IRELAND ITS SOCIAL STATE. 149 



passed at once. When lately the Westmeath Act 

 passed, which in substance gave power to suspend 

 the Habeas Corpus in proclaimed districts, they knew 

 there was not so much hurry, so waited for the third 

 reading in the House of Lords. There was a com- 

 plete reign of terror in Westmeath, kept up by only 

 about twelve or twenty ruffians, all known to the 

 police. They murdered the stationmaster at Mullin- 

 gar, because he was strict to the porters, and others. 

 A labourer could not be discharged without danger. 

 As soon as the third reading of the Act passed, the 

 whole set went together to America from Queenstown, 

 and the country was quiet. 



I never took a serious view of the Fenian affair. 

 I thought it one of those Irish follies only needing 

 to have a firm foot placed on it to be put down. 



In the small town near me a set of silly boys and 

 others " began the war " as they called it. Beginning 

 the war consisted in trying to rescue any drunken 

 men the police arrested and were taking to Bridewell. 

 They did not succeed in rescuing anybody, but in a 

 few days two or three attempts were made, and the 

 police were hustled and struck. Summonses for the 

 next Petty Sessions were issued, and threats were 

 used by the Fenians, that, if any one was punished, 

 it would be the worse for the magistrates, etc. etc. 

 I did not hear of the matter till the day before the 

 Petty Sessions, and having then asked what precau- 

 tions had been taken to prevent a rescue and protect 





