tion.

to supersede the necessity of specific recommend-ning to be felt, from measures already in operaations, yet the importance of them all appears to be such, that your Committee feel it their duty to point them out, as deserving the most serious and the earliest attention.

The defective state of the law between landlord and tenant; the difficulty of giving it effect, and its inadequacy to secure the landlord against unauthorised alienation and subdivision of his farms; and to protect the tenant against repeated distress by the several persons having an interest over him in his holding:

The improvement in the organisation of the police; the revision of the magistracy; the establishment of petty sessions; and the principle upon which assistant barristers have been selected, appear to have been productive of the most beneficial consequences.

The Tithe Composition Acts have been carried into effect as extensively as could have been expected during the short period which has elapsed since they were passed; and appear, by

The various questions connected with the the concurrent testimony of all the witnesses mode in which tithe is collected:

The collection and application of church rates, and the constitution and proceedings of vestries

for these purposes:

who have been examined on this point, to have been attended with the best results.

The change which has been made in the distillery laws appears to have promoted the tran

The multiplication of oaths, and the per- quillity of the country, and to be highly favour. juries to which they lead:

The constitution and proceedings of the Manor Courts:

The state of the magistracy:

The comparative expediency of appointing lords-lieutenant of counties, or of continuing the present system of governors:

able to the habits of the people.

The measures already in progress for the survey and valuation of Ireland, with a view to the more equal levy of the large sums raised for local objects, either under the authority of grand juries, or otherwise, appear to your Committee calculated to give very considerable relief to the

The mode of proceeding at Petty and at occupiers of land who are subject to these assessQuarter Sessions:

The abuses in the mode of serving process in the Civil Bill Courts:

ments.

The want of an adequate demand for labour, the deficiency of funds for its employment, and The mode of establishing legal rights of the great importance of facilitating the introadmission into the freedom of corporations: The best means of further improving the efficiency of the police:

duction of English capital into Ireland, have been strongly pressed upon the attention of your Committee in the course of their examinations; and they are encouraged to entertain the expectation, that while the recent repeal of all direct taxation in Ireland must tend to increase the funds in that country applicable to the emThe manner in which tolls and customs are ployment of labour, the abolition of the union levied at sea-ports, and in markets:

The state of the laws which relate to grand juries, and the manner in which presentments are made, the works executed, and the expenditure accounted for:

The probable effect of emigration, and the degree in which it would be expedient to encourage it :

All these are subjects of general interest, and of great importance, upon which your Committee have collected much valuable information, and which they recommend for the most serious consideration.

duties, and the arrangements by which the commercial intercourse between the two islands has been placed upon its true and proper footing, must not only cement more firmly the connexion between the two countries, but must afford material assistance to that influx of English capital into Ireland which it is so important to the best interests of the empire to

encourage.

30th June, 1825.

Your Committee conceive, that under the circumstances adverted to in the beginning of this report, they cannot more effectually bring these topics, and others of minor importance, under the review of Parliament, than by annexing to their report an analytical index, which they hope will be so complete as to give the means of referring with facility and precision to every part of the evidence which relates to each from Ireland for some years, on his return, particular head of inquiry.

Substance of the Minutes of Evidence taken before the Select Committee of the House of Commons, appointed to inquire into the State of Ireland.

But while your Committee anxiously recommend these matters to the attention of the House, in the hope that practical benefit to Ireand may result from the consideration of them, they cannot refrain from remarking with satis. the advantages which are begin

faction

upon

ANTHONY RICHARD BLAKE, Esq., a Commissioner of Education. Having been absent

it appeared to him, that the lower orders of the people were improved; but that there was much discontent among the Roman Catholics, and increasing dissensions between them and the Protestants. Rents in Ireland were frequently in arrear; owing, in general, to the high rate at which land was let; an evil to

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The Right Hon. DENNIS BROWNE, a Member. Connaught, the part of Ireland with which he was best acquainted, was perfectly tranquil in act; nevertheless, there was a dangerous agitation of feeling among all classes of the Roman Catholics, in consequence of their being barred from the enjoyment of civil rights. Until the Catholic question was set at rest, and a provision made for the Catholie clergy, there would be no security for the peace of Ireland. He thought it would be difficult to prevail upon the sturdy 40s. freeholders in the north of Ireland to relinquish the elective franchise.

