Star.
London, England, 1831-04-14 00:00:00

OATH/ 1M EXCMS ♦III) CUSTOMS.

Lord NUGENT, In moving for leave to bring in a bill to abo-
lish oaths in the collection of the excise and custom duties, said,
it wa■ admitted by the competent authorities that such oaths were
wholly useless as to protection of duty, and were • profanation of
the Deity. They were found to diminish the natutal regard for
truth. Within the last twelve months there were taken in ens.
toms 101,696 oaths, and the excise 194,612. (Hear, hear.)And in many cases oaths sere administered to the parties accused or
suspected, and by this means they lied lost all influence and were eon-
sidered as a mere matter of form, and gave no protection to the rc.
venue. (Hear, hear.) The Boards of Customs and Excise wit-
littgly concurred in the abolition of all such oaths, and the bill he
meant to introduce was drawn up on the authority of the Solicitors
of those Boards. The general opinion in the country was, that
persons were hired so swear to facts of which they were wholly
ignorant, or known to be untrue. He believed the practice of hiring
persons to swear to what they knew to be false was not common ; but
that persons sweari-g to what they could not know to be true was very
comition. The proposal of the Bowl of Customs was to abolish oaths
and substitute declarations with penalties of 1001 annexed (bear). The
person. longest acquainted with these boatels told him, they never
knew • prosecution for perjury for the violation of those oaths, and they
considered them no security; of course the security to the revenue would
be increased by the penally. The noble lord concluded by moving for
leave to brit:lain a bill to abolish the taking of oaths in the collection
of the customs and excise duties.
Mr. O'CONNELL congratulated the country on this commence-
ment of the abolition of thatsystem of abomination and perjury which
had engrafted itself on all the institutions of the country. He hoped
the inquiry would go farther, and that all unnecessary oaths would be
abolished in the Universities, and that the youth of the country would
not be familiarized with the profanation of the name of the Deity.
Leave given to bring in the BBL ,

