The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-07-27 00:00:00

COUNTY TIPPERARY.

MALICIOUS DESTRUCTION OF MR. ZACHARIAH LEDGER'S
DWELLING-HOUSE AND PROPERTY BY becomes
our duty to-day to record the total and wanton destruction
of Mr. Zachariah Ledger's dwelling-house, at Kilbreedy,
in this county, with all the property it contained—this dar-
ing act of iucendiatism having been perpetrated between the
hours of twelve and one o'clock on the night of Saturday
last. The particulars of this occurrence, us we have ob-
tained them from unquestionable authority, appear to be as
follow :
" Between the hours mentioned a large party of fellows
surrounded the house, (which was a thatched one,) and com-
menced to set fire to it in various places at the same moment.
They then fired several shots, and demanded arms, but Mr.
Ledger replied, that he would never deliver his arms up
while he hid a finger to put a trigger to.' As the flames in-
creased, the demand for the arms became more pressing; but,
still, Mr. Ledger firmly continued to refuse, saying, 'he would
only give them up with his life.' His ruffianly assailantsthen
informed him, that their intention was `to burn him alive in

the house.' At this moment, a portion of the roof fell, filling
the interior with smoke and burning embers. Mr. Ledger
then opened one of the doors with a view as the wind was
blowing from the north, to relieve himself from the smoke
and thereby prevent suffocation, as well as to comply with
the entreaties of the servants io take chance outside. He still,
htc wtthin, until every atom of
the roof had fallen in, and until the heat and smoke
it no longer endurable; but should have long before given
way, if it were not that he was well supplied with water to
drink. Having now arranged with his son, and the two other
men who happened to be house at the time, to fight
their assailants outside, the ivaole four sallied forth, and, after
a severe struggle, succeeded in capturing one of them, named
David Lynch, who is now safely lodged in the Blideweli of
Charleville, in forcing the entire banditti to seek refuge by
flight, and in taking from them two blunderbusses and a pow-
der-horn ! The house, furniture, bedding, clothes, and every-
thing else it contained, were entirely consumed by the flames."
Those are, as we have said, shortly the particulars. It will
not be denied, that they bear melancholy evidence of a state
of society in this county which cannot much longer continue;
and particularly so when all the circumstances of Mr. Led-
ger's case arc duly considered. It will be recollected by our
readers that the present is the second attack that has been
causelessly made on this respectable and unoffending gentle-
man; but, perhaps, we should not say causelessly, for Mr.
Ledger and his family are protestants, and to be of that per-
suasion in those times constitutes a high "crime and misde•
meanour." The first took place in the month of February
last. At that time he was savagely beaten, and left for dead,
weltering in his blood on the floor of the very house in which
the attempt was now made to burn him alive. His two sons
also, (young men of undaunted spirit and bravery,) were then
very near losing their lives; but succeeded, with the aid of
their neighbours, in capturing one of their assailants, Sub-
sequently another of the fellows was apprehended; and, at
the spring assizes, upon the evidence of Mr. Ledger, his sons
and assistants, they were both found guilty and sentenced to
transportation for seven years. If any cause could be assigned
for the present attack, we suppose it would be, because the
Messrs. Ledger had the hardihood at that time to come
forward to prosecute fellows, who, if Providence had not
interposed, would have taken away their own lives.—Limerick
Standard.

ROBBERY OF FIRE Ares.--0n la-st Sunday between the
hours of eleven and twelve o'clock, two men, armed with a
case of pistols each, forced themselves into the house of
Joseph Palmer, Esq., near Bantiss. Mr. Palmer was at
church, but there was a small boy, two maidservants and the
children in the house at the time. One of the fellows pre-
sented a pistol at the nursery maid, and ordered her to
take the children into the closet, and not either stir or speak
a word, or he would blow her brains out; when he got them
in he locked the door and put the key in his pocket. In the
mean time, the second ruffian disposed of the other woman in
a similar manner. They then commenced searching the
house. They broke open trunks and boxes, and ransacked
drawers; took a case of pistols and a blunderbuss, with about
twenty guineas, and seemed not to entertain the least fear of
disturbance. The small boy, who was the first to discover
their approach, upon which he secreted himself in the stair-
hole; hearing them singing and cursing up stairs, emerged
from hiding place, and forcing himself out th-rough a little
back window, ran in the shade of some trees, and gave
alarm. A gentleman, whose name we have not yet learned,
ascertaining the cause of the boy's uproar, hastily proceeded
towards Mr. Palmer's, with a loaded gun. As he came in
view of the house, the robbers were very leiusurely departing.
lie quickened his pace, hoping to come up to them, but one
of the fellows happening to turn round at the moment he es-
pied hint, and gave his comrade the alarm. They both then
set off at the top of their speed, and the gentleman after
them straining every nerve. He was gaining considerably
on the larger man of th? two. The miscreant finding him-
self closed on, suddenly wheeled round, and snapped a pistol
at his pursuer, but fortunately the weapon hung fire. The
gentleman then covered the fellow with his gun, and he
again betook himself speedily to his heels. Following his
comrade, he shaped his course in shelter of a large ditch,
doubled into a bog, and succeeded in eluding pursuit. In
the room in which the nurserv-maid was locked there was the
price of a horse which Mr. Palmer had sold on the previous
day. Though the police were soon on the spot, and made a
vigilant search, no trace of the robbers could be discovered.
—Nenayh Guardian.