which the system of sub-letting greatly con- manner in which summonses for attendance
tributed. He thought that the Roman Catholic were granted. There was not that generous
clergy would accept with gratitude a provision abhorrence of wrong and oppression among the
from the state, if accompanied with the settle- class of men who were magistrates in Ireland
ment of the Roman Catholic question, and so which there ought to be; and the lower classes
regulated as not to prejudice their independ- of the people were impressed with the conviction
ence; and he was persuaded, that such a that cases were determined, not by justice, but
measure would give strength to the Protestant by favour and interest. Although, for the last
establishment, and repose to the country. The two-and-thirty years, Roman Catholics had been
raising of the qualification for the exercise of eligible to the direction of the Bank of Ireland,
the elective franchise would, in his opinion, be not one had ever been elected a director. It
also beneficial, as it would tend to the produc- was the same with the eligibility to the freedom
tion of that which was much wanted in Ireland, of the city of Dublin, and of other corporations.
-a respectable yeomanry.
Yet the wealth of the Catholic commercial
community in Dublin greatly exceeded that of
the Protestant; and the landed property of the
Catholics had increased enormously, and was
increasing every day. Such exclusions, embit-
tered as they were by religious dissension,
created the greatest discontent. There even
existed a system against the admission into any
office in the corporation of Dublin of Protestants
who were not unfavourable to the Catholic
claims. It would be impossible for any man to
become a sheriff of Dublin, who did not give an
unequivocal pledge of his hostility to the Catho-
lics, by toasting "The glorious and immortal
memory," which was a kind of Shibboleth of
- DANIEL O'CONNELL, Esq.-The great mo- party, denoting foregone triumph to the one
dern increase in the population of Ireland, he side, and bespeaking future degradation to the
principally attributed to that relaxation in the other. Between the term "Protestant” and
penal code in 1778, which enabled Roman Catho- the term "Orangeman" there was a marked
lics to take leases, and have tenures, and there- distinction. A liberal Protestant in Ireland
by fixed them more to the soil. He was asto- was an object of great affection and regard with
nished how the lower classes of the people in the entire Catholic population; an Orangeman
Ireland preserved health, and even cheerfulness, was considered as decidedly an enemy, and was
in the total privation of comfort, with respect spoken of by the peasantry as an exterminator.
to habitations, food, and clothing, which they He had received many private complaints,
experienced. The facilities of ejectment, and through the Catholic clergy, of acts of mal-
distress for rent, possessed by the Irish land- administration of the law, and of partiality; of
lords, had considerably aggravated the tendency the oppression of Catholics, and of favour shewn
to disturbance in Ireland; and he strongly re- to Orangemen. He therefore considered the
commended the repeal of several of the statutes dissensions which unfortunately prevailed be
by which those facilities had been afforded. The tween Orangemen and Roman Catholics as
multiplication of oaths with reference to the greatly instrumental in aggravating the dis-
registration of freeholds, the proceedings at turbances in Ireland; but the causes of those
elections, &c., had had a most demoralising disturbances lay much deeper, they were cre-
effect on the peasantry of Ireland; having ren- ated by the peculiar state of the country, by
dered them indifferent to the obligation of an poverty, the nature of tenure, tithes, church
oath. As at present constituted, the Civil Bill rates, and various other matters. With respect
Court was highly objectionable; and the evil of to the stability of the country if a foreign enemy
serving process for the recovery of small debts were to invade it, the north would be in greater
(under 51. or more) was such, that it would be danger, from its Catholic population, than the
better to make such debts irrecoverable. As south: they were better organised. The Ca-
regarded the crown side, he thought the assist- tholic Association, and those who had taken an
ant barrister at the Quarter Sessions in Ireland active part in Catholic politics, had had a great
decidedly useful; but that he ought not to be deal more trouble to check Ribbonism than to
practising barrister. The manner in which check Whiteboyism in the south. In speaking
tice was administered by the magistrates of the influence of the Orange Association in
ughout the south of Ireland had made a producing mischievous consequences in Ireland,
unfavourable impression on his mind. he thought the Ribbon Associations owed their
abuses prevailed in the commitment of origin entirely to the Orange Associations.
upon insufficient evidence, and in the His opinion of the Ribbon system was, that it

persons.

