The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-04-14
The Irish Force Bin.

lament, and received the sanction Of Queen
Victoria, under the innocent title of "a bill
for the preservation of peace in Ireland. p
1t is disgrace to the civilization of the nine
teenth century and reminds one of the pro-
scriptive legislation towards ireland that
prevailed in England during the time of
Oliver Cromwell. It is such odous and op-
pressive laws az this, that for FIVE hundred
years has kept alive the hatred of England
and English rule in the breasts of the Irish
people, and which will feed and nourish that
feeling il all its bitterness as long as the
shamrock grows on Irish soil, or the waters
of the Shannon flow to the sea.
TIE RIGHT TO DEAR ARMS.
No person in Ireland shall be allowed to
carry arms unless he has a license granted him
for that purpose; and any person carrying or
having arms without such license shall be
imprisoned for two years. The effect of this
will be that any magistrate may grant licenses
to his own party TO go armed with guns or re-
volvers, and may disarm everybody else IN his
district, sending whoever may be guilty of
having gun or pistol to the penitentiarY for
two years.
SEARCHING FOR ARMS.
at shall be lawful for any persons to whom
any warrant is given to search Cor and seize
arms" to act on this warrant for three months
from the time il is issued, aud, Eat such times
and as often as they think fit, to enter into any
house or place" in order to execute it, and if
entrance be refused to force their way in.
SELLING GUSPowDER AND ARMS.
IF any person sells gunpowder to one not
having a license he is to be fined Go for every
sale; if he sells or even repairs u gun or pistol
for person not having this license, he is to be
fined $50.
COMPELLING THE GIVING OF TESTIMONY.
When a felony or misdemeanor has been
committed in any district although no person
nay be charged with such offence. any justice
of the peace NAV summon before him any per
son " hom he may "helieve" to know some
thing about it, and if this person refuses TO an =
swer such questions as may be put to him, the
ma gistratc may send him to Jail for six months.
How will this work7 4 landlord, for instance,
is shot the magistrate believes" that Patk
Costigan knows who shot him; he has Patrick
broug hit before him. "Who shot the landlord?'
asks the magistrate. "Shure and how can
know, your Honor?" says Patrick. That is
no answer" says the magistrate, "and send
you to Jail for six months" Patrick goes to
JAIL although he knows no more about the
murder than your correspondent does, and
meanwhile his family starves.
SEARCHING FOR THREATENING LETTERS.
Ifany one goes before magistrate and states
that he suspects" somebody else has written
a threa tening letter, and that if his house is
searched some other document in his hand
writing may be found, the magistrate may is
sue warrant for such u search, and this may
be executed a any time.
ARREST OF PERSONS TAXING MOONLIGHT wALRs.
"Any constable, peace officer, or other per-
son" may arrest and bring before magistrate
anv one " no, ,"under suspicious circumstances"
I'LL kac q, shOE o., 10 hiohu
or elsewhere out of his dwelling. from one hour
after sunset until SUNRISE" the person thus ar
rested must be sent to Jail until he can be
brought before the justices at petty sessions;
and then, unless he can prove to their satistac
tion that che was out of his house upon his
lawful occasion busnIs j." he may be sent
to iail for six months. A bench OF Orange
justices would certainly decide that man who
had been to see priest at nine o'clock was not
on lawful business bench of crusty bach
elors might decide that going TO see sweet
heart at night was not "a lawful occasion"
and the oppression that may be practised under
this. provision can scarcely be estimated.
STRANGERS TO BE ARRESTED.
Any Justice of the PEACE, constable, peace
officer, or other person may arrest "any stran-
ger sojourning or wandering; he may then be
brought before magistrate" who shall
anime him on oath concerning "his place of
abode, the place from whence he came, his
Mariner of livelihood, and his object Of remain
ing or coming into the county city, town in
which he shall be found" ;" and ''uness he shall
answer to the satisfaction of such justice. be
shall be sent to Jail, there TO remain until he
can find bail or until the Justice chooses to re-
lease him. Imagine, for q moment, what may
not be done under such a provision as this
There Will be few tourists In Ireland this sum
mer. 1 fancy and when | go thither ! must
take care to provide myself with all kinds of
safe conducts, passports, and certificates OF
good character.
TRIAL BIT JURY ABOLISHED.
When person accused of any OF the offences
Set forth in schedule attached to this bill,
and which embraces long list of acts consid-
cred innocent everywhere else, he may not de
mand jury trial, but the justices of the peace
shall sit as jurymen az well as judges, and, at
their pleasure, may find the accused guilty and
send him to Jail for six months.
SURPRISING NEWSPAPERS.
"Where any newspaper printed in Ireland
contains any reasonable or seuitious engra-
wing, matter or expressions. or any indictments
to the committing of any felony, or any engra-
wing, matter. or expressions having a tendency
to foster. encourage, or propagate treason or
sedition," the entire "plant' OF such paper, its
presses, types, engines, etc 'shall be forfeited
to her Majesty" The Lord. Lieutenant is TO
grant his warrant for the seizure of the proper
ty, and any person resisting its execution shall
oe ueemeu RulIIy oI lelonyJ ana punlsneu ac-
cordingy. The proprietor of the paper may
bring action of damages but the burden of
proof must lie on his shoulders; he must prove
a Degative-that his paper did not contain
reasonable articles, or articles having tend
Sncy to incite treason; and, if he fails in this,
he will get nothing. The English journals, in
order TO find fitting comments on this provi- |
sion, have only to turn back their files and
quote what they said about the press censorship
in France. and the suppression of newspa pers
in the United States during the rebellion.
BLOOD MONEY.
Where it shall appear tfat any person has
been murdered. manned, or otherwise injured,
and that the crime was of an agrarian charac-
ter, the grand jury of the county shall order a
sum of money to the person so injured, or to
his family, if he be killed, ''having regard to
the rank, degree, situation and circumstances
of the individual; and this sum shall be raised
by general tax on the county, barony, or
tOWOshin