The Sun.
London, England, 1838-07-05 00:00:00

IRELAND

We latiily but pretty plainly intimatedour conviction yes-
terday, that if the 4th of Jzt), were disgraced by no party
processions, and the peace of the country happily should re-
main undisturbed in spite ofthe insidious incitem,mt to disorder
and outrage, furnished by the princip it orb• to or the mat-
contented Orangemen, the Mail could certainly cLifn but
little credit for an event which might have afforded some

slight evidence perhaps of a less dangerous and rabid state
of feeling amongst its insolent and ruffianly patrons. We
have not heard that the peace of the country has suffsl-ed
so much either in the degree or spread of Orange outrage
as might have been apprehended—no lives, we believe, as
in the good old times of the ascendancy, have been sacrificed
to popular ignorance and party brutality. The law, how-
ever, has been boarded by the Orangemen in the North, offen-
sive badges have been insultingly exhibited, Catholic chapels
have been wrecked, and—but for the wise precautions
taken by Government, precautions which the Mail desig-
nated a "military invasion"—there would no doubt have
been an effusion of blood. Information of these criminal
acts, the inseparable concomitants of illegal Orange pro-
cessions, is supplied by our Dublin Correspondent, whose
letter we subjoin :

DUBLIN, JULY 3. —By letters received in town to-day, it
appears that the Orangemen of Ulster have not scrupled to
break the law, by walking in procession, and exhibiting off.m-
sive party badges, upon the Ist of July. In Monaghan, a
body of one hundred Orangemen walked through the town in
procession, while the Catholic inhabitants were coming from
their place of worship, and would have returned in the even-
ing in the same fashion, only the resident stipendiary magis-
trate took out the military and police, and having read the
Riot Act, forced the procession to separate. In Armagh they
have been preparing sedulously for the occasion, by wrecking
two Catholic chapels in different districts within the present
week ; and in King's Court, County Cavan, so much fear cf
a riot was entertained, that a police force was sent down from
Dublin, under the command of Captain Williams, to preserve
the public peace.

I have just seen a letter from the Diamond, the locality of
the famous batik, stating that upon Sunday the Orangemen
had bonfires and a riotous assembly in the neighbourhood of
the slaughter, when they conducted themcelves in a most out-
rageous manner. Happily no life was sacrificed, but the peace-
able people were put in the utmost dread and fear of
their lives.

A TITHE MARTYR—CURIOUS PROCEEDING,—.OII Saturday
last toe people of Kildare made one of the most striking de-
monstrations upon the tithe question that the long and angry
agitation of the grievance ever gave rise to. A respectable
farmer of that county, named Maher, who had long resisted
the payment of the impost, was, about a month ago, committed
to prison for a large arrear of tithes. Though in wealthy cir-
cumstances, he utterly refused to pay a shilling of it, and de-
clared his determination rather to die in his dungeon. His
countrymen were proud of his firmness, but they would not
have him full a needless sacrifice; and a fund was put in pro-
gress of collection for his release. In a very few days the
whole amount of his tithes, more than 501 , was subscribed,
and on Satnrd iy he was released and accompanied from the
gaol to a public meeting, where a multitude of the
most wealthy of the farmers of the country pledged
themselves by the memory of his persecution never to
pay ono shilling of tithe. The proceedings of the
meeting fill several columns in the Dublin Morning Pa-
pers to-day, and are entirely composed of strong protests
agdnst, or fierce denunciations of, the tithe system.
Mr. Maher, on his release, handed 1001. to the Tithe De-
fence Fund of Kildare.

The Tipperary Free Press of yesterday stetes that a great
tithe meeting about to take place is that county, was post-
poned by reason of a letter written from London to the lead-
ing Catholic Clergy of Tipperary, promising that the Tithe
Bill would undergo such alterations as would make it satisfac-
tory to the people. I greatly doubt that a satisfactory mea-
sure will be even introduced this Session. The most san-
guine cannot hope to see it pass into law.
STATE OF TILE COUNTII.Y. —The Circuits are about to com-
mence immediately, and it is said in well-informed quarters
that a remarkable diminution of crime will be found to have
taken place. With the exception of the murder of Cooke, in
Tipperary, and O'Keefe lately in the same county, there have
been no cases out of the common breaches of the law which
occur in any country.
CASIILL.—There is now no candidate in the field for Cashel
with the least hope of success but Dr. Stock, since Mr. Moore,
who, it was supposed, would receive the support of Govern-
ment, has retired from the contest. A son of Mr.. Spring
Rice, and two or three Barristers, and country gentlemen of
no particular standing, are talked of as candidates, but they will
not appear upon the polling day.
THE WESTNIF.AT.I INVESTICIATION.—The investigation
granted by Government to inquire into the conduct of Mr. Shell,
J. P., upon the complaint of the Marquis of Westmeath, has
terminatid. It will be recollected that Lord Westmeath attacked
the Irish Government in Parliament—first, for having ap-
pointed Mr. Shell, and secondly, for not dismissing him upon
the complaint of the Stipendiary Magistrate, and chief of con-
stabulary in his district. He stated, in support of his charge,
that Mr. Sheil had been found in a common public-house,
haranguing a mob during the election for Westmeath ; that he
had been detected there, I think he said drinking with the
rioters, by Major Rogan and Captain Declusian. During the
course of the investigation the Marquis of Westmeath never
never showed himself in Court, but Rowan and Declusian
were examined, art! it Clearly appeared by their evi-
dence, that Mr. Sheil had not addressed the party in the
public-house, had not drank with them, and only went there
in his capacity of a magistrate, being accompanied by Mr.
Fitzsimon, M. P. It also appeared that dining the election
the conduct of Captain Declusian bad been strongly com-
plained of by the Liberal party, that a comp!aint against him
bad been made to the Sheriff, and a report forwarded to Go-
vernmeot by Mr. Fitzsimon, M. P., charging him with some-
thing tantamount to partisanship. Upon the whole the en-
quiry has terminated to the entire satisfaction of' the Liberal
party. It was for attacking the Marquis of Westrneath's
speech in this case, that he took the action for libel against
the Pilot Newspaper, which is still heading.
A meeting of the Rev. Mr.- Maguire's friends took place
yesterday at the Corn Exchange, to forwaid the collection
of the fund fur a testimonial to him ; 800/. has been already
subscribed.

The Irish grocers, at a meeting yesterday, determined to
send a deputation to London, to endeavour to prevent the law
coming into operation, which would prevent them retailing
spirits.