IRELAND.
The proceedings at the usual meeting of the Repeal Association, on Monday,. were of no great interest. Mr. O'Connell alluded to the fatal not at Armagh on the 12th July, and to the conflicting accounts, which threw the blame variously. on the Protestants and Roman Catholics; saying that he left the settlement oi that doubtful question to the judicial authorities. He contrasted the turbulence of the Orange processions with the peaceableness of the Repeal demonstrations. He delivered himself of "an arrear of reply to various lies, calumnies, and mis- takes"; the chief point being a new contribution to the controversy respecting Galileo, alleging that he and history had both been misrepresented. The pro- positions which Mr. O'Connell should lay down as indisputable were, that Gam lileo was only three entire days in prison; that he was not tortured; that he. was treated with lenity, being allowed to go to his country-house at the end of the three days; and finally, that be was not confined in the Inquisition for ad- vocating the Copernican system. His offence consisted in the assertion that the- motion of the earth round the sun could be proved out of Scripture; in other words, that it was a scriptural and revealed fact, and not a mere astronomical doctrine or theory. In corroboration of this statement, he read extracts of an article in the Dalin Review for July 1888. He proceeded to attack the New Colleges Bill. A letter was read from the Duke of Sutherland, correcting some misapprehension into which the writer of one of the Association's recent reports had fallen: the Duke stated that in Sutherland there have been na
clearances, and that "nearly every house and cottage in Sutherland has a lot of land, for which a low rate is paid." The rent for the week was 3181.
There were many processions of the Orangemen in the North of Ireland on the 12th July, and at h a fatal encounter was the consequence. A cor- respondent of the Dublin arder gives this account of it. "A portion of the
Orangemen to the Armagh district, who had been with the Loughgall district, returned to h at about five o'clock in the evening; and when pass- ing out of Thomas Street into Dobbin Street, they were furiously attacked with stones by what is called the Irish Street mob. The stones were thrown from the foot of Ogle Street. The Orange party received considerable damage. After the attack upon them the affray became general. Stones and fire-arms were used by both parties. Some of the Police were obliged to take refuge in the adjoining houses, and were badly wounded. The conflict was awful, until it was ultimately quelled by a large military force under the command of Major Campbell. A man named Boyle died from a gun-shot wound shortly after his admission to the County Infirmary." Six other persons received gun-shot wounds of a serious nature, but they are going on favourably. All the accounts admit that the Orangemen were first attacked; but one declares that the procession turned out of its way to go through a portion of the city principally inhabited by Catholics.
Another riot occurred late at night, after the military had retired to their barracks, and they had to be recalled: they dispersed the crowd. At four o'clock on Sunday morning, the house of a Protestant was attacked and wrecked by a mob. One of the culprits was arrested on Sunday; but while the Police were conveying him to prison, he was rescued from their custody. Great alarm was felt daring that day, and the Magistrates sent off for more troops. The town, however, has since remained quiet.
The inquest on the body of Boyle was commenced on Monday. David Cassiday, who is employed at a shop in the locality where the affray took place, was ex- amined. He said a man who rode on horseback at the head of the procession was asked by a number of be to play " Garryowen" ; he replied with an oath, and tried to ride among the lads. Shortly after, these boys began to throw stones; and thus the contest besan. The witness then lost sight of the mob for a time, and when he saw it again there was a general melee. Some of the Orangemen had fire- arms—pistols, and they fired " not less than sixty shots." Windows were delibe- rately broken by both parties. Some of the Catholics who threw stones were working at houses in Ogle Street. The Orangemen took aim very coolly at their opponents. The evidence against the Police at the Ballinhassig inquest closed on Friday week, after extending over seven days. The evidence given during the last two days resembled that adduced previously: many of the witnesses making efforts to inculpate the Constabulary, asserting that they were not provoked to fire by the attacks of the mob, and were not in any danger; the firing, they said, was a cold-blooded slaughter. Cross-examination showed the real value of this testi- mony. Two Magistrates volunteered evidence on Friday, but they did not see the affray. Mach squabbling has occurred throughout the proceedings between the lawyers. The case for the defence was opened on Saturday morning, by Mr. Scannell; who addressed the Jury at considerable length. On calling the first *fitness, Hickson, a Sub-Constable of Police, a long argument arose as to the admissibility, of his evidence, he being one of the party of the Constabulary pre- sent at the fair: but it having been proved that he took no part in the transac- tion farther than acting as an unarmed orderly to Mr. Kelly, the Sub-Inspector, the objection was overrated by the Coroner, and the examination .proceeded. The witness described the whole coarse of the affray. When the Pohce arrested Sul- livan, there were men in the crowd armed with sticks; the mob " crushed " in on the officers. While they were putting the prisoner into the Dispensary, a large Stick was thrown at the Police. The crowd began shouting and pushing against the Constables, and many stones were thrown. Mr. Kelly ordered his men to fix bayonets in order to keep the people off: he requested the mob to stand back; they refused, and threw stones faster than ever: the Sub-Inspector gave orders to prime and load, and again implored the people to retire or he should be compelled to fire on them: they answered with more stones, one of which struck Mr. Kelly: the Policemen asked their officer if he would allow them all to be killed? and begged to be allowed to fire in self-defence: the prisoner Sullivan called out to the crowd to desist; even he was struck by a stone while doing so: the Police again requested leave to fire; and as stones were still flung, Mr. Kelly gave the necessary order. Immediately after this, the attack was made from the rear on the roof of the Dispensary. The Police fired a second time, as they were still as- sailed in front and in the rear. The witness did not hear a third volley fired. The men did not go outside at all to fire. [This is in direct contradiction to the assertions of former witnesses.] The Police being still in imminent danger, they left the Dispensary and retreated to their barracks. During their retreat they were pelted with stones. The Policemen were closely packed in the Dispensary, and "the falling-in of the stones and slates caused a dust with the smoke. Cross- -examination did not shake this testimony. A boy was examined, and then the inquiry was adjourned till Monday.
