IGO] ANNUAL IlEGISTEII, 1814. 



that the means which had been 

 taken to convince them of the de- 

 termination of government to treat 

 all offenders against the public 

 peace with perfect impartiality, 

 had not been without effect. Hav- 

 ing pointed out these principal 

 features of the tumults in Ireland, 

 the right honourable gentleman 

 observed, that one of the great- 

 est obstacles to the administration 

 of the law in that country arose 

 from the difficulty of procuring 

 persons to give information to go- 

 vernment, and evidence in case of 

 violations of the peace. This was 

 partly owing to a kind of roman- 

 tic feeling, and partly to a system 

 of intimidation, which was carried 

 to great lengths, and often pro- 

 duced scenes of atrocious barba- 

 rity. Having, from various docu- 

 ments, given proof that the ordi- 

 nary powers of the civil magistrates 

 were not sufficient to maintain the 

 public tranquillity in Ireland, he 

 said, that in his opinion it would 

 be much belter to invest the civil 

 powers with additional authority, 

 than to call in the aid of the 

 military ; and he proceeded to 

 stale the provisions of the bill 

 which he was about to move for. 

 They were to enable the lord 

 lieutenant, when disturbances ex- 

 isted in a district, to proclaim it 

 to be in a disturbed state, and to 

 appoint a superintending magis- 

 trate with a salary, and special 

 constables with salaries. The ma- 

 gistrate to have a house and office, 

 but not to be invested with extra- 

 ordinary powers; to be responsible 

 immediately to the government, 

 and removable at pleasure, and 

 to be called upon for those exer- 

 tions which could not be expected 

 from the ordinary magistrates. 

 The special constables to be select- 



ed from farmers' sons, and persons 

 of that class, and to keep watch 

 and ward in the district under 

 the control of the superintend- 

 ing magistrate. The expenses for 

 this establishment to be borne by 

 the district. Alter some further 

 explanations, he moved " That 

 leave be given to bring in a bill to 

 provide for the better execution of 

 the laws in Ireland, by appoint- 

 ing superintending magistrates and 

 additional constables in counties in 

 certain cases." 



In the conversation which fol- 

 lowed, there was a general con- 

 currence in the principle of the 

 bill, and approbation of its mild- 

 ness ; and leave was given to bring 

 in the bill. 



After the bill had been twice 

 read and committed, Mr. Peel, on 

 .luly 8th, rose, he said, with con- 

 siderable regret, to propose an ad- 

 ditional measure for the preserva- 

 tion of the public peace in Ire- 

 land. When he brought forward 

 the bill now in progress, he had 

 reserved to himself the right, 

 should circumstances require it, of 

 bringing in another of a more ef- 

 fective nature. Since he last ad- 

 dressed the House, he had endea- 

 voured to collect information from 

 every quarter of the state of the 

 country, and he was sorry to say, 

 that in those parts of Ireland where 

 the laws had been administered 

 with the greatest severity, and 

 where the greatest number of con- 

 victions had taken place, the ter- 

 rorof those convictions had scarcely 

 survived the cause, while new 

 combinations of a more extensive 

 and dangerous kind had been 

 formed, which defied the opera- 

 tions of the law as it now existed. 

 It was therefore become necessary 

 to entrust the Irish government 



