The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-04-09 00:00:00

ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE IN IRELAND.

(FROM 1118 DUBBIN iIIZNING rose.)
To the following detail, which we extract from a Con-
temporary, ( The Ikrald,) we would solicit theattentlon of
the Country, and particularly of the Executive, One word,
however, or two, we shall offer in the way of comment.
It eppeara that a Protestant woman, having some mis-
givings touching. her orthodoxy, in the hour of sickne.s,
and, as she imagined, at the approach of death, wished
to receive spiritual consolation from a Catholic Clergy-
man. it was,. in oar bninbili opinion, brutal to interfuse
at such a moment beeweea her Conscience and her Cre-,
ator. la a public pokot of view it is of.no consequence,
we take it, whatever, id. what religion in. old woman may
die. At all events, the Cathol Clergyman; having
been called upon to administer the rites of his Church to
a dying creature, had no option but to obey the call.
He would have violatattlie obligation he bad undertaken
when he altered into Holy Orders, had lie declined the
invitation. His conduct, however, as may be seen by
the subjoined account. appears to have been prudent and
!even exemplary. The not was a quarrel between the
',omit's son-in-law and one Mullins—the Priest was not
01 the spot. The trial was forced on in the absence of
the Ciergyamit's Counsel ; twelve persons, under the de.
nomination of Protestants, were snore as Jurors. The
p'rosecutor's daughter contradicted the most material evi
deuce for the crown. The praseratoes.Wia; the woman
in question, was tendered be the part ,of the traverser.,
lA.a witness; bin, if the report .be..eorrect,. 'be ,swas!tiot
kdmitted at evidence. because -her husband'. was_fte Ka-
gettithrl 'hie is Most eitriordiiiary praetlei. This At-
*tailor' fitrristee charged t'fdr. Hutton alga eofteitied,
and onteinetd to Wel* months' imprisintienk aid •ta
the pnyournt of r ha/ 9f. 1, y' pounds!.
We sbau in=ert tl2oinccopat to which we Js ve referred:
bloarc.. 'A rOt 7.—wl n the month' of January last,
an old woman df the vitae of Jane Moffatt, hitiferto a
reputed Protestant in the+ neighbourhood of Ideate, sent
fur the ite.v. Edward lintton, Hainan Catholic Curate of
this town. for the pippose of receiving from him, the
rites of his Chet ch. f hie satutirans Mr. Hutton obeyed,
emiceiviht it his betind4a deur to *wail. Pe.virres ta
his going.' he waited' on the Pollee klanttalliN g
hie protection. having heard that the relatives of the
woman were Otero:l4yd W do him some bodliy injury,
in case of his going to her. This protection the
.Rea. e
Offireerefiiseti,giving"liini a sage advice either oat to go.'
or if Dhoti-were discharged at him to come back and let
hits keew.• On. Mr. Hutton'a entering the house of
Moffatt,* inked.• if any person there required his assist-
' ince. His wife arose in her bed and said she did. B4t
IBotfutt-swore that he would stab hint, if he approactiiii,
or laid' bands near his wife. The sick woman having
In the honour of Ood to have
the Priest allowed to her.' Hereupon Mr. Hutton in-

PR(. E

stantly withdrew, averring that he would not
nee violate the laws of the country, and nem
that he did not, intend to insult him, or do hit

nor countenance such proceeding in qthers
laying instantly departed, the sick woman
her daughters to take her out to a neighbor
where Mr. Hutton would be at liberty to
Mr. Hutton, according to what seemed the rr
and dying request of the sick nuiusi, wait(
the house to which her friends conceye.l h•

withdrew Loamy:Ands unconiteions of any ti
sank in our quarter. Illhen the daughters
art of removing the mother, an Wray took pi
Richard Mullins, who wanted to pratent I
awl ore M'Cormirk, her son-in•!*w. lint i

Mr. Hutton could have no partltrpittion, bet
sideralde di.tance from the lions', beibip•
up. The • liniband and 51311 ins posind Inv
Mr. Daly, of Caslledsl,y, a neiullisosiiing
who repaired to the scene of action, end r,

inforwitions against the Clergy wan and othi
and assault.
" The trial havine heen eallad an this Aar,
of Sessions,) Mr. Hutton moved t.) 1 ace hi
red far a few boors till the arrival of hi. C.

