Although upwards of 3000/. and an annuity of 100/. has
been proclaimed to it population of paupers, as a reward for the dis- covery of Lord NORBURY'S murderer, as yet no information has been given which can lead to it, and no light has been thrown on the motives to the crime. In no quarter is there any dissent from the assertion that Lord Nonni.= was a liberal and kind landlord; and yet Lord CHARLEVILLE stated, at xi. 7„‘ g of King's County Magistrates, that the peasanuLII tb diauurhmood of
the murdered nobleman's residence h•a•-at itie. s of his death, and that circumstances had ocgrteff at the
assassination was expected. The esc tla intigderet: broad daylight, many persons being within. mc4ring of.tbe'shcit.,, onfirms the belief that the people regarded:111cl slaughter !lir*. listifiable act—the assassination of an uno ng 'Man jandifiga!,e !—not
prompted by private ffielings of rev 0.t*Azetoyrx and
CUARLEVILLE, who made long speeches on the subject at Tulla- more, supply no information deserving notice ; for we reject as utterly incrediblet he accusation against the Irish Catholic peasant- ry, that they are leagued to destroy the Protestant landlords and seize their property. What part of Lord NORBERT'S demesne has been or will be obtained by the death of its owner ? He has been murdered ; but his son lives at Durrow, and the peasantry will feel the effects of the crime Which they are said to have connived and rejoiced at, by the withdrawal of a large regular expenditure. The want of motive for this shocking crime bespeaks a horrible state of society. It is not long since Mr. Asterosi YATES drew a picture of Arcadian innocence in Tipperary, where a Special Com- mission is now sitting to try persons charged with several murders; and 'he attributed the existence of tranquillity, the patient en- durance of oppression, and wonderful respect for law, to the exclusion of Tories and the residence of Lord NORMANBY at Dub- lin Castle. For this great benefit to Ireland the Whig Minis- ters were to be supported in all their undertakings. But there is evidence that the moral as well as physical condition of the Irish people is shocking; that they are reckless in crime, and regard with pleasure what ought to make them shudder ; that the peasantry are leagued to protect murderers, and that no man's life is safe among them. Adulation of Whig Ministers and Vice- roys will not effect improvement in this state of society : neither will vituperation of the Government and the Catholic priests. The evil lies beyond the cure of gentle flatterers or heated fitctionists. Befbre the moral influences can have healthy action, there must be a change in the political economy and social system of Ireland: and we know not how this is to be brought about, except, in the Erst place, by an efficient Poor-law combined with extensive emigration, and employment perhaps in public works—much as the last means is liable to be perverted to corrupt uses.
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