Star.
London, England, 1816-07-04 00:00:00

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dittOeities to givs itilikmatibit to Islagmmees
the distasteum of itch
peace. Or *to bear Watt:sone
them In a tont of jusPee, in the event of
dee mid triaL In come counties, par-
tici; a in Westmeath and Roscommon, the most
barbarous punishments were frequently inflicted upon
persOns of those who had thus rendeted them-
selves obnoxious, and tspori the persons of dreir rela-
fves.• From the general tenor which these proceed-
ing, occasioned; it became almost impossible to pro-
cure ninideCtOry evidence against the guilty. I-
frequently happened that the sufferers from such
atrocities as I have alluded to, when visited by a Ma•
gistrate, would depose only generally to the facts of
their having been perpetrated, and, not denying their
knowledge of the offenders, would yet steadily refine
to disclose theii names, or describe their persons,
from the fear of ruture asiditional injury to them-
selves or their relatives. Even where the parties ot-
,tendipg were deposed against and apprehended, there
was frequently Ate greatest difficulty in effecting
*sir conviction,' from the intimidation of witnesses,
and irt some cases of jurors. I fear few instances can
Be found of late, in the counties whiCh I have men-
timed, in which it has been possible• for witnesses,
having given evidence in favour of the Crown, on any
connectedwith the disturbance of the peace, to
remain secure in theirannal places of abode. In the
latter end of*the year 1818, a meeting of the Ma-
gistracy of the county of Westmeath took place, at
which eightem of ahar-body attended. They ad-
dressed a memorial to me respecting the state of that
county, which beers dale the 29th November; they
represented that frequent outrages were committed ;
that oaths-of increased malignity had been adminis-
tered; that three persons had been convicted on charges
of administering and taking an oath, one of the
obligations of which was “ to assist the French and
Bonaparte ;" and that the witness upon whose evi-
dence that conviction had taken place Pad been re-
cently murdered, under circumstances which were
alone sufficient to prove the alarming state of that
county. The memorial concluded with an earnest
prayer, that a proposition might be made to the Le.
gislature for the revival of the Insurrection Act.—
From evidence addaced on the trial of six persons
concerned in the murder alluded to in this memorial
(five of whom were capitally convicted), it was proved
that the murder Was committed by a party of eighteen
men, selected from a larger body, who assembled ip
divisions of twelve each from three separate parishes,
for the purpose of planning and perpetrating this
murder. I may also add, that nine persons were
shortly afterwards convicted on the same charges
with respect to the oath on which the convictions
mentioned in the memorial of the Magistrates took
place.
Similar meetings of the Magistrates of Waterford
and of tbs. Ring's County took place about the same
time, and I received from both representations of the
disturbed state of their respective counties, and earnest
appl.cation for MI increase to the military force sta.
toned in them. In the memorial wild) I received
from the King's County, which bore the signature of
sixteen Magistrates, it was stated, 14 that alarming
disturbances existed in that county, and the adjacent
parts of Westmeath; that almost every night houses
were plundered of arms; that they considered stronger
measures than those which could be resorted to under
the existing laws absolutely necessary ; and that the
re-enactment and enforcement of the Insurrection
Act would alone enable them to maintain tranquillity."
In the month of January, 1814, I received from
the Governors and twenty-eight of the Magistrates of,
the county of Westmeath a second memorial, urging
the necessity of the immediate revival of the Insur-
rection Act. In this county three murders had been
then recently'committed within the short space of a
month, two upon persons 'suspected of giving infor-
mation against offenders.
Your Lordship will recollect, that in the early part
of January, 1814, I felt it incumbent upon me to call
your attention to a representation made to you:. Lord-
ship by his Grace the Duke of Richmond, in the
month of August preceding, on the subject of the
disturbed state of a considerable portion of the inte-
rior of this country, and expressed my deep regret
that, notwithstanding the measures which had been
adopted by the Government, in concert with the
Commander of the Forces, and the general vigilance
and activity of the resident Magistrates in those parts
where the disturbances principally prevailed, no ef-
fectual progress had been made towatds the restora-
tion of tranquillity ; that the same spirit of outrage
and tendency to unlawful combination still existed in
many parts of the counties of Westmeath, Roscom-
mon, and the adjoining districts; and that the :e-
V:ins then recently received from the counties of Tip-
perary, Limerick, Kilkenny, and the King's County,
had produced repeated instances of a daring and sys-
tematic violation of the law.

I stated, that the principal abject of the misguided
persons WilQ were concerned iu the outrages which
bad been committed, appeared to be the collection of
arms, and the intimidation of all those who were
likely to ;ice information that might lead to their
apprehension and ciinVictions; ..*bat to such an extent
had this system of jfitimidation been carried, that the
most savage excesses had been committed, without
the possibility of apprehending those concerned in the
perpetration of them, on account of the reluctance
the sufferers, from-the fear of future injury, to etre
information against them.
I added, that I could not ascertain that the,varimis
cdnibinations which existed in different parts of the
country proposed to 'themselves any definite object of
a political nature; fior was there any evidence at all
conclusive that they acted under.the immediate guid-
ante of leaders of weight, either is point of talents or
-property.; and that although there bad appeared
symptoms of concert and co-operation in, some parts,
Bull I bad no reaion to believe that there was any !ge-
neral understanding between the combinations exist-
ing in the difeript confides.
stated, that it was impossible, hoverer, that sods
eembinatioas, although they rnightnot have any plan
well digested and arranged, aid were not is puree*
Of any common object, could betondderedotherwbe.
than as hightydangierous ; that they afforded a proof
of a eery paerat thspoiition among the lower mail
in those district in which they prevailed, to attempt
by force and intimidation 'the redress of What they
I •la b Welrknovre, stbai ins of elre oombloatlena graham:
these and ether iasebbeirina eelderived tier name el
" Carden* from the /sure of Übe- Somme witb.erldeit tfos, objects
of hi %grants were 'faked, and which conslsted In the begs.
don if their Wilk* with a Trost card, at mom Malta hatrakipte.