The Sun.
London, England, 1835-03-13 00:00:00

13ring in the Bill that an opportunity might be afforded to re-
fer it to the same Committee.—Leave given.

BRIBERY AT ELECTIONS—WITNESSES' IN-
DEMNITY BILL.
Mr. W. H. ORD, in moving for leave to bring in a Bill to
indemnify witnesses giving evidence before Parliamentary
Committees in cases of bribery, said that as a
Bill for a similar purpose had been lost last year in the other
House upon matters of form, and as the present bill
contained provisions of the same nature, he hoped that
under these circumstances, he would not meet with any oppo-
sition in bringing in the present bill. In this hope he would
not trouble the House farther, but would merely move for leave
to bring in the bill.—Leave granted.

RATHCORMAC AFFAIR.
Mr. DOBBIN, pursuant to notice, begged leave to move
that a copy of the proceedings had at an investigation, held at
Armagh, of the transactions which took place at Keady, in the
county of Armagh, between the Magistrates, the police, and
she Orangemen, on the sth November last, with all the docu-
ments connected therewith, be printed and laid on the table of
the House; also a copy of the proceedings of an investigation
held also at Armagh, of the transactions which took place at
Keady, between the police and the country people, in collect-
ing the arrear of tithe due to the Rev. James Blacker, wherein
one man was killed and several wounded, with a copy of the

inquest.
Sir H. HARD LNG E said it was not in his power to grant
the first of these papers at the present moment, the Crown So-
licitor having taken those very papers away with him in order
to institute proceedings at the Assizes against such persons as
in his opinion might have been in error.
After a few words from Mr. FINN,
Mr. LITTLETON thought the papers asked for should
not be refused.

Sir H. HARDINGE was not objecting to give the papers
at all ; but until the intended trials were over he thought they
should not be produced. Besides, as he before said, he had
not the papers in his possession at the p7sentmr,ment.
Mr. H. GRATTAN spoke with cons!de:dole warmth and
at some length against the interference of the Orange party in
Ireland. He held in his hand a l':,:cter from his own agent 4,71
Ireland, a grave steady char-,:ter, which gave fearful evidence
of the existence of th:s e:,:,1.