Fallan. who gait on his nay from the
and whom he every naorneni enerted. Ali
also written to hi Auiirant Barrister olic;
pease, tirtM he trial arrive. TTiisintiulteN
peremptorily refuted, altltosgh the i.e...e.sit3
ing Conntil was the more obvious. a-, Cut
Prosecution was then in Court.—Under.tl
the trial went on b.fore a Brett., 0111,k1

showed their kind feeling towards the Tra,
a Jury, consisting of twelve Protestants, s.
the humble walks of life. Moffatt, busban of, the vo-
mao, and Jane and Richard Mullins, two witmasea for
the Crown, in the course of their examination,. swore
that they wonhl kill any parish Priest who would dare 1.,
administer the thee of his religion to any of their foully.
These humane expressions drew no observation from
their Worships on the Bench. 'f he only stria/me.- a lan-
ced in support of the indictment was Moira't's testimony
of Mr. Huttou's saying, ^ that if the %somas was tem w-
ed to another place he would spiritually att. n.I her."
But this was contradicted by Moffatt's oNu datiglitos.
mid two other witnesses.

" The Priest, in his defence, tendered the old woman
who bad sent for him as a witness ; hut this evideuee time
Bench refused to admit—being instrneted by their legal
adviser, Mr. Lynn, that she was an incompetent %tittles.,
inasmuch as her husband ties the presccuror. Several
other witnesses were produced on the part of Mr. Hut-
ton, who all distinctly proved, that at the time of the al-
leged riot and assault, Mr. Hu.ton was rot within thirty
perches of the place—and was actually on his, way te-
wards home at the time. At the elotreof the trial, the
Barrister, in his charge to the Jury, dwelt at length on
the enormity of the offence, and, told the Jury,!al.tiong;i
it seemed that Mr. Hutton was not pr .seat either at ttie.
assault or riot, st:11, in the eye of the law, he was to be
considered as a principal in both; inesuench as the riot
and assault were consequent on his attendance on Mel-
fates w.fe.' The Jury retired fur a fen- tninive!,. and re-
willed a verdict of guilty isgaitiv. the Traverser,. The
Beech almost immediately pronounced jail:went of
twelve mouths' imprisonment on Mr. Hatton, and a tine
of forty pounds, and not to he r'is.7‘ trzo
The other Trave to three niontits' impri,on.nent.
"It may not be improper to ohserre, tt )Ir. Hettun
wrs not present in Court when the Jury were sworn, lam,
in fact, was he aware that his trial wes to he prneeetted
on, which deprived him ;Afire opportunity of challenging
the pannel as he had wished."
This is a subject to which the attention of the Oovern-
meat must be turned. It is quite silly to suppose tint
the peace of the Country cao be preserved, if suck a cir-
cumstance, as is here described, shall piss without inves-
tigation. To be sure it is only a Catholic Priest that
has been sent to gaol for twelve months—a mere trifle—
and then, no doubt, we shall hear much of the inestima-
ble advantages of the Trial by Jury, of tie imparthlity
of the Bench, and the deep legal learning, as well as the
spotless integrity of the Assistant Barrister. We sill
admit all these thing., for very good and soffieient rea-
sons—and even if we had not those reasons, which tier
Reader will find no difficulty in guessing; still we say
that it is no light thing to throw a Catholic Clergyman
into gaol for twelve months, for the performance of what
be thought, and what every liberal and enlightened Pr..•
testant will concur in thinking, was his duty.. It is no
light thing that such an example should lie made in
the midst of a Catholic population of six millions. We
do assure the Lor4 Lieutenant, with all the deferent e
and respect which his character end station demand, that
this little episode is Moate—this village triumph over a
Popish Priest, is, perhaps, of more consequence the II any
thing which is now occurring iu the County of Limerick.
His Excellency need not be told, that it'the Catholics
conceive their Priest insulted or injured, (we do not ear
he was so,) they wig feel the injury and the insult as.
offered to themselves, and, perhaps, not unjustly. Bat
we dare not trust ourselves to say more on this truly im-
portant subject. We are' sore it most make the pro;rcr.
impression on the proper quarter. The Catholic gentry,
merchants, and traders, have hitherto maintained a cau-
tious and exemplary silence. They lave been su'ijee.ted
to the most atrocious abuse. Their religion has keen
vilified, their political pretensions have been scouted.
To this system they base been so long accustomed, that,
though they feel, they hare stifled their complaints.—

