280 ORGANIZATION OF THE SOCIETY. [CHAP. IX. men, but their finances seemed low, amounting only to 1447. 2s. 1d.-their armoury also was wretchedly defective; † as, by a return of the counties of Antrim, Armagh, Down, and Louth, in which upwards of 60,000 men were enumerated, they had but 6,346 guns, 2,536 bayonets, 3,816 pikes, 465 pistols, eighteen blunderbusses, and eight cannon. Dr. M'Nevin in his work entitled "Pieces of Irish History," describes the originators of the system.§ He says "they were farmers, mechanics, manufacturers, and shopkeepers!!!" Yet these men of little weight, moderate abilities, without fortune, and with no resources, were able in so short a time to organize such a body, with a view to revolutionize a kingdom, and to convulse the empire from centre to circumference! Surely there must have been some very omnipotent motive, and some much more powerful stimulant than could be applied or discovered by persons in the rank of farmers, mechanics, and shopkeepers!! What a censure on Mr. Pitt's conduct! what a reflection on Lord Clare!— what a satire on Lord Camden's Administration, and British Government in Ireland!!! In fact, these "farmers, manufacturers, and shopkeepers" would never have been able to bring about an insurrection, if they had not been aided by Lord Clare and the Ministry-their vigour beyond the lawtheir abusive speeches-their violent acts-martial law-burnings, free quarters, and torture. It was not until October, 1796, that the military organization began in Ulster, and that Dr. M.Nevin, Arthur * Idem, p. 64. - Antrim, 22,039 men; Down, 23,769; Derry, 10,000; Tyrone, 12,169; Armagh, 12,273; Monaghan, 3,075; Donegal, 9,648; Cavan, 1,000; Fermanagh, 2,000; Louth, 3,438-all Protestant counties. CHAP. IX.] MAGISTERIAL OPPRESSION. 281 O'Connor, and Lord Edward Fitzgerald, became United Irishmen; it is also observable that the proposal as to foreign aid came from France, and did not originate in Ireland, nor was any accredited messenger sent from the United Irishmen till April, 1797;* and when a plan of insurrection for the North was formed and drawn out, the project was at once abandoned; with respect to Leinster and Munster, the military organization did not commence there till the middle of 1797;† and if reform had been granted, foreign connexion would have been abandoned, and the people would have been reconciled to the Government. It would be painful and disgusting to relate the various acts of tyranny and oppression that were inflicted on a country, torn by civil war, domestic faction, and religious animosity; one instance of magisterial conduct will show the spirit that influenced that body. Mr. M'Naghten, a magistrate of Antrim, summoned a number of persons to appear at a private house, to be examined on oath as to their knowledge of any unlawful assembly, or the taking of any unlawful oaths. Several very respectable persons attended, but declined to be examined on so vague a proceeding, and without any specific charge being made against any individual; upon which, a military party being in readiness, took nine of the persons to gaol for a contempt, where they remained in the depth of a most inclement winter, without bail. At an assizes in the north, before Mr. Toler, afterwards Lord Norbury, the prisoner was brought to trial in a state of intoxication; he was drunk when he was arraigned he was drunk when he was tried-and * Though Lord Edward Fitzgerald and Arthur O'Connor proceeded to the Continent to meet Hoche in 1796, neither of them were then United Irishmen. + M'Nevin's Evidence, Lords' Committee Report. 1. The judge, who was very short sighted, did not of course perceive it. 282 MR. CURRAN'S EXPOSITION OF [CHAP. IX. he was drunk when he was hanged. At the Derry assizes, the same Judge, in his charge to the Grand Jury, stated, that he had just received the sacrament; and having his mind set at ease, was much better prepared to go through the awful business in which he was engaged: he then tried a man for a riot, and sentenced him to two years' imprisonment, and to be flogged, unless he gave useful information to the neighbouring magistrate (Sir Geo. Hill.) In another case, a prisoner, sixty-five years of age, was accused of buying a ball-cartridge from a soldier; he sentenced the old man to be flogged, but having a good character, the jury interfered, so Judge Toler sentenced him only to two years' imprisonment, and 50l. fine!!! Such were the judicial proceedings. With respect to the juries, the mode of selecting them may be judged from the following occurrence :-At Saintfield, in the county Down, twelve persons were tried for assaulting a dwelling-house; the Rev. Mr. Clelland, tutor to Lord Castlereagh, was the chief witness on the occasion: he was charged with having selected the jury; the prisoners made a legal objection, and, after eleven hours' trial, they were acquitted. Mr. Curran's speech on the occasion gives some idea of the proceedings adopted towards the people. His description of the reverend gentleman, magistrate, tutor, and witness, is rather amusing. After a speech of considerable length, delivered with great animation and eloquence, he said "This was a challenge on matter of the highest moment to the community, to his clients, and to the purity of a court of justice. His object was to shew that the grand pannel of the county from which the present pannel was taken, was not that fair and disinterested pannel to which he could wish to commit the lives and liberties of his unfortunate clients; and therefore he found himself in duty bound to use his best exertions to have it set aside, that justice-impartial justice-may be honestly dispensed. CHAP. IX.] THE REV. MR. CLELLAND. 