The case for the Police closed on Monday, with the examination of two men, whose testimony proved the danger to which the Police were exposed from the excited mob; one of the witnesses admitting this, however, only on moss-examina- tion, and reluctantly.
Eventually, the Jury returned in each of the cases a verdict of " Justifiable Homicide." When the Coroner announced this verdict, several jurors loudly de- clared their dissent from it; but it appeared that fourteen out of twenty-three .jurors had signed it and therefore it was received by the Coroner. There was a good deal of hissing among the bystanders. The Cork Southern Reporter says—" Our reporter was then informed by one of the Jury, that after a very -animated and protracted discussion, they divided three times; first, on the ques- tion of justification in firing out of the Dispensary, which was carried in the affirmative. The justification was carried on this division by a majority of 15 to 8. The next division was on the question of justification for the firing after coming out of the Dispensary; which was lost by a majority of 14. A third di- vision was then taken as to ajustification for the firing down the hill; which was carried by a majority of 17. The final question was then put, and carried thus— Tor a verdict of justifiable homicide generally, and in each case, 14; against it, 9.
The Grand Jury of the county have awarded the sum of 5001. to the widow of Mr. Booth, as compensation • that gentleman having been murdered on account of his exertions as a Magistrate. Evidence was given to prove this. Some policemen swore that Mr. Pacificator Steele made remarks to a crowd at Ballinagh, in December last, of a nature to excite enmity towards Mr. Booth and the Con- _stabulary; the latter having just put out a bonfire which the mob had lighted. One of the officers also deposed to some strange remarks which Mr. Steele made: the Head Repeal-Warden said, that Peel and Wellington were going on their stumps to pray to the Devil for disturbance to keep them in office; and he told the mob to recollect that Tory miscreant and vile veesssin, the late Lord-Lieutenant -of Ireland, Earl De Grey, who attempted to commit a bloody massacre at Clon- .tarf. Mr. Shea, agent to Mr. H. Grattan, M.P., who was present at Mr. Steele's -oration, declared that he did not hear him make any remark about Mr. Booth.
We learn from letters received from Cavan that a person has been taken up for the murder of the late Mr. Booth, and has been identified by Mrs. William Bell, who was returning from church on the Sunday, and in sight when the horrid deed was perpetrated. The man, it appears, is from the county of Longford; and has already given the authorities much useful information.—Erne Packet.
Another person has been shot by the Police. The star), goes that some men Were arrested by the patrol near Stradone, merely for looking at some bonfires on
the 12th: a young man ran out from his house, on hearing that his neighbours were in custody; as he approached the Police they fired on him, and mortally wounded him; and he died the next day.
Cavan is still in a very alarming state. Threatening notices are frsauently served on unpopular individuals—those having any thing to do with the adminis- tration of justice; and at mid-day 135 men have been seen marching in military array, with fiddle and flute, and armed with a variety of weapons, from guns to simple bludgeons. Six Policemen came in contact with this mob, and seized three men; the rest endeavoured to rescue them, when the officers fired upon the people, and wounded one, who died in six hours. The crowd fled after the firing. Several of the local authorities have made strong and formal representations to induce Government to interfere to suppress Ribandism and " Molly Marina" For example, in an address to the Lord-Lieutenant, signed by the High-Sheriff and Magistrates of Longford, they say—" It appears to us, that the ordinary powers of the law are quite inadequate at present to repress crime in the county of Leitrim; which is literally in the possession of the peasantry, who have quite interrupted the ordinary course of business. Neither landlords nor agents dare to demand the rents legally due, and it is impossible to carry the civil law into effect without the assistance of a military force. Numbers of the better class of farmers are living in a state of siege in their houses, and are afraid to proceed to fairs or markets on their lawful business for fear of assassination. • * • We therefore beg to lay before your Excellency our earnest petition, that, either by some of the extra- ordinary powers which the constitution has placed at the disposal of the Irish Executive, or by application to Parliament before the close of the present session, the county of Leitrim, and such other districts as have gone beyond the control of ordinary law, be subjected to military law, or some regulations of equal strin- gency. And the Magistrates of Leitrim County, assembled in Special Sessions, close a similar address by saying—" If no such measure be adopted, and the pre- sent executive machinery (which experience has proved to be inefficient) be con- tinued, we cannot but look forward with the utmost apprehension to the ensuing winter; and we wish hereby to repeat our deliberate warning, that for the blood- shed and anarchy which must prevail, her Majesty's Ministers will be responsible, if they shrink from proposing measures of such a severe and rigorous character as can alone effectually repress them."
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