The Sun.
London, England, 1859-01-14 00:00:00

IL :BLAND.

DUBI SIN, THURSDAY MORNING.
MEETING OT LANDED PROPRIETORS.
Pursuant to a c- asto m in vogue during the more
stormy periods of . this country's history, the coming
meeting of the ParF,amentary session is to be pre-
ceded by a regu tar Irish demonstration, the objects
of which will b e fonul. embodied in the subjoined
documents whi ,e 1 i have been forwarded for publica-
tion in the M ail of this evening. It is almost diffi-
cult to belies', o th at, the noble and gentle projectors
of the movement ;an entertain a reasonable hope
that the leading 131 -ovisions of this new Reform Bill
can receive the countenance or support of any
Government, Tory Whig, or Radical. Some of the
suggestions look, r to doubt, very well on paper, but
great changes mu: ;t take place in the social condi-
tion of Ireland bef ore the British Legislature could
safely venture ur ion the hazardous scheme to be
debated in Dul din on the 27th of the current
month:—

(Circular.)
" Cotr.mittee-rooms, 30, Westmoreland-street,
Dublin, Jan. 12, 1859.
" Sir,—We loeg to inform you that a meeting of the no-
bility, gentry, and others interested in the peace and prospe-
rity of Ireland, will be held at the Round-room of the Ro-
tunda, in the city of Dublin, on the 27th inst., at 12 o'clock,
when your attendanceis particularly requested, and on which
c ccasion the Marquis of Downshire has kindly consented
) take the chair. The object of the meeting is to consider
th .e propriety of forming a permanent association for obtain-
in, such amendments in the law as may appear from time
to ,tirrie necessary for the better protection of life and pro-
perty in this country. This is an object in which it is ex-
pectcx 1 all classes will cordially unite. We enclose a state-
ment of the most important matters which will be submitted
for t he consideration of the meeting. It is also intended to
props .se measures for the encouragement of improving
tenan ts and the assistance of the labouring poor. The
comm ittee will feel obliged by an early reply, addressed to
Mr. J. Overend, at the committee-rooms, stating whether
they natty expect your attendance. The committee-rooms
will be open daily from 10 o'clock a.m. till five o'clock
p.m., -fort he purpose of affording information, and issuing
cards of admission to the meeting.
"We have the honour to be, sir, your obedient servants,
" GEORGE A. HILL, Honorary
"J. L. W. NAPER. f Secretaries.
" ' The provisional committee for convening a meeting
of the nobility, gentry, and others interested in the peace
and prosperity of Ireland, will submit the following mat-
ters for its consideration : _ _

