ll!; THIRD edition: A CORRESPONDENCE EKTWEEN Richard Wilson^ Esq. A IMagistrate lur the County of Tyrone, and late Member of the British Parhament ; THE RL Ho?2. William Elliot .^ ll Principal Secretary to His Grace the Dake of Bedforu, AND THE Rt, Hon. George Po?nonby^ Lord High Chanceilor of Ireland; Relative to the Persttu(i.,ns of the ROMAN CATHOLICS ill lii.s Dislrict, by a ctrtuui description of ORANGEME.V, and tlie mnniier in which the Laws are adniinistred, with rei,';iril to the foinier cli^aeo- LN the following pages, J truft it will appear that my objeft wa?, and w, rather to ftop the prp- gre^ of dppreffion C^hich I felt perfuaded, if i^ot timely checked, could not fai^of being atten,de/i with moft calamitous confequences,) than to intro duce my name to public notice and animadverfion : — if this could have been effeQ:ed by my private communications and reprefentations' to people iii Power, I fliould have deemed my pi'efent addrefs equally unneceffary and obtrufive; for I can: truly fijy, that the neareft objeft of my wiflies was, to reniain unnoticed in my retirement : but failing in my views, I conceived T fhould defert the public 4}ity, I havein my liuniblewaik of life, endeavour- A ? ed .- - ....:. (iv ) .. ., ,]:,^,:_;^ : , ed to fulfil, if I did not purfue, thfe only means left me to obtain, not the nominal, but the a^ua^l and deciftye interference of Governmfent ; by endeavour ing to engage the public in linidng its efforts with niine, toTlai'ds attaining this truly defirable, and ne^ celfary end. tn the correfpondencies and ftatenients of fads, I am about laying before the jitlblic, 1 am to hope it will appear, that I have not over-rated the neceffity of Government's adopting meafures, verv^different from thofe it has hitherto purfued, with regard to the clafs of people, whofe grievances have long befin (the caufes of my folicitude a:nd exertion, — I mean the Roman Catholics.^ — I am aware that I fubje£t myfelf to the refentment and invective of all thofe who may confider phemfelves glanced at by niy ob- ¦fervations. Upon this head I feel perfedlly at eafe, for I can with lloneft pride, challenge the prod.utElion ' x)f a Jingle infancy in my political life, of a faBious or interefed nature I. TIjus njuch I hope, I fliall (land excufed for afferting, withoqt fubje£ling myfelf to a charge of difgyfting egotjfm, being only anxious that the public fhould not withhold, from me ^ por tion of its confidence, under a perfuafion that, I was a6luated by motives fimilar to thofe which have fatalh governed the iapoflaie patrist of the day, 'who, in his (v.) progrefs to popularity, deals out profeffions which arc pot only caft info pblivipn, when that popularity has attained for him his objeft, but, what is flill more profligate, diametrically afted againft i s Before I fubmit to the public my correfpondence yith the ^prefent Irifh Governmeat,- I fhall take a flight review of what paffed between me and the late pne, ftating thecaufes '«vhich-led to ic-i^^I am to "pfemife that previous to my refidence in Ireland, (fomewhat more than three years fincej I had fre quent converfations "With Mr. Windham, (a gentle man wliom I felt a pride and boaft in thinking myfelf pPfTeffed of a confiderable portion of his attachment and regaird,) upon the fubjeft of the Catholic claims, "perfecutions, &c. &c. In my .laft vifit to England, I converfed with Lord Eldon, (the then Chancellor,) upon the fame fubjefts ; his Lord- fhip expreffed his wifh to me in our laft (accidental j meeting, that I fhould " upon my return to Ire- " land, communicate my fentiments to hi§ Lord- f fliip upon the _ftate of that country." This I proniifed and performed, his -Lord fhip being one of my oldeft acquaintances, for whom I had a per fonal, though not a political effeem, — what, my nb- ble friend thought of my reprefentations, I confefs. I never learned,-»-I merely advert to my communi cations ('•vi "); catlotxs with his Lprdfhip an^ ¦^^' W*?^^'!'