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HISTORY OF EUROPE 
jects. Those wretched creatures 
were deluded to act, not from any 
politicalstimulus—for abstract poli- 
tics could never have been made a 
motive of action with their class, 
by the most refined intrigue. The 
artifice used to set them in motion, 
was more familiar to their business 
and bosoms, more adapted to their 
powers’ 6f comprehension—they 
were invited to fix a rate for, pota- 
toes, the almost universal food of 
the multitude in those parts; and 
‘to join in a system of opposition to 
the introduction of strangers (by 
whom were meant, persons of any 
other vicinity) from becoming the 
tenants of farms, and to compel the 
land proprietors in their counties 
to treat with, exclusively, the an- 
cient occupiers—causes which con- 
“stituted popular pretexts aid cla- 
mours of long standing in Ireland. 
Tt also appeared that a forward lead 
in these matters was taken, by men 
of the disbanded regiments of mi- 
litia, who had, during the calami- 
tous period of the troubles of 
their country, been indulged in so 
much licentiousness; and so much 
of party, more than of military dis¢i- 
205 
pline, had been instilled into theit 
superiors, that it is not to be won- 
dered at that they were, on thei 
return to their countics, uttorly 
unfitted for the purposes and habits 
of sober life. Upon this head we 
must ever, refer to the just and 
animated cénsure of the illustrious 
Abercromby. © . 
The sacrifices which were mad® 
to public justice on the above oc- 
casion, restored at least the appear- 
ance of tranquillity. The people 
were awed to submission—that they 
were reclaimed, we have every 
reason to doubt. ‘There have since 
manifested themselves repeated in- 
dications of an angry unappeased 
spirit, and of unsubdued rancour; 
but since the period to which we 
have alluded, no overt act of con- 
siderable extent or moment has oc- 
curred in those counties. ‘The ma- 
gistrates of Tipperary and Limerick 
upon this occasion, earnestly peti- 
tioned to be indulged with the pow- 
_er of inflicting discretionary punish- 
-ment, and transportation, under 
what is called in Ireland ‘ the insur- 
rection act,’* to which his majes 
ty’s government in Ireland refused 
* Tt is perhaps necessary here to apprize the English reader, that the Irish parlia- 
Is p P iy PI g j 
ment, in the last year of its existence, enacted a law, by which the lord lieutenant and 
council were authorized, ou the representation of a certain number of its magistrates, 
‘to declare a county ma state of insurrection; after this deciaration had been legally 
notified, the magistrates were empowered to take up any person, and bring him before 
_-a petty session convened at any time or place, by two or three justices of the peace, 
who could in a summary manner, and without the intervention of a jury, determine 
whether the party accused had contravened the injunction to keep within his dwelling 
_-after nine o’clock at night; or had in any manner acted in furtherance of disturbance; 
‘if satisfied, they might adjudge the offender, at their discretion, to transportetion, as a 
disorderly person! There certainly was aright of appeal to the more general ses- 
sions, but when the ignorance and poverty ot the lower classes of the natives of Ire- 
dJand be considered, it will appear nearly nugatory: the culprit could scarcely under- 
stand the transaction; could seldom command the means by which alone advice could 
“be procured; and as but a very few days were allowed whe:ein to lodge the appeal, 
the right had generally lapsed, before tie unfortunate individual was aware of that 
- mode of redress. 
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