STATE PAPERS. 



4i3 



ing a reward of 5,0001. for the 

 discovery of the person by whom 

 the murder was committed. I 

 shortly afterwards received an ad- 

 dress, signed by 76 magistrates 

 of the county of Tipperary, as- 

 sembled at a special sessions of 

 the peace on the 13 th of Decem- 

 ber, expressing the strongest ac- 

 knowledgments for the prompt 

 administration of tlie powers con- 

 fided to the executive government, 

 and assuring me, that notwith- 

 standing the recent murder of 

 Mr. Baker, and the manifest in- 

 tention of those concerned in it to 

 intimidate the magistrates from 

 the execution of their duty, they 

 were determined to co-operate 

 with the government in endea- 

 vouring to maintain tranquillity, 

 and not to relax their exertions 

 from the apprehension of personal 

 danger. They concluded by pray- 

 ing, that a superintending magis- 

 trate and police establishment 

 might be placed in the barony in 

 which the murder of Mr. Baker 

 had been perpetrated. 



I gave immediate effect to tlie 

 wishes of the magistrates thus 

 conveyed ; and a chief magistrate 

 of police, with .50 constables, was 

 placed in the barony of Clanwil- 

 liam. On the 28th of December 

 a warrant was issued for a special 

 commission to be held in the 

 county of Tipperary. 



In order that I might notintcr- 

 rujjt a connected account of the 

 measures which I was compelled 

 to adopt in the counties of Tippe- 

 rary and Limerick, I omitted to 

 state, that in the month of ^o- 

 \ ember, a memorial, signed by 

 several magistrates of the King's 

 County, assembled at Clare on the 

 ?'id of ^'ov?{nber; was U\i bcfofe 



me, representing that various 

 acts of violence, viz. the robbery 

 of arms, the infliction of torture, 

 the assembhng in arms by night, 

 and the administration of unlaw- 

 ful oaths, were committed in a 

 small district of that county (*), 

 and praying that it miglit be de- 

 clared in a state of disturbance 

 under the insurrection act. 



I had previously received a me- 

 morial from a numerous meeting 

 of the magistrates of Westmeatb, 

 assembled at Moate, on the 2d 

 of November, stating, that the 

 character of the disturbances 

 which had so long prevailed in 

 that county remained tlie same ; 

 that tiiey were of opinion, that the 

 ordinary powers entrusted to the 

 magistracy were totally inade- 

 quate to ensure security to the in- 

 habitants ; and unanimously play- 

 ing, that the provisions of the in- 

 surrection act might be put in 

 force in two baronies of that 

 county (f ) without delay. 



Having had convincing proofs, 

 that in the districts pointed out 

 by the magistrates of King's 

 County and AVestnieath, (and 

 which are contiguous districts) ^ 

 a very turbulent disposition Uad 

 long pi'evailed, many instvuicesi 

 having occurred (some of Avhich 

 are enumerated in a former part 

 of this dispatch) in which illegal 

 oaths had been administered, in 

 which houses had been plundered 

 of arms, and witnesses and others, 

 suspected of aiding the adminis- 

 tration of justice, had been mur- 

 dered or most cruelly treated j 



(•) The baron3' of Kilcour.sy, and tbc 

 prishek of Durrow , Ralian, LcniaiuijaD, 

 Cloiiinacuoite, and \^ herry. 



and 



