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"The Secretary recommended the bench to comply with the instructions, and estimate the sum to be levied off the barony. If this were not done, the applications for drainage might be ineffective. Applications for drainage were made at Ahern, and he forwarded them to government, and he subsequently received a letter from the Castle to know if paragraphs No. 1 and 2 of the instructions were complied with. Now, the fact was, they were not, and it might, therefore, be fatal to the presentments. The valuation of the barony for poor-law purposes was £66,734.

"Chairman-Which will you grant, for three or six months?-(cries of "three months," which was drowned by a host of voices yelling for "six," and the scene for some minutes was terrific.)

"Mr. J. B. Warren-For God's sake pass any thing, so you let us out of this (shouting.)

"Chairman-Is it to be six?—(tremendous yells of yes.)

"Mr. J. B. Warren-Any thing at all, for peace sake.

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Secretary-Will you take the applications in electoral divisions?

"Mr. M. H. Warren-'Tis quite unnecessary to go into the valuation at all-(yells)

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Secretary-Unless you comply with the instructions, most of the applications will fall to the ground-(uproar.)

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Chairman-Take it any way-(yells.)

Secretary-Let us begin with the parish of Macroom-(great confusion.) For mercy sake, be quiet.

"Mr. J. B. Warren-Captain Gordon is squeezed nearly to death.

"Secretary-The valuation of the parish of Macroom is £8354 18s. 6d. "Mr. J. E. M'Carthy-I move that £8000 be granted for the support of the people of Macroom for six months-(oh, oh, with yells of approval.) The reason I adopt that is, not for the purpose of levying so great a sum, but to comply with the mandate of the government-(great yelling.) I move that we take the poor law valuation in each parish, to satisfy the mandate-(cries of 't isn't enough.)

"Counsellor Herrick hoped they would not come forward with a specious appearance of humanity, and do that which was ludicrously extravagant— (awful uproar which lasted some minutes.)

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Secretary-Gracious God, what a scene!

"Mr. M. H. Warren-I oppose £8000-(dreadful yelling.) I care not what may be the consequences, I oppose it-(vociferous bahing.)

"Rev. H. Swanzey-There are 450 unemployed people- (increased uproar.) "Mr. M. H. Warren-My calculation of the unemployed in the parish of Macroom is 586-(yells.)

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Mr. J. E. McCarthy-Six hundred for six months at 1s. a-day will be £5000. Now, I am satisfied that £4000 be granted-(yells.)

"Mr. J. B. Warren-And I second that-(dreadful confusion, at least thirty voices addressing the chair.)

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Captain Gordon begged leave to say that the works would be proceeded with in accordance with the amount of unemployed and destitute returned by the committees. It depended on the relief committees to say what amount of labour would be given-(awful confusion.)

"Mr. J. E. M'Carthy-I move that we make it £5000 for Macroom. "Mr. J. B. Warren-And I second it-(tremendous shouting.) "Chairman-Does Mr. John Warren second it?-(cries of To be sure.) "Mr. J. B. Warren-Anything for a quiet life-(great shouting.) "Father Kearney-What's the population?

"Father Lee-Four thousand seven hundred and thirty-four according to Pigott's map. (Here again a number of persons were addressing the chairman, which caused the greatest confusion, and was much increased by the shouting of the crowd in the body of the court-in the midst of which the chairman declared that £5000 was agreed to.)

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Secretary-We'll now take up Ballyvourney. The poor law valuation of this parish is £5750.

"Chairman-And the population, 4456.

"Mr. M. H. Warren-I propose you grant £3000.

"Mr. M'C. O'Leary-And I second it-(yelling.)

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Father Burton-You must grant £4000 at least-(tremendous shouting.) "Mr. J. B. Warren-Give it them-give them anything-(shouting.) "Chairman-Well, £4000 is agreed to-(great shouting.)

"Mr. M'C. O'Leary-If you do that, you break your arrangement with Macroom-(tumult.)

Mr. J. E. M'Carthy-There is industry and a healthy population in Macroom, far from what there is in the mountains-(shouting.)-I know Ballyvourney-I know the rude mountaineers. They would be honest if they had enough to eat, but God only knows what they may be when starving-(loud shouting.)

"Mr. Fitzgerald-Take the opinion of the relief committee as to the wants of the parish (shouting.)

"Rev. R. Kirchoffer-I think that £4000 will be required.

"Mr. M. H. Warren-I move that £3500 be granted-(uproar.)

"Father Lee-There is much more poverty and much more distress in the town of Macroom than in any other place-(great confusion.) I call on you to reconsider Macroom-(tremendous uproar.)

"Chairman-Macroom is decided-(cries of No.)

"Mr. Browne-As the principle applied to Macroom has not been carried out, you are bound to reconsider Macroom-(shouting.)

"Father Lee-I'm ready to prove that on last Thursday a man died of starvation in Macroom-(awful uproar.)

