The Sun.
London, England, 1870-03-29 00:00:00

OUTRAGES IN IRELAND.

A parliamentary return, issued yesterday„ gives the
number and nature of the outrages reported by the con-
stabulary in Ir:eland, in the year 1869, and the two
first months of the present year. The total number
of outrages of all classes last year was 3,153, of which
869 took place in the province of Munster; 691
in Connaught ; 941 in Leinster, and 649 in Ulster.
As compared with previous years we find that
the total outrages in 1868 numbered 2,548 ;
1867, 2,021 ; in 1866, 1,964 ; in 1865, 2,604 ; in
1864, 2,968 ; in 1863, 3,832 ; in 1862, 4,401; in 1861,
3,881; in 1860, 3,531; in 1859, 3,618 ; in 1858, 3,492 ' • in
1857, 4,032 ; in 1856, 4,125 ; in 1855, 4,201; and in 1854,
4,662. The rapid increase of agrarian crime towards the
close of last year is shewn by the following figures :—ln
January 24 were reported ; February 30; March, 47 ;
April, 35 • May, 23 ; June, 17 ; July, 19 ; August,
18 ; September, 14 ; October. 59; November, 144;
and December, 337. Of the. offences reported last
year 29 were homicides, 48 manslaughter, 43 firing at
the person, 1 assault with intent to murder, 284 aggra-
vated assaults, 158 assaults endangering life, 42 cutting or
maiming the person, 203 incendiary fire, 141 burglary and
housebreaking, 128 robbery, 129 cattle stealing, 84 sheep
stealing, 74 killing, cutting, or maiming cattle, 2 levying
contributions, 18 sacrilege, 38 demand or robbery Df arms,
7 appearing armed, 2 faction fights, 33 riot, 175
administering unlawful oaths, 123 intimidation,
666 threatening notices or letters, 21 attacking
houses, 4 rescuing prisoners, 2 resistance to legal
processes, 31 illegal meetings or processions, armed
and unarmed, 231 injury to property, 23 firing into dwel-
lings, 20 injury to places of worship, 21 party demonstra-
tions, unarmed, and 30 being armed in a proclaimed dis-
trict. The return shews the enormous increase in the
number of agrarian outrages in January and February
last. The total in the former month was 391, and in
February 303. The following were the offences against
the public peace last month :—Demand or rob-
bery of arms, 7 ; appearing armed, 8 ; riots,
2 ; administering unlawful oaths, 104 ; intimi-
dation (by threatening letters or notices) 167 ;
otherwise, 51 • attacking houses, 5 : injury to property,
45 ; firing into' dwellings, 11; injury to ploces of worship,
3 ; being armed in a proclaimed district, 15. In addition
to these there was 1 murder, 1 atiempted assassination,
8 aggravated assaults, and 2 killing cattle. In a note it
is stated that the large number of unlawful oaths is ex-
plained as follows--Large parties of men, generally
armed, visited the houses of different farmers at night,
and swore them in some cases not to pay higher rent
than the Government valuation ; in others, not to pay
increased rent if demanded by their landlords. There
is strong reason to believe that the tenants themselves
encouraged these proceedings, with the view of effecting a
reduction, as they considered the rents too high. The
increase of intimidation by threatening notices or other-
wise is chiefly referable to a similar cause. The contribu-
tions demanded in each case were very small in amount.
They were chiefly exacted upon the occasion of the un-
lawful administration of oaths. Similar exactions were
indeed made upon similar occasions in the county of Sligo
in the previous month of December, but the precise MULL.
ber cannot be stated.