The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1835-02-20 00:00:00

FREEDOM OF ELECTION ! ! !

At the Cork police-office on Thursday, a woman of the name
of Catherine Keating swore an information against several per-
sons, in the hope they might be bound in recognizances to
keep the peace towards. her and her family,. being under the
apprehension of personal violence from them, in consequence of
her husband having toted at the last election for Alderman
Leycester, M.P., and Colonel Chatterton, M.P. From some-
thing which had appeared (we suppose in the informations) the
magistrates at an early hour directed their secretary to write a
note to the Rev. Mr. Coffee, Roman Catholic priest, requesting
his attendance during the investigation. The court was much
crowded throughout the day, awaiting the arrival of the priest,
but his reverence, as was evident from his non-appearance,
preferred not exhibiting himself before the public.
The prosecutrix, on being called on to state her charge against
a woman named Bess Ford, who was in custody, said the prisoner
was constantly annoying her, and bringing a crowd about her
door, because 'her husband had voted for Mr. Leycester and
Colonel Chatterton. The prisoner came with a crowd on last
Tuesday, and they all screeched out that "my husband was a
perjuror ;" that lie voted for the conservators, (a laugh ;) that the
devil would have us all, and she said "she'd go for Father Coffee
to curse us." They brought a piper opposite my door every
night, and such a crowd that we were in dread of our lives.—
They were always calling us the most horriblenames; "bloody
6nsarvitor ; you bloody ruffian that sold your country, that sold
your God, that sold your neighbours, and sold your soul," and
a great many more. Gentlemen, we want nothinc, but quiet-
ness.,
and safety for our lives.
Prisoner—in an under tone of voice—l'm sorry Father Coffee
isn't here, and you'd get it.
Prosecutrix.—She brought Father Coffee to us, when he asked
what was the matter ? " Sir," says I, " they are calling niy
husband a perjuror." "Did he vote for the conservatives-r,
says he. " Yes," said I. " Oh, .then," says he, "I am sorry to
tell you he is a perjurer." "No he's not, sir," says I then.
Piisoner.—Tell the truth if you have a soul.
Prosecutrix.—l will tell the truth. I told him, "to the
we gave Callaghan and Baldwin, for we never got anything by
them; but we were living by the others, as my husband worked
for Sir Thomas Deane for the last ten years." " Oh, very
well," says Father Coffee, "ha voted for the vrotestants, that
would trample on the priests." So out he walked, and when he
got to the door, he turned round before all the people, and says
he to me, "I am sorry I can't leave my blessing with you, and
away he went. The prisoner then came in and called my little
girl a great many nasty names, and came in with a great mob
and a piper. They stopped opposite the door, making a great
noise, so that we were afraid of our lives of them.
Here the prisoner could no longer curb her petulency, but
hurt out in a. vociferous manner, struttin,, about the court,
shaking her clenched fist at the prosecutrix., her "eye in a fine
phrenzv rolling," with,gesturestnuch more eloquent than words,
and which no language could pourtray. At intervals she en-
deavoured to give vent to her passions, in epithets bandied
against the prosecutrix, every one of which seemed to send
terror to her inmost soul—she shrinking back as the prisoner
advanced towards her. The prosecutrix shortly afterwards left
the court; but Bessy had to remain in "durance vile," awaiting
the arrival of some kind friends to go bail for her future quiet
and peaceable demeanour.

DREADFUL TYRANNY IN TIIECOUNTY CARLOW;

REIGN OF TERROR—A HOUSE AND FIVE HORSES BURNT !...•
Our readers will recollect that during the last three weeks a
considerable portion of our time was occupied in reporting out-
rages that were committed on the persons and properties of the
electors who had voted for Colonel Bruen and Mr. Kavenagh.
Since our last publication, however, we find the murderous de-
signs of the priests and their followers fully developed, for they
have commenced a savage war of extermination, which, if not
checked by the strong arm of the law, will end, not only in the
destruction of life and property, but in the total disorganization
of.society. We are led to these observationsby the perpetration_
of one of the most heinous milrages it fell to our lot to record-,
during many years. On Friday night week; about nine o'clock,
some villains, (instigated by the blessed hope of martyrdom)
proceeded to the premises of Mr. John Cummins, of Bagenals-
town, an honest and independent Roman Catholic, who voted
for his friends Col. Bruen and Mr. Kavenagh. They scaled
the boundary wall, and, having torn off some slates, set tire to
the roof of the stable, in which were five horses. In less than.
an hour, the fire burst forth from every part of the house, and,
on the alarm being given, it was found impossible, if not too late,
to remove the horses, being miserably burned from the falling
of the fire from the roof, although the rack and manger sustain-
ed very little damage. Mr. Beard and several respectable per-
sons of the town used every exertion to check the further pro-
gress of the devouring element, and succeeded, providentially, in
cutting off the communication between the stable and a large
rick of hay and some stacks of corn
.ufhich were within a few
feet of the roof, and thus, by the unexampled exertions of a few
persons, there was a portion of the property, and probably the
dwelling-house, of this industrious man saved.from destruction.
During the fire there were crowds of persons looking on with the
grim satisfactiOn of savages, and never assisted to check the
progress of the fire. This fact alone is illustrative of the condi-
tion of society in this county, where sympathy and christiau
feeling have been erased from the list of Irish virtues through
the wicked agency of priests and demagogues.
On Saturday, a long inVestigation 'took place at the Club-
house in this town, before William F'ishbourne and James Bat-,
tersby, Esqrs.' and strong hopes are entertained that the perpe-
trators of this foul deed will be brought to justice.

The lute Earl llosslvn, then Sir Alexander Wedderburne,
attorney-general, oas the only member of the privy council on
hose advice George 111. acted in the Gordon riots. Wedder_
burne advised the King to disdain measures of conciliation, and
' to threaten to enter London nt the head of the Guards, which
determination soon restored order to the metropolis. —Carres-
purlent of the Times.
M. POLJGNAC AND NiSFELLOW-PRISONERS.--The Gazette de
France has the following :—" A person just returned from Ham
relates that he found the four pnsoners there sustaining their
-confinement with a dignity which ought to concilliate all parties.
They are constantly endeavouring to prevent their friends from
petitioning for their liberation. They are determined not to solicit
any favour. They have not the trifling indulgences •ranted even
to the most ordinary prisoners. They are guarded by 600 men,
and every night no fewer than 75 sentinels are posted round
their chambers. As to the Prince de Polignac, though this is the
16th year of his life that he has passed in durance, the noble re-
signation of the man must' cause those who are the most pre-
judiced against the minister to become the friend of the prisoner.
M. de Pevronnet has not quitted his chamber fortwo years; still
his spirit is not broken nor is his mind idle, and he supports his
captivity with the greatest firmness."