STATE OF SUMAS!).
Mr. O'BRIEN rose to perform what he considered a painful duty to
bring forward, the measure of which he bad given notice, regarding the
state of Ireland. He had some diffidence in entering on the subject, as
he having alibis family connections and relatives in that country, it might
perhaps be Insinuated that be was impressed with interestedmotives. The
disturbances that existed in Irelard were well Its own ; he reed not eru-
nitrate in particular the County of Clare. because the sante outrages
would shortly extend themselves to every other county in that kit g-
dom. The bonoutable member said, that ht brought with him several
provincial papers, which gave accounts of the present state of affairs its
Ireland • and he was softy to say, that bad as these accoutas wire, by
private letters which he had received, it was certain that these accounts
were nowise exaggerated. The honourable member then reed an ex-
tract from a Limerick paper, we believe, which has already gone the
round of the papers, detailing the daring attacks upon the dwelling.
houses of the gentry in open day. and th fact of families being com-
pelled to leave their country houses, and to seek shelter in the towns.
He had brought a number of private letters with him that he had
received on the subject. but be would only read one of thin'. T'e
honourable member read the letter, wbieh stated, that the organ se-
' Uon of insurrection was complete in the country, and the writer
gave it as his opinion, that now nothing but an increase of con -
stabulary and military would put down the disturbance, for we..
cion was the only means that would be found effectual. Bodies of men,
amounting to 3,000 or 4.1100, were in the habit of attacking houses in
the middle of the day. To deny that the country was not now in a state
of open rebellion, was contrary to fact; and where it would end baled
fancy to imagine The Insurrection Aet being put in force he feared
would not now be sufficient, for when the guilty persons were perfectly
ktoun, there was no one who would dare to come forward and give
evidencetheagyzinenstwteehernha.vgAbleenagistitesperpetimighatart masts
oessineriers, tbehighbuwargkey thoset
whom ,
and all other delinquencies, at midday. but they bad not the poster
to arrest' them. Depredations the most daring took place within a
quarter of a mile of military stations. One -Instance bad occurred
wiitin a little way of the house of the Hen. liksaftses father, en
a house considered one if the best barricaded Maslow in the
country. At midday the house was attackedvand fifteen steed
of arms were taken away ; and in half an hour after, when the alarm
was given, no one could be found who would doe to say eves in what
dirtrion the depredate/a had made their room. ♦ hwtaight pee it
had been petitioned for that the Insunewit n Act shouterbe plain festee
but I; had not been granted ; if it had, it would have prevented all the
disturbance that had since occurred, and have saved much bloodshed.
He did not now ask for the operation of the Insurrection Act, but he
asked for some law to prevent the ravages that were existing. He had
been led to understand that the prevailing opinion in London was to
siscrbe the cause of these commotions to the conduct of the landlords;
but, from his own knowledge of the real state of affairs' be thought
that the landlords there were no worse than those of London or any
where else. (Hear.) He did not stand up to screen those who might
be guilty of opptesston, but he would ask the House to appoint a
Committee of Inquiry, and to call evidence to enable them to
judge for themselves. If it were asked what was the cause, he would
say it was the poverty of the people. The poverty of the people had
no parallel in any other civilized community, and the evil had been
alarmingly increased by the effects of religious and political excitement,
until they had been led to believe that there was no effective govern.
went in the country. lie would ask the Government what they meant
to do ? and if they would give him leave to have a committee to inquire
into the state of the country. Emigration was one mode of relief that
had been proposed, and another was colonization for the cultivation of
waste lands; but neither of these would do much good. He was of
opinion that the most efficient mewls would be found in a modified
system of poor laws. Tile honourable member concluded by moving
for the production of a paper—the copy of the memorial that had
been presented front tl.e county of Elate, regarding the disturbances
in Ireland.
M r. STANLEY expressed his surprise that the hon. eentleman should
have concluded with merely moving for that paper, To Its production
there could be offered no reasonable objection. and he (Mr. Stanley) ac-
knowledged, that the representations of the disturbed coadition of the
country were perfectly correct. The hon. gentleman had done the go-
vernment justice in his statement, in admitting that it had not been pre.
cipitate in calling Into force the Insurrection Act, which was a measure
that ought never to be resorted to but in cases of extreme neces.
shy. The HOD. Secretary said that government had resorted to
every mild measure • they had augmented the constabulary force,
and had increased the number of the magistracy. He did not wish
to say any thing disrespectful, but he could rot help expres-
sing his disapprobation of the conduct of those gentlemen who, instead
of strengthening the bands of goverment, had aband stied their hom.*:
it was setting a baneful example to those of smaller ;,ossessiens in
the country. The precautionary measure of government, of in.
creasing the number of the magistrates, nut having ar.awered the pt.r.
pose, the Lord Lieutenant had taken a personal excursion ipso the
country, and they were now waiting for Ins repot, for on it would
depend much, whether or not the government ',timid consider it fleece.
sary to come down to the house and a•k to have rt course to extreme met-.
sures. It appears d to be a war of the lower against the high, r cut Its,
and which the hon. gentleman had acknowl.di:ed was in a gr..sr it essure
caused by political and religious excitement-, and yet he reflected on
ministers, because they had not, on the first blush of discontent, re.
sorted to the operation of the Insurrection Act; and now lie called for
come more vigorous measure. The measure must be vigorous indeed,
if the hon. gentleman was not to be contented with the insurrection Act.
The Hon. Secretary proceeded to explain the !towels of the Act, which,
be said, although it created no new offences, gave increased facility
towards speedy conviction. He had hoped that else honourable gest.
Haman, when he made his motion, would have suggested to parlia-
ment some remedy; but he (Mr Stanley) thought, that in nothing
but extreme cases should the Insurrection Act be enforced, which he
(Mr. Star.ley) did not hesitate to ackno-ledge was a most unconsii.
tutional Act. The honourable gentleman had said, that he con.
sidered that a modified system of poor laws would be hentficialetttelie
(Mr. Stanley) did not know what he meant by a a modified system of
poor laws; but from the statements that had been made it would ap-
pear, that poor-rates could only be applied effectively so u that every
person out of employment should be employed at public works, at the
expense of the parish, which would only tend ultimately to impoverish
the stock which was destined to yield the support. He would not op.
pose the motion of the hon. member.

