The Sun. — 1852-10-13 (London, England)

OUTRAGES IN IRELAND.  The report of the Select Committee appointed to inquire into those parts of the counties of Armagh, Monaghan, and Louth, which were referred to in the Speech from the Throne, embraces s variety of topic _ •  - . —agrarian outrages, secret confederacies, emigration, encumbered estates commission, juries, tenant-right, Ribbonism, &c. The witnesses examined consisted of three pariah priests, five magistrates, two barristers, and one under-sheriff; and the opinions expressed by the various witnesses are as varied as are the topics which engaged the attention of the Committee. One witness attributes Ribbonism to agrarian outrages, which another es flatly denies , another believes that crime is to be attributed to competition for land ; whilst another is equally convinced that such outrages would prevail did no such competition exist, and does in fact prevail where no such competition is known and the population are in comfortable circumstances. One class of witnesses throws the fault upon the tenant-leaguers, whose object is to transfer land to the hands of the present occupiers; whilst others are equally convinced that the present disturbances are to be attributed to free trade and to the fact of rents remaining as they had been previous to 1846. _ _ _ -  In the midst of all this variety of opinion, the committee, without attempting to reconcile such ob%ions contradictions, have satisfied themselves for the pre4ent with recommending some slight reforms. These chiefly consist in attempts to secure more respectable and impartic!l juries; in the removal of trials for murder, on special application, to the Queen's Bench, and, in uses of intimidation, to a different country ; in withdrawing licences granted to public-houses where secret societies are suspected of meeting ; and finally, in a better regulation of the law between landlord and tenant. In connexion with this last topic, which is incomparably of the weightiest importance, the attention of i all those who are interested in the mprovement of Ireland may well be directed to the "Transaction of the Central Relief Committeeiein thelorefland in Society Friends, during the Fe. 18 46 and Famine 1847." The very modest title assumed by athe authors of this very excellent work scarcely conveys to the general reader a fair estimate of its contents. It gives an account of the att?rnpts made by the Society of Friends to alleviate the dreadful faymeienree which occurred in that unhappy country in the above-mentiontd. But it also conveys the results of those attempts, And shows what men, actuated solely by Christian benevolence and a sense of duty, felt would be de,,irable for permanently alle• viating the condition of this unhappy country. The work will, unquestionably, take place among the lesting historical documents of this country ; the correspondence contained in it will be read with the deepest interest; and whatever opinion may be formed as to the plans proposed in it for the relief of Ireland, all will readily confess that those plans have been suggested in the spirit of the purest benevolencn, and after an actual examination of the state of the country—an examination conducted with that sobriety and faithfulness which eminently distinguish this great body of our Christian community.—lllornzng Ilerald,  ,