Yesterday the Lord Mayor held a Court of Aldermen,
which was numeroosiv attended. 'lie thinks of the
Court were nivanintonsfr voted to the Bishop Of Bristol
and the Ker. D. Blomfield, ilsr the sermAns preached-11)e'
sheen on Easter Monday and Tuesday last, before the.
Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Governors of the' sereitif
,Hospitals,
eltriatchurch, in Newgate-street. 'Jrleek*
;Jonathan Sillith;. Reg.,. Aldermen, wits ttnanirobilitr
elected sole jiistiel'of die:Widget-yard, and actink.Aft-.
.gist ratter fifths ilersinglwisi'the room of Sir John Hinter,'
;Knight, late .411detteau, deceased.
Mr. Baran GarrtoW, w 4 learn, has biter some days eon.
fined to his bruise. t may be recollected that he watt
much indisposed at the commencement of his &Cat. the'
laborer's Of which were unusually sect t. • -
During the last week or ten dap,— the' fet *it Bar-
bourne, was such is' hist not been *flamed theist for
many years before.• On 'roesday morning, Omni halo
past seven o'clock; a large brik, named the 'Phillipps.
James Madge, Commander, !Idea with wine, Whit, lead,
do. and many other orticleS. hound from Itristelthrlior.-
don; eatiie' on shore apprisite Berlin pint front the tblek-
ness of the fog—it being n-arty law o aterntark when the!
vessel strati( the gronnet; irtircarne impossible to render
any saalstartc • from the shore. Everyevertioo twos how-
reel' made, as soon as boats could be practiced, and it was
o fortetint-e'eireintstarree (the're being lite/wind or se.,)
that the tire" were able to save their livto.' We hear no
pirtarthe ship* eatko czar-tit the wine was insured.
and. We are- sorry' fit. add; the vessi.l g.'ne to
tdeces—every enior*, howeirer', has heed mime by Mr.
Stone, to save as much of the cargo as possible.

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N.
Per emit
riot tifo‘o
..4,•••
40. z,
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c 5....... ix.... pi - .
_,,v;insiek „p•
i
wunio.3„, i
PENCE. t -
„,...,..;.„,waßai
Ilease man ,
swing Stoffs't
im any hem.
Tt e Priest
twee:tiled on
mine how e.
o shen:i her. l
urgent debi-..e - )
-I
tel i on her in 1
r, and then, :
tumult or a— . r
'1 were 111 Ili'
OA". between 1"
iler remov 0,
in ti .e alfr.t• , ,
Pine: at a r:•11- . .
. . .
Mullin a rattle
nnetllttely for 1 1-
r Slagiatrate, , t:
reeeit el :their •
hers (ar • ri.:t ,
r. (aienrid tiny .
is trial defer-
Ur:angel. M-..
'et; of Oalwar, v
Ir. Parson had •
citing s short
',ce the flen to
is ofliis har- . .
mn-e! for the •
tl,eae Inspires ; •:,
In the o.lttet, • t
Ilie —mini
ieloctra front
o! of.the r o- .)