"Chairman-A poll is demanded as to whether we reconsider Macroom(great tumult.)

"Mr. M. H. Warren-I shall press my motion-(groaning and yells.) "Mr. J. B. Warren-It is all nonsense to press any matter here-see the confusion around you. Give it up, Massy-give it up-(tremendous yelling.) "Chairman-We came here to serve the people, but we won't be allowed to do so. I'm quite useless here, and shall therefore leave the chair-(increased tumult.)

"Mr. J. B. Warren-Hear me-hear me for a moment. I shall now bring this scene to a close. There is but one course we can adopt, and that I propose, that the presentments be passed en masse- -(great cheering.) The d-1 a thing else can be done here.

"Mr. Colthurst-I second that-it is the only course left us-(great uproar.) "Mr. J. B. Warren-Hear me-do hear me for a moment-(great yelling.) See what a scene you have here to-day-look around you. Is it not utterly impossible that we can go through these applications dispassionately-that we will be permitted to consider them calmly or quietly? for God's sake then pass my resolution, granting them all, whatever they may be, and leave them to our guardian angels, the Board of Works-(great shouting.) I move that the applications pass en masse. Does any one second me?-(shouts of We do.) "Mr. M'C. O'Leary-I second you with all my heart-(tremendous shouting.)

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"Mr. J. B. Warren-If you carry that you may go home to your dinners -if you reject it, prepare to stop here for a week-(yells.)

"Chairman-Who's for passing them all?-(tremendous shouts of all.) "Mr. J. B. Warren-Mr. Secretary, bundle them all up, and cut away as fast as you can-(great uproar.)

"Mr. J. E. M'Carthy-I object-I object-I object-(hisses.) I move that we go to the consideration of the applications in alphabetical order(uproar.) Some of us did not come here for mere huinbug-(groaning, hissing, and shouting.)

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"Mr. J. B. Warren-Some of us did not come here to make speeches; my proposition is carried at all events-(tremendous shouting.)

"Mr. J. E. M'Carthy-I'll not give way-(cries of poll, poll, with no, no.) "Chairman-Shall I poll Mr. Warren's motion-(yes, yes, and deafening shouts of no.)

"Mr. J. E. M'Carthy-I'll never consent to sign myself down a fool. "Mr. J. B. Warren-You need never do that.

"Dr. Baldwin-Such a proceeding would be stultifying ourselves-(yells.) "Father Kearney-Is it legal to pass them in this way?

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Captain Gordon-You may do so if you please-'tis as good as any other way here.

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Father Kearney-Then away with them-(vociferous yelling.) Secretary-If you pass the presentments in this way none of the drainage presentments can be carried out.

“Mr. J. E. M'Carthy-It is a miserable subterfuge to defeat the objects of the poor-to avoid feeding the people-(awful confusion and shouting.)

"Mr. J. B. Warren-I have no application for a presentment for a job, but others may-(shouting.) By my plan I give all a fair chance. It is evident we are mere puppets here we have no control-the storm is overpowerful for us-(shouting.) You are much mistaken if you think you can reject any presentment, and it will in any way come to the same end. All we have to do is to place our dependence on the controlling power of the Board of Works, who will have useful works pressed upon them by the relief committees (shouting.)

"Mr. J. E. M'Carthy-We must check jobs-we must upset jobs.

"Mr. J. B. Warren-This observation seems to be aimed at me; now I don't care a fig for it-I can afford a laugh at it, for so far as jobs are concerned this day, I think I am the most innocent man in court-(shouting.) "Chairman-I cannot stand this any longer-I must leave the chair(yells.)

"Father Lee-If you ask for quietness I shall get it for you-(here tremendous uproar ensued.)

“Mr. J. B. Warren-Well, have it any way you like. For peace sake I withdraw my motion, but in doing so, I must say that I am as anxious for the poor as any man, and perhaps more so than those who make a parade of humanity (cheering.)

"Dr. Baldwin-I'm convinced there's no more humane man than Mr. John Warren-(shouting.)

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Secretary-What sum will you assess?

"Mr. Cronin-Let us fix an amount in globo.

"Mr. J. B. Warren-You may, or in nubibus, it will all come to the same -(great uproar.)

"Mr. J. E. M'Carthy-I propose that £50,000 be granted.

"Mr. J. B. Warren-You may as well make it £500,000; what signifies a nought?

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Amidst the most terrific tumult, the applications were taken up seriatim, and all read were passed.

"Father O'Driscoll applied to build a chapel at Drisbane, £500.

"Dr. Baldwin-I object-(hissing.)

"Father O'Driscoll-You should be the last to oppose it.

"Dr. Baldwin--You should not divert the money from the poor.

"Mr. M. H. Warren-Poll it-(bah) I care not for your hissing—I'm here on my oath-(hisses.) I'm here sworn to do my duty. Now it is no part of my duty to tax the community to build chapels-(great hissing.)