BRUTAL OUTRAGE.—On Friday last a brutal outragekeas
committed near Galbally, in the county of Tipperary, on an
unoffending young man, named Mahony ; but whether to
designate it as murder, manslaughter, or homicide, we know
not, as the authorities will do so as may best suit their pur-
poses. It seems he was on that day at the annual pattern,
held at the neighbouring church-yard of Clonbeg; and on
his return home, he was followed by four fellows, who attacked
and beat him in a most savage manner, and then left him in
this mutilated state to die by the road side. Had they dis-
patched him at once it would have been a mercy. It rarely
happens that this pattern passes off without some disgrace-
ful outrage. Every 20th of July, the votaries of the patron
saint, whose name or the period when he flourished, are
alike unknown, assemble to do honour to his memory by
fighting and drinking, from which we must suppose him to
have been a jolly and pugnacious fellow. Tents are erected,
and whiskey and gingerbread sold in the vicinity of the
churchyard. around which thousands of the people assemble,
some anxiously engaged in going through their purgation,
by going on their bare feet and knees round the churchyard.
On this occasion Major Wilcox and a party of police at-
tended to preserve the peace, and were obliged to remain on
the spot most of the night. Father Nl`Cormack, of Galbally,
also was in attendance, and greatly exerted himself to in-
duce the people to disperse early, in which he was partially
successful. If he could use the same exertions for its sup-
pression, and that he were seconded in them by the ma-

...... .... ........--
.
,istrates and authorities, it would be effecting much good.
If he would have the blessed well filled up, it would be going
'ar to attain this object, and he could do this easily.—
Limerick Standard.

COUNT`
Between the hours of eig. e o'clock in the even-
ing of yesterday week, an body of men, with their
faces blackened, entered the house of a man named Martin
Ryan, at Longford, in this county, and severely wounded in
the head Oliver Boyd, a carpenter in his employment, for
working under contract, after which they fired several shots
and departed. A man of the name of Hayes was murdered
at the late fair of Ballybrood A farm-house near Herberts-
town was maliciously burned down on Friday night.—Lime-
rick Standard.

COUNTY MONAGHAN.
OUTRAGE ON THE ULSTER CANAL.—On the night of the
Ist instant, or early on the following morning, fourteen bar-
rows on the Ulster Canal works, in the townland of Tully-
kinny, parish of Drumsnatt, and county of Monaghan, were
cut and broken in a most wanton and malicious manner.
They were the property of William Darragin, Esq., the
contractor, who has offered a reward of fifty pounds' for the
discovery of the person or persons who committed the same.
On the following day, Mr. Darragin received a threatening

FRIDAY MORNING, JULY 27, 1838.

The Publication of the STANDARD commenced this
morning at 5 o'clock.

THE CONFEDERATION OF GAUL.—We have in ano-
ther column given an abstract of a most extraordinary
document, recently published by Messrs. Ridgway, of
Piccadilly, which is said to have been obtained from
the secret archives of the Russian government. The
monstrous extravagance of the project to which it re-
lates is by no means to be considered as an argument
against its authenticity. The well-known hostility of
of the Autocrat to the present dynasty in France, and
the equally notorious ambition of his views, are suffi-
cient to account for the approval bestowed upon so
wild and stupid a scheme. The editor, in a letter
which appears in the Times, strongly asserts the
genuineness of the document, which, he says, " will
be one day recognised." Indeed, we cannot help re-
th.t. it ouutoic,ilato,retil oviclonoo, or n very
powerful character, who proves that it was drawn up
under the direction of the Emperor Nicholas. It is
cunningly contrived for the purpose of embroiling the
west of Europe, and calculated to excite a considerable
degree of jealousy among the reigning monarchs of
that part of the continent. But England has other
objects to contemplate in connection with the aggres-
sions of Russia. The operations of this gigantic
power in the East must engage the attention of our
government far more than this stupid scheme for the
dismemberment of France.

