noblemen and landeel proprietors of the country ; and if we
had that class of persons on our estates we would soon find the
good results.

(From the Dublin Evening Post.)
We must not allow Lord Oxmantown's speech to go be-
fore the world without a word or two. This Lord, v;ho ought
at least to have some sense, and some reach of I„ind, consi-
dering the studies which it is said he cultivates, with some suc-
cess, attributes the murder directly, and 'almost without cir-
cumlocution, to the Irish Governmen, t- -.that is to say, to the
policy of the Irish Government. IA et, in the measures which
laid the foundation of that and which rendered it, as a
consequence, necessary, nal:, inevitable—Lord Ozmantowrt
will discover, if he tries back his calculation, that he, the
Lord aforesaid, assisted with great success, and, we suppose.
with honest zeal. Ile supported Catholic Emancipation—he
supported Parliamentary Reform, in his capacity as Represen-
tative for the King's County—and he was made Lieutenant of
the County by the Whig Government, which he now assails
with such measureless vituperation.
What could he have? A counter revolution 9 Only think
of a man holding forth this doctrine—that upon any
estate on which murder is committed, from that estate all the
tenants are to be expelled without mercy. And it is a mum,
who thinks he has sense, that has given utterance to o,.is
atrocious sentiment I We beg his Lordship's pardon—itrame
from a saint, before him—_a Protestant saint, Lord V;.seount
Lorton.

As to the resolutions, and the other et cetera of the meeting,
we must reserve their consideration for Tuesday,
Lord Charleville, in the course of 115 speech, referred to
the case of four men, convicted of having attempted the life
of Lord Bloomfield's steward, arkti endeavoured to create an
impression that the sentences of three of them, which had
been commuted by Lord Paddington, to transportation, had
been again commuted by the Lord Lieutenant, without any
consideration whatever.
b=
.ea
is is perfectly well known that Lord Bloomfield
xhaeed en
nbency
lour, in communication, both personally and in the usual offi_
ciar manner, with the Lord Lieutenant, before his
consented to mitigate the sentences of those men. It is, of
course, impossible for us to be aware of the exact raturo of
these communications ; but we have no doubt, f
Bloomfield's known character, that when the re .1. Lord
ortomof Lord
Charleville's speech meets his eye, he will talc
set the facts of the case in their true light e„, some steps
.to
and thereby effectually remote the impressi,jo
l; :tore the public,
which his Lord..
ship has laboured to create.

THE ORTON INTURDE
tt
"T .............
teed with unrernittd -'' he Magistrates pro-
Lennox in this mysterious affair.
Lennox was exams-' ..:;i
.ned
yesterday (Friday) at the House of
c
Correction • - -
• ' but as yet not the slightest evidence to impli-
!`te 1.'.,m has transpired. David Little, the man who laid
the charge against him, appears to be unworthy of credit.
Fresh evidence has, we arc confidently assured, come out
about the supposed share of Wills and Sisson in the matter;
but we abstain from mentiening it in the present stage of
the proceedings from a feeling that the course of jugtiee
might be impeded. The statements that have already
gone forth to the public are very incorrect, arm, vi )
altogether
calculated to mislead.—Kcndal Ofercury,