An explanation is attempted by the Morning Chronicle and the
Dub- lin Evening Post of the extraordinary circumstance mentioned by Mr. Blake, the Irish Police inspector, of the mode of making out the police- returns in that country. It seems from these explanations, that the re- peated statements of the witness, to the effect that any number of of- fences committed by the Caine party on the same night would only be set down as one offence, were nothing more than Irish blttnderings, from not knowing the meaning of his own expressions. 1.1'e will give the Government the full benefit of the C'hronicle's explanation ; and as it is a matter that has excited much attention, we will take, also from the Chronicle, with its own typographical display, the., evidence w hide it explains- " During on investigation into the conduct of a police-officer at Pallace- kenry, Mr. Blake, after distinctly stating that a full report of all outrages goes to Dublin Castle,' is reported to have undergone tint following cross-ex- amination— ' no you know of Par or flee acacks on different hons”s in one night tteity; all em- bodied (Iv ma, "nerve, alit in one report:'--' 1 think there wore sevi.ral hous,,, at- tacked :ifter Lysol left Clarina, which were counted but rue env outi.ist. in the repo' t 1 hold in iny 111111d.' 'Oa your isn't. were there not Pthie outrytyes (.01m-ratted int the night of the 15th uf hue? out were they not all 1:w:ft.:dated in one report •—• A full report doll untnyos goes to Dublin Castle.' ' Did the nine outrages en the night of the 15th of Jtuic count but as oner—"FILIT'S arm,,' ' And were those NINE one of the forty eight of which yen have srken as ()mitring within the year ?'—' YES: in fad, if t wcre attleked by one party in the same night, it is ouly put down as 0 NIt OUT RAG' E.'
'Ilere the candid assailants of the Irish Government stop, deetuing what we have quoted better for their purpose than if they had given 'the whole truth.' But the remit goes on to state, that
' Tito witne,s lune pro laced an ;distract of the reports, and ,,aid wo-it and that it was a thing lover doui,, to go into a delati in those sit d I added. that inure that' one (Mirage %Nas olten embodied in one rep,it t. ill1 thAt malty outrages were set thrth as only one!'
"Now this passage is sit pressed by the Tory and eliatogrowther press; be- cause, clumsily as Mr. Blake expresses himself, it places las statements in a very different light from that in which they wish the intblie to regard them. The stupidity of this witness in cont.:winding the thing cicicrilA. with the form of describing it, 11:18 given a handl.: for perverting his titeanitr.:. lint it inust be plain to common sense, that a return, admitted. to be a I i I report of all outrages, mid which embodies several occurrences, could not, in :my inst,oice, be so drawn up as to represent hut one oceitrrenee ; nor w•oill I :ill elpeih!lit with the Slightest pretension to candour, affeet to believe any Government s infatuated as to retake such reports front its subordinates, or to attempt to palm them upen the world. These reports, it must be recollected, are for tl.o private information of the Govornment ; it is not until they are classitied anti reduced to order that the contents meet the public eye ; and III that form we affirm every distinct occurrence is distinctly and sepatately set forth. " Mr. Blake's obscure mode of expressing himself has left hitu open to ride- construction ; but las meaning is obviou,ly this—and we are enabled to assert with confidence that such is the ca ,e— till a series of outrages. committed liv the same party in one and the sante exp...dit ion, are deserilied in the rctlirlIS tli the Government in one contiamel: narrative, and ere not veparatsdy r,,,..jstered in distinct columns or collet:111moms appropriated to each and every offewee they may have been eh:ea:eel withal. "It is the ditty of the constabh, ti chargo of every stati.tit to report each single incident, however trivial, that allbets ti :e rico or char:tiger ,11 hit di. trio, with the utmost minittenees ; lint it remains for the lospector-Getteral to classify every single outrage thus reported under its proper heath and. :is we
have already stated, the polive• reports must hit in this rtoeess before they are seen by the public; so that the statement of one of oat I it- labe ca I coatem- poraries, that • the
emeeffelating erocee: is only hiI'illtell III Opt.ra itpila those reports intended for the public eye, and lin. the infoinEition lIi iS
SO lite front being true, that it is the very oppaslt:• to tile truth. It is a direct
impeachment of the integrity and truth or mcrogol., 1`019ciel and the other gentlemen upon who ,11 resemisibility rests of ;,,it fli; a full and faithful detail of all times:tenons emiuminirated ti their depart mon'," The Lord- Lieutenant has also drought it necessary to give an ex- planation of the matter. Ins w nihng to Coloto..1 MeGregor, the I nspee tor- General of Constabulary, on the subject of' the investigation in which Mr. Blake's cross-examination occurred, his Excellency observes— "It is stated in evidence by the County Inspector, Mr. Blake, that the coa- stabulary reports often embody more than one outrage, and that a report of Sub-Inspector Jackson's, on the 15th June 1840, comprised as many as nine. This, if unexplained, would utterly discredit the accuracy of all official deco- mente respecting the amount of crime in Ireland. Although the Sub-Inspeetoot very properly embody all offences suppused to be committed by the same parties on the same day or night in one report to the Inspector-General, the reports made by hitn to the Government accurately di-ainguish each separate outrage; and a reference to the constabulary documents c:carlv shows, that the nine house-attacks, reported by Sub-lnspeetor Jackson out the 15th of June, are enumerated as so many distinct offences int the plated monthly return of out- rages."
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