STATE OF IRELAND.—There is no topic upon which
the Whig-Radicals claim a larger share of credit, or
sound forth more loudly their own praises, than the
boasted " tranquillity" of Ireland. Our readers will
be able to form some conception of the actual state
of that country from the details which we have given
in another column, and which we shall follow np in
our next publication. The outrages which are com-
mitted, front day to day, in that distracted country,
are such as to excite the utmost astonishment at the
audacity of a ministry who base their claims to popu-
larity upon the administration of " justice to Ireland."
A pretty sort of justice is that which deprives the Pro-
testants of all protection to life or property, and which
rewards and encourages the most barbarous cut-throats
that ever disgraced humanity.

THE POST-OFFICE BlLL.—This scandalous piece of
Whig jobbery, which we have already denounced, was
again brought before the notice of the House of Com-
mons on Tuesday evening, when an unsuccessful
attempt was made by the Conservatives to prevent its
being carried into execution. The change which the
bill introduces into the management of the Post-office
will cost the country as dearly as the other schemes
set on foot by our " virtuous" ministry, for the pur-
pose of giving themselves an increased dispensation
of patronage. It will entail an additional burden of
of £l9OO. per annum on the public, without conferring
any imaginable advantage as an equivalent. Alto-
gether it smells most rankly of Whiggism. It is a
fresh expedient for strengthening the influence of the
ministry. The plea that this change is necessary in
order to carry into effect the contemplated alterations
in the economy of the Post•oflice is both absurd and
fallacious. What is there to prevent the introduction
of a cheap postage under the present system of ma-
nagement ? The alterations which have been recom-
mended by the select committee will very materially
simplify the business of the Post-office. If any change
is needed, then, it should be a reduction of the present
number of officials. We feel assured that the bill will
never pass, even through the House of Commons, in
its present shape. If it should, the House of Lords
will most assuredly reject it.

THE IRISH POOR-LAW BlLL.—This important mea-
sure came down for reconsideration in the House of
Commons on Tuesday evening, when the amendments
introduced into the bill in the House of Lords, were,
after a little vapouring on the part of the Speaker,
echoed by Lord John Russell, with some trifling
exceptions, agreed to without any division. • Now
that it has passed through this final ordeal we re-
joice to find that its rating clauses have been so
framed as to "dovetail" with the enactments of the
Municipal Bill, as amended by Lord Lyndhurst. No
material alteration has been made in the principle of
the bill, which does not limit relief to the maimed and
sick, but extends it to the destitute generally. O'Con-
nell did not suffer it to pass without a final growl. His
Vposition to it is, however, the best test of its utility.

IMPRISONMENT FOR DEBT BILL.---We are glad to
find that this bill has, at length, passed the House of
Commons. Though it does not accomplish all that
could be desired, we hail it, (to adopt the O'Connell
phraseology,) as an instalment; and we are convinced
that the time is not far distant when incarceration for
debt will be "a tale of other days." The legalised
murders which have recently taken place under the
present system have done much to rouse the humanity
of the legislature.
. We have little doubt that this.important measure
will confer a lasting boon upon the trading commu-
nity. It will place credit upon a firmer basis. The

This is a very important statement, especially if the
Standard is correct in asserting that all these vessels
" are fit for immediate service, and may be set afloat,
fully manned and equipped, in six weeks," and that
"half the number of British ships could not be got
ready for sea in six, nor even in twelve months."
This is a truly humiliating proof of the misgovern-
ment of this great country. Under Whig sway Great
Britain has declined into a second rate maritime

power, and if the imbeciles now in office should be
allowed much longer to tamper with the best interests
of the empire, there is every probability that Russia
will become more powerful on sea than the wonted
"empress of the ocean."