Mr. kIACNAM ABA made a few remarks which were not audible.
Mr. M.IUIIIOE O'CONNELL said, he felt considerable embar-
rassment in presenting himself for the first time to the Hunouraule
House ; but the motion of Mr. O'Brien was to him (Mr. Al. O'Cun.
nell) one of great importance, as he had the honour of representing the
great body of the people agast whom the Hon. Member had teeny et
&reward so grave a charge, the county of Clare. He did not deny
the existence of the disturbances, but he said that the remedy lay on
the very surface of society, and was easily applied. True it was that
disorganization had taken place, and that outrages and disturbance.
were prevalent, one great cause of which was, that in that pain:war
district a great portion of the land was laid out In grazing, d
when it was let out to a grazier, it was necessary, in course of cultiva-
tion, to turn portions of it into crop by rotation ; and as getting posses-
sion of land was the only prospect that the peasantry had of obtaining a
living, they were always ready to take it. The absentee rent ntil in the
county of Clare amounted to 200,0001. this was Itft in the hands of
agents, who let the land out to extensive greziers, and the land to be
turned to crop was put to auction, and knocked down to the highest
bidder. This information had been furnished him (Mr. Maurice
O'Connell) not only by his constituents, but from gentlemen of the
strictest honour and integrity, who resided in the vicinity. The land
would be knocked down at seven, eight, ten, or twelve guii.eits
an acre of one or two years' crops, and when the land was ob.
tained and sown, the poor lessees came over to England with
their thews and sinews, such as they were, and toiled at what
they could get employment in, and if they succeeded in raising the rent
it was so far so well, but if not, the absentee's agent cared nothing about
it, for be kept possession of the crop u security, and would not allow
them to lift a single potatoe until the rent was paid. The people of
England would not suffer such a state of things--they had already
shown how little they would endure of privation. Ever since the
alteration that took place prior to the election in 1828, the county
of Clare had been the very reverse of what it had been before.
Owing to the effects of the Act that then came into force, which
affected the 40a. freeholder,, of his own knowledge sixteen families had
been turned out by absentees' agents, and been hying by the road sides
and sleeping in ditches. This was a strong statement, but he re.
greeted to say that it was a true one. He would go a little far-
ther. The bon. member hit Hanle had said, that if the extreme inter-
ference of the magistrates had been used eight weeks ago, all the dis-
turbances would have been saved; but he (Mr. O'Connell) was certain
that the magistrates of Clare were not fit to be entrusted with such ex.
creme power. There were certainly amongst them men of the highest
respectability, but there were °theta who had not that claim to respecta-
bility. (Hear hear.) One individual was at the bead of the Po-
lice Constabulary force, and at the same time held the Office of
Magistrate ; and lie was in the habit of going out to apprehend
individuals, and afterwards sitting on them in the capacity of
judge, so that he acted in the double capacity of prosecutor and magis-
trate. It wee no uncointrin. occurrence that twenty-five persons had
been taken up by this constable magistrate, or this magistrate con-
stable and had been kept for a fortnight, and then discharged, without
an information against them having ever been sworn to. In a certain
district of the county, it war no uncommon occurrence that the 'liege-
uates sat in judgment in their own houses, and were in the habit of
consulting with their wives when they came to a difficulty as to how
they Should devout of a pitsontr, and whatever the good lady said
decided the fate of the pi isoner. On those par scalars he (.%!r. O'Con.
nell) had certain intormatien trim a respec able clergyman who had
given evidence before that hunourable house. He considered dn.(
they were not as a body, men to be entrusted with the admiuissration art
justice. Some years ago a gehtleinan mine to the comity of Clare. woo
commenced to institute schools for religious inatt uctirio (a Mr. Stevehs),
who cogrosi-etl gnat intluenc., and scot agents about to u.ducc the
people to send their children to the school: ; but it was not th..r
fathers' retiAit.n that was i.oight to th,ni, sii.o the pareirs refused u
Tarty sere u.eu told that if they did not hey mu,. lure their

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