Later in the evening, Colonel Saunderson rose to bring his
indictment against the Land League and the National League, and to justify those clauses of the Bill which permit the Govern- ment to proclaim, in particular districts, any Association that interferes with law and order in those districts. He gave the names of two brothers, Troy, of Shandrnm, in County Cork, who had insisted on anonymity before Lord Cowper's Land Commis- sion, but who bad authorised him to give their names, now that the Government had proved their resolve to protect law-abiding people in Ireland by introducing this Bill. These brothers had purchased a farm of a man named Burke, and had paid him £780 for it. Burke was left in his house, and permitted to keep a garden round it ; but after getting the money, Burke thought he would like to keep the land for which he had been paid, and the brothers had to get a writ of eviction to enforce their bargain. The National League decided in the opposite sense to the Courts of Law, and ordered the brothers to give up the land, and pay a fine of £150 as well ; and this the League enforced against them by strict boycotting. Indeed, one of the brothers had a half-share in a bull with a man of the name of Macnamara.
According to the statement, the half of this bull was boycotted, while the other half was free. This was Colonel Saunderson's illustration of the minute tyranny of the National League, of which he said there would be plenty of authenticated instances, if the terror felt of its power could be removed.
Previous page