But how comes it to pass that England has lost her
maritime supremacy ? Is it owing to the poverty of
the country ? Far from it. Our internal resources
were never greater than they are at the present mo-
ment. Is it owing to the economising policy of the
Whig-Radical ministry ? Far from it. The public
expenditure continues to be as great as when our
navy was in the greatest state of efficiency. Why
then are the " wooden walls of Old England" allowed
to rot in the docks ? Why is it that our commercial

interests are comparatively unprotected? Why are
we without a powerful squadron in the Euxine to re-

sist the aggressions of Russia ? Shall we inform our
readers ? It is because the unprincipled Whigs find it
necessary to sacrifice our navy—the best bulwarks of

British liberty—for the sake of gaining the votes of
Hume and his miserable associates. It is because the
money which ought to be expended in the dockyards of
Chatham, Plymouth, and Portsmouth, is recklessly
and profligately squandered upon a horde of " com-
missioners," and other retainers of a government

which is carried on by means of the most intolerable

corruption. These are the reasons why onr navy suf-
fers by a comparison with that of France, and yet
there are Englishmen so devoid of patriotic feelings
as to wish the continuance of such a government in
power. Shame upon the recreant slaves who tolerate
this selfish and anti-national policy.

FEES ON FREEMEN'S ADMISSION.—We refer with
great pleasure to the report of an interesting meeting,
which was held in the Carpenters' Rooms, on Wed-
nesday evening last, for the purpose of, petitioning
the Town Council to remit the fees usually exacted
from freemen on their admission on the roll of bur-
gesses. The legislature has thought fit to abolish the
stamp duty payable on such admission. The act which
confers this boon upon the freemen especially states
that it is "expedient that all impediments to the ad-
mission of persons entitled to the freedom of corpo-
rat;on. chnuld he removed." The only impediment
which it was competent for the legislature to remove
was the stamp duty. it remains for our Town Coun-
cil to emulate the example set them by the House of
Commons, and to remove the only remaining obstacle
to the free admission of those who are entitled to claim

the burgage. We have no doubt that a sense of jus-
tice, as well as of expediency, will induce our local au-
thorities to grant the prayer of the freemen. The
privileges which were formerly in the possession of the
burgesses exclusively, have been, by the reform bill,
opened to the great mass of the householders, who
have only one shilling to pay as a registration fee. It
should also be borne in mind that, by the municipal
reform bill, the local right of voting was entirely taken
away from the freemen. The householders have,

therefore, been very favourably dealt with, while great
impediments have hitherto existed in the way of the
freemen, and a great burden placed upon their shoul-
ders. The House of Commons, feeling the justice of
the measure, have removed as much of this burden as
it was in its power to do. Nothing now remains, in
order to place the freemen on an equal footing with the
householders, but the abolition of the customary fees
charged upon enrolment. The prayer of the freemen
will appear the more reasonable, when it is reflected
that the officers, formerly in receipt of these fees, are
now paid a fixed salary out of the borough funds.
Had it been otherwise, there might have been some
show of reason in resisting the object which was con-
templated by the meeting on Wednesday evening.

may, perhaps, be objected thai the.abolition

these fees will give the freemen an advantage over the
householders, inasmuch as the latter have to pay their
taxes before they can establish their claims to vote for
members of Parliament. This objection is of a very
futile character. Have not the freemen, before they
can take up their freedom, to serve an apprenticeship
of seven years, which is surely more than-,an equiva-
lent to the payment of a year's taxes ? Have they
not also been deprived of the right of voting for mayor,
&c., and been thereby stripped of all their municipal
privileges? Is it not, therefore, just that the existing
impediments should be entirely removed ? And, we
may further ask, have not the freemen the same bur-
den of taxation placed upon them as the ten-pound
householders ? The granting of their present claim
to exemption from the payment of these fees will not
exempt them from being taxed as their neighbours

It should be remembered that the parties who will
chiefly benefit by the abolition of the admission fees
will be the poorer classes of freemen, who have been
so often stigmatised by the liberals as the most " venal
and cot rupt" of the whole constituency. If our liberal
Town Councillors really believe that the poorer free-
men are such characters as the radical press has so
pertinaciously represented them to be, they are cer-
tainly bound, in order to maintain their consistency,
to exonerate this class from the payment of these fees.
By so doing they will place it out . of the power of any
individual to influence the freemen by taking up their
freedom for them. We do not say that the freemen
have been so influenced. We do not accuse them of

having sold their votes for the paltry two pounds hi-
therto charged upon their enrolment. But our liberal
friends in the Town Council have frequently so charged
them; and they are, therefore, bound to maintain
their own consistency by placing it out of the power
of any one to extrcise such a control over the votes of
those who have an inchoate right to the franchise.

