406 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1815. 



bances principally prevailed, no 

 eflfectual progress had been made 

 towards the restoration of tran- 

 quillity ; that the same spirit of 

 outrage and tendency to unlawful 

 combination still existed in many 

 parts of the counties of West- 

 meath, Roscommon, and the ad- 

 joining districts ; and that the re- 

 ports then recently received from 

 the counties of Tipperary, Lime- 

 rick, Kilkenny, and the King's 

 County, had produced repeated 

 instances of a daring and syste- 

 matic violation of the law. 



I stated that the principal ob- 

 ject of the misguided persons who 

 were concerned in the outrages 

 which had been committed, ap- 

 peared to be the collection of 

 arms, and the intimidation of all 

 those who were likely to give in- 

 formation that might lead to their 

 apprehension and conviction ; that 

 to sucli an extent had this system 

 of intimidation been carried, that 

 the most savage excesses had been 

 committed witiiout the possibility 

 of apprehending those concerned 

 in the peipetration of them, on 

 account of the reluctance of the 

 sufferers, from the fear of future 

 injury, to give information against 

 them. 



I added, that I could not ascer- 

 tain, that the various combina- 

 tions which existed in different 

 parts of the country proposed to 

 themselves any definite object of 

 a political natme ; nor was there 

 afty evidence at all conclusi\ e, that 

 they acted under the immediate 

 guidance of leaders of weight, 

 either in point of Lalents or pro- 

 perty'; and that although there 

 had appeared symptoms of con- 

 cert and CD-operation in some 

 parts, still I hail no reason to be- 



lieve that there was any general 

 understanding between the com- 

 binations existing in the different 

 counties. 



I stated, that it was impossible, 

 however, that such combinations, 

 although they might not have any 

 plan well digested and arranged, 

 and were not in puisuit of any 

 common object, could be consi- 

 dered otherwise than as highly 

 dangerous ; that they afforded a 

 proof of a very general disposi- 

 tion among, the lower ordeis in 

 those districts in, whish they pre- 

 vailed, to attempt by force and 

 intimidation the redress of what 

 they considered to be their local 

 grievances ; they excited the ut- 

 most alarm among the peace- 

 able and well-disposed for the 

 safety of their persons and pro- 

 perty, and if suffered to gain 

 strength and consistency, they 

 would become instruments which 

 the designing and disaffected 

 might readily employ in the fur- 

 therance of their political views, 

 should some better opportunity 

 occur for the prosecution of them. 



I repiesentcd to your Lord- 

 ship, that the state of the existing 

 laws which regarded the preser- 

 vation of the public jieace, and 

 the expediency of extending the 

 powers of the government and of 

 the magistracy, weie subjects to 

 which, in all probability, it would 

 be my duty to call the attention 

 of your Loidship before the ap- 

 proaching meeting of Parliament, 

 and that in the meantime I should 

 depend upon a vigorous exertion 

 of the jiowers wiih which I was 

 then \ested, and u(>on the co- 

 operation of the military force, 

 for the means of counteracting 

 the spirit of outrage which pre- 

 vailed 