* *? fbew that the aS"^ifs pf I]rela:?ld pccnpied my atten tion, long before I had at^ intercpijirfe either ¦^iti^ the ¦ ' late or prefent Irifh Adminiftration. I fhall now pro- ceed with iny detail. — Soon after I h^d fettleti in Ireland, fifteep hundred young lipman Cathqlics, inhabitants; of th^ parifh I r^fided jin, o^ered through -me their fefsvig§s to Government,," ,to be employed f^»/e Jo. convey Xo the addreffers, was tpthefollp^^sring pur port, viz. "that Government had already received ;*' frpm oth^r bodies pf the Roman -Catholics, many ^' Jimilar oilers, but that as no deeifion hadyet been "jnad^ Uipoi^. thofe, previous ones, .it could not.ac- ¦^' cept of this prefent one, and t^e^e^i;e could only ;^ tl}ank tlie iR-pman (Datbolic inhabitants of Cla^n- 'Sfecie far their loyfil ofFefs of fervice, ,&c. f ' :Some tirae alter this, Mr. Wickham was replaced by Sir Evan l^epean, with ;that gentleman I was well acquainted and called, upon him in confequenfje of the foUo>Aing circumftance, A pppr dfroijpiutive Roc man ,( vii ) ssiati Citlioiic taylbr, law a huge t3rarigemain 'uhm#- cifliliy beating aii actjuSiiitance of his wHo appeared unable to refrftliim, he irhplo'red the (Jfang'emaii '"'fo. *' fpare his' frfemJ,'* mis h'afageoks provocMion ws^ punifhed by inftantly attacking the little iina4"m€(i itay- ioT, whofe^fkuli^as foon frafta-Ted and he carried ©ff without any pVofpeS of his outliving the iiigh't! liideed ft would have' been liapp'y forrfie pbb'r wi'et'ch if fee liad died, as lie now Siv^s, b¥ rather "exift^ ih a'ftalte nearly apprpitehihg to idioiifin'! A few days afer tJjiSj (and during the time the furgeon who'atteftdea'the paPx manliaci little or nb hopes of his Tecovery,) Iiis favage aflailani wa^ lieized ;« Hiy prvfence as a mm^r- sr I "Wliilft I fent to enquire into tne ftate of the tay- lor's health, I committed his alleged murderet to the charge of a conftable, whp whilft he was conveying faim to a place of fafety, was attacked by two Orange men in military drefs, who drawing tEeir fivords ^nd prefenting. a pijlol at his breaji fwore " they 'uMuld'pia ' the-eenteats of it into bis heart if he did not deliver 'vp. his prifonerP* The conftable was obliged to yield Iii in to them, and he.was carriedi off in triumph ! 1 applied to the then Commanding Officer of the Beriburb ca valry to affift me with a party to feize thefe fellows, he anfwered me, that " he was fure none of the YeP- ** men would ftir as they were not upon pernianent du- ** ty." I do not think however he made the expef i- ( vni ) inent, the truth is, he knew there was a more fgreiye reafon than "their not being upon pernianent duty." What that reafon was the reader may guefs, when I inform him that the Benbiitb cavalry are to a man, i bf lieve, Orahgemeal . When I related this bufinefs to my friend Sir Evan iSTepean, he appeared both flibcked and irrita- ft&d ; he, after mentioning many afts of tyranny, I within his own knowledge, exercifed by the Orange- I men againft the Roman Catholics, declared " his I " determination that nothing on his part Jhould he left ^-.^untriedjo bring thefe villains to funijhment" he de- fired me " on niy return to the country to trahfmit " to him the neceffary do^utnej^ts with^the deppfitioh " of the conftable, &c. &c. in order that he might be " enabled to carry into execution Ijis and my wifhes." I did fo, — but Although I -^^rote to iny Rt. Hpii. friend, three official, and as mahy private letters^ from that day to this (the lath of Pecember 1806.) I never heard one fyllable from him upon the fubjeft^ [ nor was ever a fingle ftep taken to punifh the agref- for or his refcuers ! Here ends my intercoUrfe With the late Irifh Adminiftration. t fhall now proceed !o my correfpondence with the prefent ohei — 1 muft however juft obferve by the bye, that, at this very fiioment, a man of refpeftable rank in life, is aftifted ( ix ) affifled by ttvo magiflrates, (one' of them bred an attorney,) in oppofing my execution of a law, which he himfelf ¦abfolutely injifted upon my punifhing in poor people who violated it through Ignorance, and ihe fupine conduEl of the aftihg magiftrate of the dif- trift ! one of the above-mentioned two ! ' ' My correfpondence 'with Mr. Elliot the chief Se cretary to the Lord Lieutenant, was grounded on the ftatement contained in the following letter from the Rev. Dr. Conwell, the Roman CathoKc cler gyman pf the parifhes of Dungannon and Killyman, B A CpR- CORRESPONDENCE, &c. Richard Wilson, Esq^ Owna-Lodge. DEAR SIR, Dungannon, April nth, 1 8o6» , CONSTANTINE O'NEIL, the bearer, is an honefl induflriouis man, that has often fuflTered great injury, but has been totally ruined within this week .pafl. It was heretofore ufelefs for him to make application for redrefs, for Government was confidered as encouraging thefe proceedings for political purpofes, which was evidently the cafe.