"Father O'Driscoll-Raise no discussion here in the face of the peoplehissing.)

"Mr. M. H. Warren-I'll do my duty, though you hiss me to my house(great confusion.)

"Chairman-It's passed-(shouting.)

"Father Lee applied for £1000 to repair Macroom chapel.

"Chairman-We'll grant it-(great shouting.) Look at the bundle of applications still before me.

"Dr. Baldwin-And all the magistrates and cess-payers have deserted you. "Chairman-What am I to do?

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Secretary-Really the thing is too ridiculous to be continued any longer. "Chairman-Then I'll reject the rest-(cries of no.)

"The Chairman, Secretary, County Surveyor, and Captain Gordon, (it being half-past four o'clock,) here escaped from the court amidst great uproar.'

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Such a scene needs no comment: the people, long agitated with fictitious grievances, and now afflicted by a real calamity, are told that they can relieve themselves at the expense of their oppressors, and of course they are ready to seize upon the opportunity of doing so. However, the folly of the gentry is even more astonishing than the violence of the people; in the very next number of the newspaper above quoted we have a similar scene in the barony of East Muskerry, at the town of Coachford.

BARONY OF EAST MUSKERRY.

"The extraordinary sessions for this barony took place on Thursday, in the Court-house at Coachford, and they certainly were extraordinary," if a proceeding supposed to be in conformity with law carried out through uproar and confusion, could be designated extraordinary.' If it was impossible to give a faithful report of the scene at the West Muskerry Sessions on Tuesday, it was far more impossible to note those of the present, the crowd was so great and so closely packed, and the noise was so unceasing from the commencement to the close. When our reporter arrived at the Court-house he found the building closely packed with farmers and labourers, and after a severe crushing he battled his way to the bench, where he found a few magistrates hemmed in. In some time after, the Secretary of the Grand Jury succeeded in squeezing himself up to the same position, when he declared it would be totally impossible under such circumstances to proceed to business. Captain Broughton, Captain Gordon, Mr. Benson, surveyor, E. R., and Mr. Treacy, surveyor, W. R., having succeeded in getting to the upper part of the court, declared they would not bring in their papers amongst such a crowd."

The conclusion was, that at Macroom the amount of presentments passed was £73,430. 13s. 8d., including £4300 for drainage. The valuation of the barony of West Muskerry is £54,297. 13s. 11d. The presentments passed at Coachford, exclusive of those for draining, amounted to £40,541. 8s. 7d.; the valuation of the barony being £61,197. 6s. 5d. Thus we see that two days after the riot at Macroom, the same violent proceedings are allowed in the next barony, the same secretary of the grand jury, and apparently nearly the same magistrates being present. The same violence, yells, shouting, passing presentments for building chapels, went on unchecked. We can imagine a lawless mob attempting any degree of violence; we can imagine

an outbreak of popular feeling taking place once, and great mischief ensuing where the civil authorities are unprepared. But when we see a number of country gentlemen meeting at Macroom, and experiencing the evils of passing absurd presentments under the pressure of popular outcry, and then in the same week deliberately meeting another turbulent assembly of the same kind, and submitting to the same insults upon their authority, we must come to the conclusion either that "there is no very particular law in Ireland," or that the magistrates are unfit to hold her Majesty's commission. Influence can do much, and we have seen a very violent mob restrained by the temperate use of it; but when the legislature appoints a solemn assembly, and entrusts it with the power of taxing the country, decency should at least be observed, and the power of the law supported, even by the use of force, or at least by the display of it. A hundred police, or a company of soldiers brought into the town at an early hour, and stationed near the Court-house, the quiet but determined appearance of the military, or perhaps a cool threat to some prominent ringleader, that in case of violence the officer will single him out as the first to fall, has had its effect even where parties are brought into collision at a contested election. Now here there was no such excitement, and therefore the conduct of all concerned was less excusable; all partics were agreed as to the necessity of raising money for the present distress, and the only question was as to the prudence of raising a larger or a smaller sum. Of course, in the end, the agitators only defeated their own purposes, if they had any real design beyond mischief, and seriously intended to obtain food for the people, as the Lord Lieutenant has in every instance refused to allow presentments passed in this way, and Mr. Warren's guardian angels, the Board of Works," have declined to advance the money. It is however extremely wrong to place the government in such a false position; the constitutional principle of selftaxation is considered a safeguard against raising unnecessary sums; and if the crown grants money on condition of its being repaid, it is hard to throw upon it the responsibility of discriminating between two counties, and deciding that one has sufficient sense to be allowed to tax itself, and that the other must be treated as a lunatic, and not be allowed the control over its own expenditure.

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Up to the 31st of October the Lord Lieutenant had issued two hundred and eighty-seven proclamations for extraordinary presentment sessions under the Labour Rate Act. We hope that those above quoted were among the worst specimens. Within the last month we were present at a meeting of a relief committee, and

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