The Sun.
London, England, 1847-12-11 00:00:00

1°- Voting auz

LONDON, SATURDAY. DECEMBER 11, 1847.

The Irish Outrage Bill has gone through Com-
mittee, and was ordered to be reported, and the re-
port to be this day brought up. Mr. JOAN
O'CoNNELL thought it necessary to propose several
amendments, but he only once ventured to a division,
and then:obtained but four votes in support of his
proposition. The Bill may now be looked on as vir-
tually passed, and we are convinced that when ju-
diciously brought into operation it will be found
productive of the most beneficial results, There are
many points in which the new Bill possesses vast ad-
vantages over the more stringent enactments of
former days, which will render it far more
efficient in affording the desired protection
to life and property, while, at the same I
time, the interference with the liberties of the
people is reduced to the minimum amount, and will
not be complained of by any well-disposed and peace-
able persons. It adopts the humane principle that ,
prevention is better than punishment, and it there-
fore enables the Lord-Lieutenant, with the assent of
the Privy Council, to proclaim a district even before
outrages have been committed, if those threatening
indications are observable that render it a matter of
perfect certainty that speedy disturbances will ensue.
The old Whiteboy Acts were open to this objection,
they could not come into operation until the or-
ganization was complete, and numerous outrages
had disgraced the locality. That which in the
earlier stages could easily have been repressed
was suffered to acquire strength, and to proceed
without let or hinderance until it had attained a cer-
tain pre-eminence in crime, and the great body of the
People had been involved in illegal confederacies,
from which they would gladly have remained free,
.
fully protected against the nefarious designs of the
outlawed miscreants who originated the disturbances.
NoN
Lord CLARED
con-
fidence of all clahassses
thatand
theregradesis i
nlor
te Ireland. nadi
single
.
l%PeerNsvoinll
venture to assert
throughout the
entire
it possible that he
would
who would suppose
wuhldleabuse the power intrusted
to his hands. And
her MAJESTY is so for-
ittn nate as to possess so trustworthy
would, indeed, be a mosta representative,
h.e should be compelled to disrelin"e precaution if
Lower in the horizon, and tog the the clouds that
await patiently the
coming storm before preparations were
counter its violence. made to en-
Another admirable provision of the present IV
ll
the casting the entire expense of the additional is
ice
force upon the localities in which their services are
required. The payment, too, is not to be postponed
to a future day, but an estimate of the probable outlay,
for a period of three months, is to be made, and im-
mediately levied, in like manner as the county cess,
upon the occupiers. Here, then, is a direct incentive
to that class who can alone effectually preserve the
peace of their respective neighbourhoods to act ener-
getically and zealously with the authorities in
repressing every species of disturbance, and banishing
the criminals who might attempt to come into their
; it applies a certain penalty for that apa-
•thetic indifference that has so justly been censured.
will now be known that where the escape of an
offm*der is connived at, and the people do not come
forviard to vindicate the law, to capture its violators,
and consign them
to condign punishment, the