283 Trial by jury was a most valuable privilege when it was preserved pure-and hence it was, that a great law Lord had stated, that a jury ought to be as a leaf of white paper, or, in the language of the present Court, it ought to be untinged; it ought to be a pure, unadulterated water, free from every mixture that could affect its transparencyotherwise it would only be tainted, drawn from the poisoned fountain, which flowed with certain death towards his client; or, it would be a sheet of paper blurred, and scrawled over with characters vile and detestable.-This was no common period in the history of the world-they were no ordinary transactions which were now passing before us-all Europe was shook to the centre; we felt its force, and were likely to be involved in its consequences. There was no man who had sense enough to be conscious of his own existence, who could hold himself disengaged and unconcerned amidst the present scenes and to say that a man was unbiassed and unprejudiced is the surest proof that he is both. Prejudice was the cobweb which caught vulgar minds, but the prejudices of the present day float in the upper regions-they entangle the lofty heads-they are bowing them down-you see them as they flutter, and you hear them as they buzz. Mr. Clelland was become a very public and a very active man; he has his mind, I doubt not, stored with the most useful and extensive erudition-he is clothed with the sacred office of a Minister of the Gospel of peace; he is a magistrate of the county-tutor of a young lord-he is employed as agent to some large properties-he is reputably connected and universally esteemed, and is therefore a man of no small weight and consideration in this county. He has more than once positively sworn that he applied to the High Sheriff-that he struck off no name but those who wanted freeholds; but to-day he finds that freeholders were struck off by his own pen; he tells you, my Lord, and Gentlemen Triers, with equal modesty and ingenuity, that he has made a mistake. He returns eighty-one names to the Sheriff-he receives blank summonses, and fills up what he deems convenient. Gracious Heaven! what are the courts of justice? What is trial by jury? What is the country brought to? Were it told in the courts above- were it told in other countries-were it told in Westminster-hall that such a man was permitted to return near one-half of the Grand Panel of the county from one particular district-a district under severe distress-a district to which 284 THE BELFAST RESOLUTIONS, AND [CHAP. IX. he is agent, and on which, with the authority he possesses, he is able to bring great calamity. He ascends the pulpit with the Gospel of benignity and peace; he endeavours to impress himself and his hearers with its meek and holy spirit. He descends, throws off the purple, seizes the insurrection act in the one hand, and the whip in the other; flies by night and by day after his game and with his heart panting, his breath exhausted, and his belly at the ground in the chase, he turns round and tells you that his mind is unprejudiced-that his heart is full of humanityand that all his hopes, fears, and wishes, are a pure innocent mixture of milk and water." Every effort in Parliament to remedy the grievances of the nation was useless; and it may appear singular that the question of Parliamentary Reform and Catholic Emancipation should have been brought forward by Mr. Ponsonby. The circumstances which led to that were as follows:In December, 1796, a public meeting was held at Belfast, and William Sampson, Arthur O'Connor, R. Symes, and Mr. Tennent, with five others, were appointed to draw up resolutions to be laid before the Lord Lieutenant; they set forth "That the imperfect state of the representation in the House of Commons is the primary cause of the dis contents. "That the public mind would be restored to tranquillity and, every impending danger averted, by such a reform as would secure population and property their due weight, without distinction on account of religion. "That a declaration fairly manifested on the part of the Government, to comply with the just desires of the people, would produce the happiest effects, as it would conciliate the affections of the people, whose object was reform alone, and thus bid defiance to foreign and domestic enemies." These were laid before the Lord Lieutenant, and if they had met with a favourable reception, and had been promptly acted on, they might have prevented the catastrophe that followed, and there would have been neither insurrection, invasion, nor |