The Sun.
London, England, 1817-07-02 00:00:00

IRISH SHERIFFS.

The Earl of DONOUGHMORE, adverting tri the
notice which he ,had given of his intention this
day to bring the-subject of the appointment of the
High. Sheriff of Tipperary
_under their Lordships'
notice, stated, that upon *considetation he had
thought it the better course to embody ''hat he
hail to- say in the shape of a Resolution, .relative
to.the appointment of Irish Sheriffs generallyJle
would not trouble the House with an introductory-
..
speech, but teud his Resolution. The Nol:!e Earl
accordingly read the Resolntion,• which stated in
substance, that,
_,
It appearing:bythe reported debates in. Parliament, that
the responsible Ministers of the Crown had, in the course of
last Session, both in that and the other House of Parliament,
represented it to be theintottiOn of his Majesty's Gorern-.
ment to forego the patronage depending on the appointment
of Sheriffs in Ii eland, and to tender the appointment of She-.
riffs a subject of judicial proceeding, the fitness of the,petstin'
to be appointed being the chief consideration, according to
the practice in England :. .
And that it appearing that no act had been since done do
place the appointment of Sheriffs in Ireland on the same foot-
ing as the appointment of . these officers in England, except
that an intimation had been given by the Irish, Under Secre-
' tary of State to the Lord Chabeellor a Ireland, that it Was tlte
wish of Government that the appointment of Sheriffs.shonld
be conducted according to the ancient, practice, is licit esCi-
Wished the principle that, in making such appointmentS, tlke
• public interests, and not the private interests of individnals,
were to,be "consulted :
And that. it appearing that the justly reprobated- modern
practice still prevailed, as had been exemplified in the case of
the Sheriff of Tipperary, who hail excluded frorn'tbe Grand
Jury six most respectable Gentlemen, and put six others in
their place, for no other reason that appeared except the six
gentlemen 90 excluded might he less tavourably.disposed to-
wards the interests of the governing Party.:
And it appearing that Grand Juries in Ireland were in the
habit of making assessments to a very !large amount on land,
for,the repairing of roads and bridges, and other purposes ;
and that Ireland having, by the thoughtless profusion of
those who 'had the Inartagement.of fimlncesi ljecome unable
to pay its quota of the interest of the general expenses of the
nation ; and fhat, as Great -Britain was 4)l)liged to pay the
diterenee, it followed that the people of this country were
directly interested in preventintan undue-deduction iey tirand

•
:Juries fromthe general ftind for the exnenditure of the United.
Kingdom :
• r And that-it appearint; that in this country the Habeas
Corpus Act had been stispended, and that in Ireland Person's
micht •be transpOrtecrforl'vears without any trial by jury;
and that, therefore,* it of the greater consequence that
the laws that remained should be executed in the manner
no;t beneficial for the public; and .as the odic, of tilicritt
was the centre round which the admi4istration of jusCce re-
volved ; and as it was, therefore, nt thefast importance that
this office should be properly filled, in order to prevent. the
-stream Of justice fronibeing,poipped at its sou- cc, ,and rdnl
being as little as possible corrupied.,by private interests ot'"
Court intrignel that for ali,these iiasens, the *milt/
'earnestly supplicate the I!rinee liegent. to give such oirec-
tions as might he necessary for freeing the Sheriffs in Irelanti
appointed bya solemu decision of thc,3odges, called roger her
for that purmise by the turd Chancellor, they being as much
resptinSible for such appointments as fi,r any other judicial
act whatever.--The facts as to the Sheriff of "I:ipperary tee
was ready, to prove at ibe bar
23r1 of LIVRIIPOOL.-The Noble Earl him-
self could hardly be SttrpriSed that Ale opposed this
resolution—ls;.,. Because he thought that no rest).
on-die• Subject- was necessary and, 2dly,
Because; though a resolution had been required
as to the p4tieular suljeet of 'the appoittuent
of Sheriffs, the Noble. 'Earl's res.olutio, was not
such as-Ought to be a'rlonted. No abuse had been.
stated by the Noble-Eatl himself, cis far a the
Government. or the Judges were concerned ; and
without s;iying whet her the conduct of the-Sheriff
of Tipperary had 'or had not been correet;.it was
oh%ions that, in the• execution of the office of
Sheriff, misconduct might occasionally occur in
any country, in defiance of-the ,best possible bud
man regulations. The• Noble Earl's resdition,
instead of being confined to.t he sniper' question of
the appointment of Sheriff; embraced the whole
business of the Session, and could not be adopted
even if a resolution had been required. Bill with
respect to the question of the appointment of
Sheriffs, the state of the•case was this :--Accortl4.
ing to the late piaetice the appointm!nts had been
made by the Lord-Lieutenant, and this had been.
considered as an important part of tile Govern-
ment patronage but air that by possibility might
interfere with die due administration, of as it
niight possibly. create an impressiOn in- the public
mind that it did so interfere, be lath declared; awl
a Noble Friend of his bad declared in 'aliotiscr
place, that it •was.. their desire ft) give up this
patronage; and -to place the appointment of
Sheriffs 'in Ireland on the same tooting as
the appointment of Shiniffs in England.
structions had been accordingly given, but in
•
the. entering upon a 'new practice it was mit
sarnrising if some of the •Judges had a little
mistakeni•the proper mode of proceeding'. In
England, the. Judges on the circuit took the pro-
per steps to ascertain who were the-persons in the
counties best calculated for did exeia!ion cif the
Office of Sheriff.- .They might consult the' existing
Sheriff, but did not depend on his infoimation ex-
clusively; because if'they did, the Sheriff' woidd in
effect have the noniimation of iris successor. If
therefore,. the Irish Judges contented themselves
with the inforniation of the existing Sheriff. that

was a misapprehension of the rule. With respect
to the Sheriff of Tipperary, a rol! of three persons
had•becn given' in. Tire first on she: roll was, ac..
cording to the. usual pre!ice, appointed by the

Lord-tieotenant he .made an excuse; and 'then
the secomd• was appointed: he also wade an excuse;
and the third was appointed, who tilso itiat'e an
excuse ; and them the first on the roll was; ac-
cm ding to the regular cdurse, called upon •to•exe.
ewe the Offs: e. There could have been no 'tnis-

conduct,- therefore, on the part. of the Govern-
ment. lie 'concluded by repeating that it was
the wish and im'eution of.Governinent to place
the appointment of Sheriff: in Ireland 'on the satire
footing as the -/appointments to -that .offite hi
England. •
The Earl of DotiouofTmottEt disclaimed all in•
tention'toihrow any imputation on the Govern-
ment or the Judges'. tit even cast no iniptitation,
on the S;ieriti of Tipperary, except that he had
Dirt made- such a good selection of Grand Jury-
men as he might and utight to have dOne. In
other respect's he believed he.wis a good man anti
a good magi.tretre. The Noble Earl also stated,
that withrefereime to this subject of the appoint-
ment of regidation ought to be
made as to the Judges going upon Circuits; where
they might have opportunities of promoting-their
theirowu private and local interests.
The Resolution was then put, and negatived
without a division.
IRISH GRAND JURY PRESENTMENTS.

The Marquis Of LANSDOWNR that a
message be soot •to the Commons requesting them
'to cominunicate to the House of Lords the Report
of their Committee relative to prelentineuts.,by
'Grand Juries in Ireland ; which was ordered ac-
cordingly.