fication of voters, he had a strong opinion in favour of extending rather than restricting the exercise of the elective franchise. He did not know any householder to whom it would be improper to give the right to vote, if the mode of taking the vote were well managed. The system of 40s. freeholds had its advantages and its disadvantages; but he should be glad (though it was a very crude opinion) if the qualification were 51. Conceding Catholic emancipation, in the spirit in which it ought to be conceded in order to be useful, he thought the inhabitants of Ireland would be so connected with the Government, and the present distinction so much abolished, that whether 40s. or 51. would be a question equally affecting Roman Catholics and Protestants; and that the Catholics would be satisfied with any arrangement which the Protestants were satisfied with.Catholics were excluded in Ireland from the

was a continuation of the Defender system, by what he called the golden link,-pecuniary which immediately ensued on the original provision. If emancipation were carried, and formation of the Orange Association in the such a provision made, the probable effect would north, and was connecting itself with the be that the Catholic clergy would cease all interFrench Revolution, looking at a complete revo- ference at elections, and would become in the lution in Ireland, and a separation from Eng- nature of officers belonging to the crown, forland. He did not think the Defenders created warding the views of Government wherever the rebellion in 1798. That Rebellion com- those views were not harsh, illegal, or unconmenced with the Presbyterians and Dissenters, stitutional. He thought 2007. a year for a parish as United Irishmen ; the upper classes of the Ca- would be a sufficient sum to cover the expenses tholics had no kind of connexion whatever with of priest and curate. What should be the it in the north; and it was very much brought stipend of the bishops was a very delicate subto explode (to use an expression employed by an ject; but he thought 8007. or 1000l. a year; and Orangeman in the Irish parliament) by reason of an archbishop 1,400. or 1,500%.—In alluding of the Orange lodges and the Orange system. to the benefit which had been derived from the Information, for which he allowed he had given education at Maynooth, he was of opinion that money, enabled him to prove, that one of the it was greater than that which had been derived secret pass-words of the Orangemen was taken from education elsewhere. In point of informafrom the 23d verse of the 68th Psalm, viz.: tion, and in point of allegiance, under a proper "That my foot may be dipped in the blood of system, it certainly would be so; as foreign "thine enemies, and the tongue of thy dog in education of the priests might be made a danger"the same." As to the extent of the popula-ous instrument. Upon the subject of the qualition of Ireland, his impression was, that it must exceed 8,000,000. He had seen, for a number f years past, a great increase in the proportion of Catholics to Protestants in the southern district, and in Dublin. Speaking loosely, he should think that, if there were an enumeration, the Protestants in Ireland would not be found to amount to any thing like 1,000,000, including Quakers and Dissenters of every class. Of that number, he should conceive, one half, but not more, belonged to the Church of England. With respect to the relative proportion of property held by Protestants and Catholics, although it was daily diminishing in inequality, it would not be too much to say, that the amount of fee-simple estates in the hands of the Protestants, as compared with the amount in the hands of the Catholics, was as ten to one throughout Ireland. Upon the subject of registering freeholders, he knew the peasantry of Ireland were anxious so to register them-offices of Chancellor, Master of the Rolls, Judges selves, as they felt that it made them of im- of the Courts of Exchequer, Common Pleas, and portance, and that they must once in seven King's Bench, the Admiralty, and Ecclesiastical years be counted. Recently the Catholic clergy, Courts. They were excluded from the office of in consequence of the increased unanimity Attorney or Solicitor General, or Serjeant, amongst the Catholic body, had materially Counsel to the Revenue Boards (which, in influenced the votes of the peasantry, by point- Ireland, were places of great emolument), and ing out to them the candidates who were fa- also from the office of King's Counsel, the advourable to the Catholic claims, and those vantages of which were much greater in Ireland who were not so; but he was convinced, that even than in England. Catholics could not be none of the rites or ceremonies or sacraments Masters in Chancery. Catholics were not alof the church had ever been prostituted for lowed to be advocates; although in point of law that purpose. If the question of Catholic they might be such. Catholics could not be emancipation were carried, the influence of Sheriffs. They were excluded from all corpothe Catholic priests (although at present by no ration offices regulated by the Act of Settlement. means amounting to any thing like a submission By the exceptions in the Act of 1793, they were of the laity to them,) would cease. At the excluded from the offices of Lord Lieutenant, same time, if emancipation were carried (and Lord Chancellor, Lord High Treasurer, Secreuntil it was carried the Catholic clergy would tary of State, Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieunot accept of a provision), he thought it would tenant, Keeper of the Privy Seal, Vice Treabe unwise in Government not to secure the surer, Privy Councillor, Teller or Cashier of fidelity and attachment of the Catholic clergy the Exchequer, Auditor General, Postmaster

violent measures; as certainly atrocious crimes had been committed in particular districts. In all cases in which disturbances had broken out, the Catholic clergy had taken the most zealous and active measures, at personal risk, to quell them.-He was perfectly convinced that the Roman Catholics of Ireland, both clergy and laity, would, in the event of emancipation, be very willing to afford to Government reasonable security for the domestic education of their priesthood, and that no person should be nori.