Sir R. PEEL *:sas almost sorry that the Hon. Gentleman
bad not substit:ated for some parts of his address, the substance
of the eem.inunication he had received from his agent, who, it
appeared, was a very grave and steady character; and he had
no doubt that what he said would have been more to the pur-
se than some of the Member's observations.—( Hear, hear.)
The Hon. Member who originated this motion moved for two
sets of papers—the latter of these papers referred to a case in
-which no judicial proceeding had been commenced ; rewards
bad been offered by proclamation for the discovery of the de-
linquents, but without success. Now the paper relating to
this transaction his Right Hon. Friend was prepared to give.
But on the other motion relating to transactions upon which trials
were now pending, he hoped the Hon. Member opposite
would postpone that part of his motion for the present, and not
press for papers the production of which might frustrate the
en4s of justice.—( Hear, hear.)
-Mr. ROEBUCK said that though all the papers were
moved for to-night, it did not follow that they should all be im-
mediately produced. Let their production be acquiesced in
now, and they could be produced at the proper opportunity.
Sir R. PEEL said an order of the House of Commons for
papers ought to be immediately complied with.
Mr. DOBBIN acquiesced in the suggestion of the Right
Hon. Baronet, and withdrew the first part of his motion.
The second part of the motion having been read and put
from the Chair,
Sir H. HARDINGE said that the Hon. Member would
have an opportunity on the production of the papers of
proving all his charges, and would see that every step consistent
with the preservation of the public peace and the vindication of
justice was taken by the Government.—( Hear.)
Mr. DOBBIN would consent in that case to withdraw his
motion.—( No, no, frees the Irish agitators.)
The motion was then agreed to.
Mr. DOBBIN-00 moving the third part of his general
motion—namely, for a copy of the proceedings had at an inves-
tigation held at Armagh on the transactions which took place
in that town and neighbourhood on the 15th of January
last, and the following week, during which period several
houses in town were wrecked, and fourteen Catholic
houses burned in the neighbourhood by a body of Orange-
men, together with the several papers connected there-
with, and that the whole be printed for the information
of the Members of that House--said, there were between
1,000 and 1,600 Orangemen marched into the town
of Armagh with the banners and signs of their Order,
to the dismay of the population, and disorder ensued.
The Honourable Member opposite, the Gallant Colonel,
was at the time being chaired throughout town. He was
ashamed of the proceedings, and he abandoned it. That
proceeding of the Orangemen was the origin of all the dis
turbance that ensued. About one hundred and forty houses
of the Catholics were wrecked, and on the next day fourteen
houses were burned to the ground.—(" Oh, oh," and loud
murmers of dissent from the Ministerial side.) The Hon.
Baronet spoke of the cordial union of Catholics and Protes-
tants in that part of the country as evidence of the exaggera-
tion of the statements put forth by the friends of Liberal prin-
ciples on the present occasion. He (Mr. Dobbin) would be
happy to concur with him if he could. The Hon. Member
then read a letter from a gentleman from Armagh in support
of his position.
Sir H. HARDING E said every effort of the Irish Go-
vernment was directed to discountenance those exhibitions of
party feeling and party strength—(Loud cries of " Hear")—
and what was more, to bring to retributive justice those indi-
viduals that transgressed the law, and disturbed the public re-
pose.--( Cheers.) Government instituted an inquiry when
the facts were laid before it ; what more could be expected
from it ?—( Hear, hear.) He should state, in contradiction
to the averments of the Honourable Member, that in place
of fourteen houses having been burned, only seven were shown
to hale been burned. Was it not sufficient to call for the
eno:airy ? What more could be expected at present ?
Lord MANDE VILLE next addressed the House. There
was no foundation for the accusation. The investigation was
about a brawl at a public-house. He (Lord Mandeville) at-
tended the investigation, and he could assure the House that
there was no evidence whatever that the outrage was perpe-
trated by Orangemen ; on the contrary, there was distinct
evidence that the rioters were not Orangemen.—( Cheers
from the Ministerial Benches.) The history of these
feuds was this :—At races held before this outrage, a party
of Catholics had surprised and attacked a body of Orange-
men who were not prepared for and did not expect any
hostility from their opponents.—( Hear, hear, hear.) Ano-
ther race was held in another part of the county soon
after, and the Protestants came prepared for their defence.
There the Catholics again mustered strong, and having
provoked the Protestants there ensued la second fight,
in which the Catholics were worsted. Then came the races
of Armagh. The Lord-Lieutenant got intimation that a riot
was meditated, and issued an order for the suppression of the
races. After this the Catholics, animated by a strong feeling
of animosity towards the Protestants, absolutely went about
marking each obnoxious Protestant for vengeance. One Pro-
testant and his daughter on going to church were waylaid,
and beaten to such an excess that their lives were despaired
of. The houses of other Protestants were subsequently at-
tacked and absolutely wrecked. Then the Protestants took
fire, and naturally. This was the origin of the disturbances
now complained of. There were as many as six wounded
Orangemen, the victims of Catholic outrage. The conse-
quence was, that the Protestants turned out and burned seven,
not fourteen, houses -of the Catholics. After that 400 Ca-
tholics, all armed, turned out and attacked the Protestants in-
discriminately. The Protestants, to the number of 300,
turned ?out next, and repelled the invasion on their houses,
property, and lives. The case was brought before the Irish
Government, and an investigation was ordered. The Lord-
Lieutenant, whose duty it was to act impartially, summoned
only the Magistrates who belonged to one party, the Catholic
party.—( Hear, hear.) He absolutely excluded Magistrates
who were known to be friendly to the Protestant party.—
( Cheers from the Opposition.) When it was a complicated
inquiry, involving the interest of two parties, why, he would
ask, should the inquiry be conducted by the partisans on one
side only? The Lord Lieutenant's conduct was highly re-
prehensible. He selected his own Court, formed his own
tribunal, selected his own witnesses—for even the witnesses
were all chosen from one side, to the utter exclusion of re-
butting evidence. He did more—he made the investigation a
scant and partial one.—( Hear, hear.) He excluded th public
press--there was no official reporter admitted..—the reporters
for the press, were excluded—all was done within closed doors,
and by the organs of a particular party. The Noble Lord
proceeded to make other observations directly contradictory of
the statements of some Hon. Members of the Repeal party,
which were very indistinctly heard in the Gallery.
Mr. F. O'CONNOR said that the Noble Lord had de-
clared the Catholics were armed, and therefore it was neces-
sary the Protestants would drive the Catholics into the sea, if
they got one good field day.—( Hear, and laughter.)
" Words were but wind,
While actions spoke the mind."
When he saw the defenders of the Orangemen on the Treasury
benches he could expect little conciliation, little relief, to the
Irish people. The Right Hon. Secretary, Mr. Blackburn,
attended the tithe levy, not as a Magistrate, yet he was a
Magistrate, and attended a scene where thirty-seven police-
men were let loose on the people. He had no confidence in
the declaration of Government that the gret aim was to put
an end to party feeling in Ireland. He had no confidence in
the late Government, for their professions were falsified by
their acts. They gave him a Commission, and when they put
him to the trouble of the inquiry they did nothing.—( Hear
and laughter.) The Orangemen were now become too
powerful to be interfered with. He had no confidence, there-
fore, in the present Administration, nor in any Administra-
tion. His confidence was in the pressure from without.—
( Hear, hear. ) .
Mr. C URTE IS said Magistrates should not be employed
in the collection of tithes due to themselves.
Sir R. PEEL said on the production of the papers in the
present case, the determination of the Government as to the
attendance of Magistrates on such missions would be explained
to the House. It would then appear that the view of Govern-
ment was that neither Magistrates, interested parties, nor
Clergymen should attend tithe levies.—( Hear.)
Sir H. HARDINGE wished the time of the House to be
spared from those angry discussions between opposite parties.
—(Vestr..heat.)l Their conduct was strictly impartial, and, as
a g. psteviclence,pf-i , the Noble Lord behind him (Nlande-
ville)ituiid theCloier ent had erred on one side, that was,
I",\
--byfpurfrping a course of; he most rigid impartiality.—( Cheers
(7tfrom -Elie Ministorial•be es. )
--Dl,-.kUSIIINGIVI thought that on one point at least
Ariginitti out of., ft sent discussion there could be no dif-
1, klente ini "•' e meant that if the assertions of the
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