IRELAND.
A meeting is about to be held in Dublin to determine upon a national testimonial of Father Mathew's services in reclaiming his countrymen to temperance. The project was set on foot by Mr. Peter Purcell ; but it has now received the adhesion of many influential men of all creeds and parties, including the Duke of Leinster, the Earl of Wicklow, the Earl of Charleville, Lord Duncannon, Lord Lurgan, Sir John Newport, Sir Harcourt Lees, Mr. O'Connell, the Dean of Armagh, the Dean of Down, and many Protestant clergymen. The mere enumeration of these names attests the universal esteem of Father Mathew : the list of subscribers is a kindof catalogue-millennium, in which the O'Connell lies down with the Lees.
The levy of poor-rates has been resisted at Skibbereen in Ireland, to bloodshed. [The accounts which reached London last week were ac- cidentally extruded from our paper by the pressure of the Indian news.] The collector having been obstructed in that neighbourhood, on the 17th November, the police were called out, in a body of seventy strong, to enforce it. They were on their way, headed by two Magistrates, to Baltimore, when, about five miles from Skibbereen, they were met by a riotous mob of two thousand persons. The Magistrates warned the people to retire ; one of them, Mr. .Aylmer, seized a stick in a man's hand—the man struggled—a policeman came up to assist the Magis- trate—the rioter seized the policeman's sword—stones were thrown— the word was given, and the police fired : one man was shot through the heart, and six more were wounded ; one of them afterwards died of mortification in the leg, refusing to have the limb amputated. An in- quest on the bodies was opened on the 19th. The district continued in a state of the greatest excitement : the rate-collector had been obliged to leave his house and come into Skibbereen for protection, and twelve of the police were placed round his lodging to save him from the fury of the people ; bonfires were seen blazing by night in every direction within eight miles distance ; and large bodies of military, and troops of police from all quarters, had been ordered to the place.
On the 22d, the Coroner's Jury returned a verdict of "Justifiable Homicide" in the case of the man who was killed on the ground; but in the other case they returned a verdict of " Manslaughter " against eight policemen, the wounded man not having taken a part in the riot. The Jury expressed a strong condemnation of "persons in a superior rank of life" who excited the misguided people by their advice.
The Southern Reporter makes a similar allusion-
" Mr. O'Driscoll observed, [at Skibbereen Petit Sessions, 1 that there was no doubt of persons in a higher rank of life promoting opposition to the col- lection of the rates ; and that he was most anxious to procure evidence for the purpose of prosecuting those individuals, among whom was a connexion of his own."
A reporter of the Cork Constitution mentions a fact which is of im- portance to the defence of the Police- " The orders of the Constabulary are now so strict in respect to executing a command to fire, that any man not doing so (which is capable of test by ex- amination of his carbine and cartouch-box) is guilty of a breach of discipline, and liable to be dismissed the force ; and any man discharging his piece before he covers an object is guilty of a more serious offence. It may be matter of surprise that a discharge of forty-nine bullets did not wound and kill a greater number ; but this, we think, may be explained by a remark which / heard made—several of the party were seen to raise the muzzles of their guns and fire into the air."
Reports have been received in Dublin of resistance to the levy of poor-rates at Carrick-on-Suir. The military were called out ; but the people did not resort to violence, and the tumult was suppressed without disaster.
An unusual degree of consternation has been created by a murder in Tipperary. Last spring, Mr. James Scully, of Kilfeacle, was shot at while reading in the parlour of his own house, and so dangerously wounded that for some time he was not expected to recover. However, be did recover : he travelled on the Continent for his health ; and he recently returned. He was out shooting in the neighbourhood on Saturday, and was in the act of firing at a bird when a shot was dis- charged at himself: he fell to the ground bleeding ; two men were seen to rush forward and trample violently on the body, and they did not leave it until life was extinct. The motive to the crime is guessed. Mr. Scully, who was a young man, was the eldest son of Mr. Denis Scully, a Roman Catholic, and the author of " A. Treatise on the Penal Code." He is said to have been rough in his manner, and "very determined to discountenance bad characters from his estate "; though kind-hearted ; and instances are given of his considerate generosity to his tenants- —such as forgiving large sums of rent, and finding employ- ment for the distressed. But at the time of the attack in the spring, he had become implicated in a quarrel about the tenancy of one of his farms- " It appeared that a tenant of his sold his farm for 80/., with the intention of emigrating to America. The new tenant newly cropped the land; but, after a lapse of some months, the former occupier, who remained in the mess time among his relations on the estate, came back and claimed the farm. The new tenant consented to give it up, on being paid his 80/. and the value of the crops in the ground ; but those very fair terms were rejected, possession being required without any compensation or equivalent. In these circumstances, Mr. Scully was appealed to ; and of course be decided in favour of the occupy- ing tenant. Soon after, shots were fired into the tenant's house ; and he was otherwise annoyed, it was supposed, by the old tenant and his relations. Mr. Scully then interposed, threatening to get rid of those persons if the system of outrage were persevered in. The result was the formation of a conspiracy against Mr. Scully himself."
Government have proclaimed a reward of 200/. for the apprehension of the murderers, and a free pardon to accomplices who will give evidence.
More outrages are also gazetted-
On the 27th October, at eight o'clock in the forenoon, three men entered the house of 'William Bergan, of Cullenwaine, near Moneygall, King's County, and fired upon him. Bergan was dangerously wounded. The Lord-Lieute- nant has offered a reward of 60/. for the discovery of the perpetrators. On the 26th, at five o'clock in the afternoon, Thomas Conroy, of Clonaheen, bailiff to Hans Hamilton, Esq., was fired at from behind a hedge, and severely wounded, as he was proceeding upon a car to Ripard, in the Queen's County. The Lord-Lieutenant has issued a proclamation offering a reward of 80/. for the discovery of the perpetrators.
An inquest on the body was held on Sunday, and a verdict was re- turned of " Wilful Murder against some person or persons unknown," The Earl of Glengall and several Magistrates attended the inquest.
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