The Dublin papers by yest...
The Times, 1824-07-13T00:00:00

The Dublini papers by yesterday's mail bring the particu- lars of a judlkcial investigation, which may, if turned to the proper use, be attended with inbpQrtant and happy 0wl-. queiices.. gad sucli jnvuiries j'en more freqeent7 or the .. . . . t spirit in. which they originate been more prevalent, on the ther side St. George's Channel, the .shameful off'eees which are the sumbject of them might ere now have been as little known in Irelandl as elsewhere, and both the laws and manners of the Irish been less a reproach to Great Britain. Although wve are not very deep read as to the intentions of those who framed the insurrection and constabulary acts, it is of course to be presumed that the latter of these acts had for its object partly to enforce the other, and partly to supersede its necessity-that it was to be an effectual in- strument of coercion in the first place, and of peace and satisfaction afterwards. Unifortutiately, some of those gentlemen who were appoinited . to carry the new laws into execution, discovered no small Irish ingenuity in the meaning vhich they affixed to them. The office of constable has been too easily under- stood as one invented for no other purpose than to feed the Insurrection Act by fresh fuel, gathered from the daily sufferings and growing exasperations of the people. Such, at least, seems from the report of the newspapers to h'ave been the version put upon the law by a Mr. BROWNE, High Constable, acting in the neighbourhood of Ennis- corthy, county of Wexford. It is stated of this person, that on the eveninig of the 22-2 of May, being offernded by the sight of a few pigs, seeking their food about the road or street of a village called Newvbawn, he ordered the said pigs into cistodlyof one of his policemen. The pigs not liking tobe sent to poun(i,thouglt it prudent toescape from thepo- liceman; on which this high officer, Mr.Baow V.E, ordered a geaeral search to be made in the houses of the cottagers ! and a levy of whatever swine could be laid hold of; when it appears in evidence, that onie, the property of a poor widow woman, a.nd not among the offending animals, was taken from a locked-up house, in execution of this humane and discreet command of the High Constable. From an ex- pression use(d by him, we are further to infer, that he wvas himself to have pocketted the fine of ss. or lOs. upon each pig impounded, and that his rago at their escape from his follower was, therefore, by no means gratuitous. But there were other expressions ascribed to Mr. BROWNE, and we grieve to say proved against hiiii on the inquiry, from which more frightful inferences may be drawn than any of mere rapaciousness or avarice. He taunte1 the wretchn- ed country-people with the by-gone scenes of 1798:-" It was your (lay then, it is mine now; i would not desire 't better diversion than shooting a dozen of you wvitli my "owI hands. I will chan ge my policemnen weekly, until "I find some that will do their duty; and shoot you like so "many rats !" This malignant language-these tyrannical acts were brought forward in evidence by a Mr. Bitc, a barrister, employed by the Catholic Gentlemen *who me- morialized the LORD LiEUTRI2ANT, and who was, after a hard battle with the *Magistrates, permnitted by them to speak and examine witnesses against the accused. The le- scent of sorne of the worshipful genitlemen from peremptory arrogance to calm and sober reason, was very conspicuous as the case proceeded, and the result of their final delibera. tion was expected to be-a prayer to the LOaD LIEU- TENANT to dismiss this high and mighty constable from a situation, the power of which he has not, we fear, been al- together singular in abusing. How intolerable the state of a country wherein oppressive laws are aggravatead by an in- solent and unfeeling administration of them ! And bow inveterate must have been the dlouble grievance, vhen the people are amazed at finding themnselves, for the first tine, thought wortby of redress.