General; and, which was perhaps the most necessity in some districts for taking very grievous exclusion of all, they were excluded from both Houses of Parliament. They were not excluded from any honorary distinction, such as Knights of St. Patrick; the first titles in the nation were the right of, and were enjoyed 67, Catholics; and, by virtue of a clause in the Annual Mutiny Act, dispensing with the oath of supremacy, the army, through all its ranks, he took to be practically as open to the Catholic as to the Protestant. Catholics were obliged to take what were called the qualification oaths of 1773, in order to be able, legally, to buy, or sell,nated to any situation in the Catholic church of or bequeath lands. In his judgment, the penal code was in full force against any Catholic who had not taken the oaths prescribed in the repealing statutes. If the evidence of having taken the oaths were lost, the property was still as discoverable (according to the Irish phrase) as it was in the reign of George I. ; and might be taken from the Catholic, and even from a Protestant deriving his title through a Catholic. -By an English Act of the 31st of George III. Catholic places of worship, and Catholic clergymen, were protected from disturbances during divine service. But the same protection did not exist in Ireland; there being no statute protecting Catholic places of worship, or divine service in them, except the Whiteboy Acts, when a county was disturbed; and no county, unless disturbed, was within the purview of the Whiteboy Acts.-The state of the law with regard to intermarriages of Catholics and Protestants was very much complained of. It was not universally known that the marriage of a Protestant and a Catholic by a Catholic priest was void. Catholic priests were liable to a penalty of 5001., if not to the punishment of death, for marrying a Protestant and a Catholic, even where they were not aware of the fact. It was considered a great hardship by the Roman Catholics, not so much that they were called upon to contribute to Protestant churches, as that they were called upon to build and repair such churches in parts in which they were totally unnecessary. For instance, one was building in a parish in the county of Kildare, in which there was but a single Protestant.-Catholics could not be guardians of Protestant children. They must take the oaths before they could be guardians of their own, or of any other children. He felt it personally an excessive grievance that, by the existing law, he, as a Catholic, could not he King's Counsel; and it was professionally injurious to a number of Protestant gentlemen. -It was his opinion, that in the case of future disturbances in Ireland, the Insurrection Act was likely to be very injurious; as it tended to continue and augment the indisposition which existed in the minds of the people to the administration of the law. It tended to perpetuate the notion, that law and government in Ireland was a matter of mère brutal force. But when he said that, he did not deny that there was a

Ireland who was not substantially educated, as well as born, in allegiance, and in Ireland. There was great danger in leaving matters of that kind as they then were; as there was a great disposition on the part of France to inter. fere with the education of persons for the Irish priesthood. The Roman Catholic gentry of Ireland would not only not wish for, but would not agree, in any plan for transferring to the Roman Catholic clergy the possessions of the Protestant church; but they were exceedingly desirous of a diminution of tithes. He took a clear distinction between the Roman Catholics being willing that the Government should interfere in the nomination, and their being willing to afford a perfect security that there should be no foreign interference. In the latter they would cordially concur; to the former they would strongly object. Perhaps some difficulty might arise as to the mode of taking away from the Pope all right of originating a nomination; but that, he thought, might be obviated. Ire land was considered, in the Catholic church, as in an anomalous state. The hierarchy was preserved complete, and yet it was a missionary country, the consequence of which was that a greater dominion over the nomination was given to the Pope. It would, however, cease to be a missionary country the moment that the Catholics were put on an equal footing with other British subjects. The present state of Ireland brought the Catholics into a kind of corporate capacity; they acted as a body by reason of the compression: emancipation would put an end to that. References were frequently made to the Pope in questions which arose between the clergy and the bishops; but they were only in cases purely ecclesiastical and spiritual.—He had heard that in case the Emancipation Bill were carried, there was a prospect of opulent Catholics, now resident on the Continent, returning to Ireland with their property: and he knew that if emancipation were delayed, some very wealthy Catholics would carry their pro perty out of Ireland. Emancipation would not only create great satisfaction among the Cathole gentry, but would contribute materially to diminish the popular disorders and disturbances that had prevailed. Although, by itself, it would not tranquillise Ireland, yet without at he did not think Ireland would ever be perfectly

