dlG 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1814. 



the north of Ireland. There, those 

 disturbers of the public peace, who 

 assume the name of Orange Yeo- 

 men, frequent the fairs and mark- 

 ets, with arms in their hands, 

 under the pretence of self-defence, 

 or of protecting the public peace, 

 but with the lurking view of in- 

 viting attacks from the Ribbon 

 Men, confident that, armed as 

 they are, they must overcome de- 

 fenceless opponents, and put them 

 down. Murders have been re- 

 peatedly perpetrated upon such oc- 

 casions ; and, though legal prose- 

 cutions have ensued, yet, such 

 havebeen the baneful consequences 

 of those factions Associations, that, 

 under their influence, Petty Juries 

 have declined (upon some occa- 

 sions) to do their duty. These 

 facts have fallen under my own 

 view. It was sufficient to say, 

 such a man displayed such a co- 

 lour, to produce an utter disbelief 

 of his testimony; or, when ano- 

 ther hns stood with his hand at 

 the bar, the disT)!ny of his party 

 badge has mitigated the mnrder 

 into manslaughter. 



Gentlemen, I do repeat, that 

 these, are my sentiments, not 

 merely as an individual, bnt as a 

 man discharging his judicial duty, 

 1 hope with firmness and inte- 

 grity. With these Orange Asso- 

 ciations I connect all commemo- 

 rations and processions, producing 

 embittering recollections, and in- 

 flicting wounds upon the feelings 

 of others; and I do emphatically 

 state it as my settled opinion, that, 

 until those Associations are effec- 

 tually put down, and the arms 

 taken from their hands, in vain 

 will the north of Ireland expect 

 tranquillity or peace. 



fJentlemen, that moderate pit- 



tance, which the high rents leave 

 to the poor peasantry, the large 

 county assessments nearly take 

 from them ; roads are frequently 

 planned and made, not for the ge- 

 neral advantage of the country, 

 but to suit the particular views of 

 a neighbouring land-holder, at the 

 public expense. Such abuses 

 shake the very foundation of the 

 law ; they ought to be checked. 

 Superadded to these mischiefs, are 

 the permanent and occasional ab- 

 sentee landlords, residing in ano- 

 ther country, not known to their 

 tenantry, but by their agents, who 

 extract the uttermost penny of the 

 value of the lands. If a lease 

 happens to fall in, they set the farm 

 by public auction to the highest 

 bidder. No gratitude for past ser- 

 vices, no preference of the fair 

 offer, no predilection for the an- 

 cient tenantry, (be they ever so 

 deserving ;) but, if the highest price 

 be not acceded to, the depopula- 

 tion of an entire tract of country 

 ensues. What then is the wretched 

 peasant to do .-' Chased from the 

 spot where he had first drawn his 

 breath; where he had first seen 

 the light of Heaven, incapable of 

 procuring any other means of ex- 

 istence. Vexed with those ex- 

 actions I have enumerated, and 

 harassed by the payment of tithes, 

 can we be surprised that a peasant, 

 of unenlightened mind, of unedu- 

 cated habits, should rush upon the 

 fierpetration of crimes, followed 

 by the punishment of the rope 

 and the gibbet .-' Nothing (as the 

 peasantry imagine) remains for 

 them, thus harassed and thus des- 

 titute, but with strong hand to 

 deter the stranger from intruding 

 upon their farms; and to extort 

 from the veakjiess and terrors of 