We trust that the petition, which is now lying for
signature, will be very numerously signed, and that
its prayer will be complied with forthwith. We cannot
see what pretext can be urged in opposition to a re-
quest so pertinent, so just, and so reasonable.

-DOLATRY IN INDIA.—We beg to remind our readers

that a petition•is now lying for signature, at the office
of this paper, as well as at other places, praying the
legislature to extend its protection to those christians
who are compelled by the government of India to as•
sist in the idolatrous celebrations of the natives. The
prayer of this petition is one which strongly appeals
to the best feelings of every sincere lover of liberty of
conscience—a liberty which has been so grossly vio_
lated in the persons of those British officers who have
been forced to participate in the most repulsive rites
of heathenism.. 'We feel astonished that the liberal
press has not given this subject a greater degree of

dishonest alone will suffer from its enactments, and
they alone deserve to suffer.

It will be seen from our parliamentary report that
Lord Sandon proposed several important amendments,
which were negatived.

THE FRENCH AND BRITISH NAVIES.—The Stand-
ard of Wednesday last contains a very important do-
cument, stating the maritime force of the kingdom of
France, which is well calculated to excite a feeling of
mortification in the bosom of every Englishman, and
which justifies the most serious apprehensions regard-
ing our vaunted superiority on the ocean. From the
statement furnished in the Standard, and which ap-
pears entitled to the most implicit reliance upon its
accuraey, we learn that " France has 11 ships of the
line, first class, 126 guns each ; 23 of second clas, 86
guns each; 23 of third class, 82 guns each, but mount.
ing 100. This forms a total of 57 ships, nearly every
one of them built since 1811. Besides this, France
has 40 frigates, first-class, each of 60 thirty-six pound-
ers; 10 frigates, each of 46 thirty-six pounders; 15
frigates, third class, each of 32 guns ; 10 frigates,
fourth class, of 26 guns; 24 corvettes, each from 20
to 32 guns; 16 gun brigs, 27 steamers, the majority
of 160-horse power, and each of them well armed. In
her arsenals there are nearly 3000 guns and carronades
for the naval service, enough to fit out 51 ships of the
line, 20 frigates, and 20 corvettes. Every ship of the
line is provided with four howitzer cannon, 80 pound-
ers, called d la paixhans. Every frigate of the first
class is to have two of 80; steam-boats of 160 horse
power, three of 80 ; frigates of the second and third
classes, sloops and brigs, four of 30."

prominency than it has hitherto done. We know o

no topic upon which our radical contemporaries could
dilate with greater eloquence than the one under con-
sideration. What can be a more flagrant interference
with the sacred rights of conscience, than to render it
imperative upon free-born Britons to build and repair
temples for the celebration of the most filthy and dis
gusting ceremonies of Paganism—to contribute to-
wards the repair of the roads which lead to those
temples, which roads are wanted for no other purpose
—to pay the priests and prostitutes IA ho frequent
those temples—and to maintain an organised band of
pilgrim hunters to collek worshippers to those scenes
of unparalleled impurity ? If the radicals be really
the " friends of freedom," as they profess to be, we
call upon them to advocate, with all their accustomed
zeal and energy, the removal of this most abominable
tyfanny over the consciences of their fellow-subjects.

But our appeal is not exclusively directed to the ra-
dical clamourers for " liberty of conscience." We es-
pecially urge upon all who are sincerely attached to
those principles of toleration, which have so long
obtained under a Protestant government, to add their
signatures to the petition. We call upon every
churchman in Liverpool to join in protesting against
this encouragement of the xorship and service of
idolatry on the part of the government.
We are glad to perceive that the remonstrances
which have already been addressed to both houses of
parliament, have not been in vain. Lord Melbourne
intimated, on Tuesday evening last, that it was the
intention of government to issue such orders to the
authorities in India on this subject as would, he hoped,
satisfy the most sPrittmlous tninds. We ate glad to
find that such a pledge has been given : but we would
still remind our readers that it is only a Whig promise,
the performance of which sort of promise is proverb-
ially uncertain. It is, therefore, expedient that the
memory of Lord Melbourne should be refreshed by
frequent petitions on the subject, and especially from
such important places as the town of Liverpool.