"1. From the impunity which has for in?-1137 Years
attended the most atrocious agrarian crimes in this country,
and the recent revival of Riband-societies, and other illegal
combinations, it is manifest that the law needs to be
amended and rendered more effective for the protection of
life and property. This amendment is necessary, not alone
for the security of landlords who wish to improve their
estates, but also for the protection of the well-disposedamong the peasantry from the demoralising terrorism,
under the pressure of which they are coerced into an ap-
parent complicity with crime.
" ' 2. This impunity, which affords so much encourage-
ment to criminals, is to be ascribed chiefly to the sympathy
of the lower classes, extending to jurors, many of whom are
drawn from these classes, who cannot be expected to act
independently in any case which strongly excites popular
feeling, namely, small shopkeepers, publicans, and others,
.whose means of living might be destroyed or materially
diminished by the withdrawal of custom. It is, therefore,
important that there should be a higher standard of juror
qualification, and even with jurors of a better class the
venue should be changed in trials for agrarian crime to pre-
vent the possible risk of a failure of justice from local pre-
yudice or intimidation. It is also desirable that in criminal
tmses the Crown should have the right of requiring a special
urY•
' Stipendiary magistrates, who are specially charged
a nth the detection and prosecution of offenders, should be
ii ivariably men of education, energy, and ability ; cense-
uently they should be appointed and promoted according
to • a system founded upon some adequate test of capability
ax id merit. They should be strictly prohibited from engag-
in g in any other occupation, and where practical they
sh ould be bound to reside in the centres of their respective
di, ;tricts. The public interest absolutely requires that those
wh o are at present incompetent through age and infirmity
aho uld be compelled to retire, which many of them are now
entiitled to do, on full pay.
" 4. The commission of the peace should be given by
the authorities only to gentlemen whose station and cha-
ract 3r are such as to command the respect of the people,
and who possess a property qualification, such as is required
in : England, and the local magistrates should have the
earn e authority, privileges, and immunities in everything
coni lected with the discharge of their duties as those en-
joye d by the stipendiary magistrates.
" 5. As so much depends on the efficiency and fidelity
of ti ie constabulary, no constable should be appointed to the
forco without a certificate of good character from the magis-
trat us in petty sessions for the district where he resides ; and
as it is stated that considerable numbers, comprising the
best men of the force, have retired from it during the last
two or three years owing to the inadequacy of the pay, and
as, by the abolition of the revenue police, additional duties
have been imposed upon the constabulary, it is but just that
their pay should be raised in proportion to the importance
and extent of their duties. It is, moreover, unwise not to
give a constable extra pay when attending at assizes or '
quarter sessions, as he is thus indirectly interested in not
being concerned in the prosecution of offenders.
" 6. And inasmuch as Riband conspiracies are generally
concocted in low public-houses, more effective restrictions
should be placed on the granting of licenses ; publicans
should be compelled to post up conspicuously on their pre-
mises Government proclamations and police notices. The
license should be forfeited by any breach of this regulation,
and the same penalty should be immediately inflicted upon
any publican in whose house Riband lodges or other illegal
societies shall be proved to have been in the habit of meet-
ing. As a publican is by the nature of his business exposed
to undue influences, he should by law be ineligible to act as
Poor Law guardian, relieving officer, town commissioner,
or juror. And whereas, under colour of grocers' licenses,
numerous publichouses are virtually established, which are
subject to little or no control, the law prohibiting the sale
of spirits to be consumed on the premises should be strictly
enforced, and these houses should be subject to the same
control and supervision as in the case of publichouses.
" 7. The absence of power in grand juries to grant com-
pensation to the family in cases of murder, and to the indi-
vidual in cases of malicious personal injury, is a very seri-
ous defect in the law. It is just and expedient to enforce
such compensation in the same manner as for malicious in-
jury to property, and grand juries should be empowered to
decide on claims for it when rejected at the presentment
sessions on merely technical grounds, and to order an im-
mediate levy of all sums awarded as compensation for mali-
cious injury either to the person or property.
" ' 8. As the law for the punishment of those who har-
bour and conceal felons is not practically useful, the Lord-
Lieutenant, upon information given, should have power to
issue a proclamation calling on the accused party to sur-
render and take his trial, or, in default, all persons harbour-
ing him would be guilty of felony.
0. While we are anxious to see the laws repressing
crime made more effective, we are not unmindful of the ne-
cessity of improving the social condition and habits of the
humbler classes. The improvement of the dwellings of the
labouring population and of the small farmers of Ireland
aro matters of vital importance, and an association of per-
sons interested in property would feel it their duty as well
as interest to give their best consideration to questions bear-
ing so immediately on the means that may promote the
suppression of those secret societies which have hitherto
counteracted every effort towards amelioration.
" 10. In conclusion, the committee earnestly solicit the
co-operation of the landed proprietors in their respective
counties, and their attendance at the proposed meeting, so
that the matters mentioned may be fully discussed and con-
sidered, in order that they may be brought before Govern-
ment, in full confidence that the Imperial Legislature will
see the necessity of strengthening the hands of the executive
ifi the suppression of agrarian crimes.
" DOWNSIIIRE, Chairman.
" LORD GEORGE Hitt, Gweedore,
county Donegal, Hon.
" 'J. W. LENNoX NAPER, Esq., Secs.' "
Loughcrew, Oldcastle.
THE LAW APPOINTMENTS.
The Express of this morning announces that Mr.
Edmund Hayes, the Solicitor-General, is to be the
successor of the venerable Baron Pennefather in the
Court of Exchequer. The new judge filled the
office of Castle adviser during the brief Derby
Ministry of 1852. It is further announced that Mr.
John George, Q.C., is to be the Solicitor-General.
Mr. George represented the county of Wexford for
a few years, and was unexpectedly defeated at the
last general election by Mr. Hatchell, the present
liberal member.
TIIE IRISH VICEROYALTY.

The following is an extract from a London letter,
published in the .Derry Journal of yesterday. The
subject referred to has been a current topic in
I )üblin for several days past, and an article in the
Sunday organ of the late Ministry has given
strength to the rumour that some move is on the
tapir in the direction indicated :—" I have learned
that correspondence has been going on between
the Irish office here and officials—and others out-
side the official circle—on the subject of the Vice-
royalty, and from what has reached my ear I have
no hesitation in saying that the abolition of the
office is determined upon. Don't understand me
as saying that the Government will originate
a bill with this object in view. They will do no-
thing of this straightforward nature, but they are
aware that a bill shall be brought before the House
of Commons by an independent member—not
Mr. Roebuck this time—and the members of
the Government will give no opposition, either
in its incipient or other stages. So far, then, as the
Ministry arc concerned, the Lord Lieutenancy of
Ireland will cease to be one of the institutions of
the country before the close of another year."
THE ARRESTS.
The Cork Examiner learns from its Kilkenny
correspondent. that the brother of Gould, the in-
former, who swore informations against the parties
arrested at Cork, was sent from Kenmare to Dublin
Castle on Friday last. INlore arrests were expected
in Kenmare. Several parties, named as members
of the Phcenix Club, have left the country.
THE MURDER OF MR. ELY.
Accounts from Galway give the subjoined parti-
culars of the arrest on board the Circassian, just as
she was about to start on her voyage to America'
of a person suspected to be no other than the noto•
rious Delany, the alleged murderer of Mr. Richard
Ely. It is more than doubtful, however, whether
the party in custody is the real Simon Pure, al.
though it may be that he is one of those who, for
reasons best known to himself, was anxious to
leave his country for his country's good. The
Vindicator says :—" The neighbourhood of the
docks was plentifully sprinkled on Monday with
jiolicemen, in coloured clothes, and all manner of
ingenious 'make up' Many of them were so artis-
tically costumed, representing various trades, call-
ings, and vocations, that the old saying that their
own mothers wouldn't know them' might be safely
applied to their cases. The reason of this was said