tranquil. A strong sympathy with their Catholic countrymen, on the subject of emancipation, existed in a great proportion of the population of Ireland, especially in the south. There was a great want of books at Maynooth college, the sum annually voted for which was totally inadequate. With respect to Orangemen and Catholics, there was a mutual action and re-action; faults on both sides. The Orangemen, probably, entertained very improper notions of the Catholics; and some Catholics entertained very improper notions of Orangemen ; and one of the beneficial effects of Mr. JOHN ASTLE. Was a principal shipemancipation would be, to put an end to that owner in Dublin; had been concerned every mutual action and re-action. As to the abo-year in the carrying of emigrants from Ireland lition of the 40s. freeholds, although he did not wish for the measure, yet he did not mean to contend that, as a condition of emancipation, some arrangement might not take place respecting it. He was sure that the lower class of freeholders in Ireland would not be satisfied to renounce what they considered an advantage" Trades" in Ireland, which was a combination without receiving any advantage in return; but he thought it might be easily brought home to their understandings, that Catholic emancipation being granted was a full remuneration for their loss. The Protestant freeholders would, however, consider such an act as an unqualified grievance upon them; nor did he think there were any means of reconciling them to it.

occasion would encourage persons to send capital into Ireland; and if the interest of the colonies were to be considered as the interest of the empire, he conceived it to be impossible to incur an expense more beneficial, or with greater probability of reproduction than by laying out four millions to locate men, and to cultivate the waste lands of the provinces of Canada.

Mr. PETER ROBINSON.-Had been employed as superintendant of the emigration of last year from Ireland, and detailed all the particulars of that transaction.

ROBERT JOHN WILMOT HORTON, Esq.Was of opinion that, as it was an admitted fact, that in parts of Ireland the population might be considered redundant, in the sense of the supply of labour being very disproportionate to the demand, no remedy could be more satisfactorily employed than emigration, provided the expense were not too great. In 1823, 568 emigrants had been sent to Canada, at an expense of 227. a head; which expense included the location of a settler, his maintenance for a year; and his being placed in a situation in which he could go on without further assistance. With regard to the scheme of emigration generally, he thought that 201. for each person (the proportion of men being as one to four) might be considered a correct estimate. He saw no reason why the emigration which had been successfully carried into operation in 1823, might not be carried into effect, with reference to any conceivable number of persons disposed to emigrate. The two Canadas, New Brunswick, and other colonies, would absorb an enormous population. He considered it also exceedingly desirable to encourage and regulate voluntary emigration, unconnected with any support from Government. He spoke merely as an individual, and not as pretending to give any opinion on the part of Government, when he said, that he thought the abstraction of 200,000 unemployed persons from Ireland would be attended with

to North America; and described the injurious nature of the provisions of the Act of Parliament for the regulation of that trade. He was of opinion, that too much was done for the emigrants at present, and that nothing ought to be given them but a free passage. The "Union of

to keep up the price of labour, had proved exceedingly injurious to the shipping interest, and had been productive of much bloodshed. It was one of the causes which prevented English capital from going over to Ireland. Any measures which would have the effect of tranquillising Ireland, would also have the effect of inducing English capitalists to fix there.

HUGH O'CONNOR, Esq.- Had been at the head of a house in the West India trade of considerable extent in Dublin, but had retired. A great many inconveniences had resulted to Roman Catholic merchants in Dublin, in consequence of the exclusion of Roman Catholics from the direction of the Bank. The political state of Ireland had a material tendency to retard the investment of English capital in that part of the United Kingdom. Discontent gene. rally prevailed throughout the Catholic body, on account of the disqualifying laws; from the highest Catholic peer to the humblest Catholic peasant. Being sure that the 40s. freeholders were not in a station of life which gave any se eurity to the public of a fair and independent exercise of their franchise, in the event of a bill being carried for the emancipation of the Catholics, he conceived that it would be desirable to make an alteration in the present qualification of the freeholders. He also thought that a provision ought to be made by the state for the Roman Catholic clergy in Ireland; and that such an arrangement would be acceptable to the Roman Catholic clergy and laity, if ac companied by the general measure of emanci. pation; but not otherwise. He himself, and he believed many other Catholics of property, were determined to leave Ireland, in case the civil disabilities under which the Catholies laboured were continued.

RICHARD SHIELL, Esq.- Described various the best possible results. The comparative imperfections in the administration of justice tranquillity which such an abstraction must in Ireland; arising from two sources, religious,