-— But from the great providential , change that has happened lately, and from the confideration th3.t no wife policy can direft; the adoption or encou ragement of fuch a meafure at prefent, I now be- ] gin to think that the men, who have been ruining this country by fire and fyvord thefe ten years, B 2 would I •3 ( 12 ) would now experience a check. This poor man. is a Hatter by trade, and lived by his honefl: \ « earnings, and was every way independent, for he was out of debtjk and had faved fome money. But on Saturday night, which was the meeting night , , of an Orange Lodge, this banditti, who are gene* \jl I rally Yeomen, and , armed, came to his houfe when J I he and his family were in bed, and fetting fire (J ( to the houfe, which was a thatched cabbin, burned ^ i Jt and all his property to afties, except what was ( carried upon their backs : they fired feveral times I at himfelf and wife, who both providentially efcaped ^^ I with their lives, which are all that now remain I to them, for their wearing apparel was alfo de? I ftroyed, I requeft you will be fo obliging and charitable as to give him inftruftions how to be redreffed, The Magiftrates, T know, ought to be applied ' to in the firft inftance ; but this meafure will be unavailing, for the Magiftrates abetted thefe pro/, ceedings from the beginning, and this man lives in the Cpunty of Armagh, and accordingly not within the limits of ypur jurifdiftion as a Magifc trate ; hence your charitable advice is all th^t is wanted, which I am convinced you will not refufe to give. His fituation in life is too humble for his addrefs tp Government to be attended to with effeft, when the men againft whom his charges would be direfted are of fome importance as jh.aying authory. " and there w no good to be expeB^ ( X3 ) *' ed from Allying to any Magijraie except yourjelf in *' fuch a cafe ias this." I have the honour to be, with fentiments of efteem and refpeft, Pegir Sir, Your moft obedient Servant, HENRY CONWELL," As foqn as I learned that O'Neil himfelf was tlie bearer of this letter, I fent for-^ him, and quef- tioned him very minutely as to the particulars of the outrage commit tgd againft himj his 'detail was -fo fimple and affeftjng, that I had no hefitation in promifing to lend my affiftance towards prevailitig upon fome Armagh Magiftrate, to take his Exa minations, he having riioft folemnly affiired me, that he dunft not apply to any of them, left his appli cation might come to the ears of the Yeomen and Orangemen, which would be attended with the certain Jofs of his life ! He added, that " he was perfuaded there was not any Armagh Magiftrate, who would take his depofition," Of the truth of this, though I, at the time, had confiderable doubt, I have fnce had good ground to be convinced. For the purppfe above mentioned, I appointed O'Neil to meet me i|i Armagh upon a giyen day — When I arrived there, I rnet, as I then thought very luckily, with a Mr. Lawfon, whom I knew juft enough of to ftate O'Neil's cafe and fituation to, for the pur pofe ©f inducing him to .take his Examinations, &c. / ( 14) kCf This gentleman, though he lived very near to O'Neil's late refidence, and though ten days' had elapfed fince the burning of the houfe, yet he declared himfelf -" totally ignorant pf the matter V' however, feeing a man who lived more immediately in O'Neil's neighbourhood, he applied to him for further information,— 'this man confirmed tay ftate ment. — Mr. Lawfon appeared mtlch ^ aftoniflied, and advifed, " ,as .the mofi efficacious mode for O'Neil to^ " proceed, to apply at once to the affiftant barrifter, *' who was then holding the Seffions, as he was " afTured J:^ would take infidntane&ui means to hy *' hold of the incendiaries," Sec. &c. This advice appeared to me fo proper, that I defired O'Neil to avail himfelf of it, and prepare his Depofition for the infpeftion of the barrifter ;¦ — this the poor man immediately fet about, but unfortunately before he could get the Depofition written out, the- barrifter had left the Court. — This expedient failing, T my» felf fpoke to a refident Magiftrate' in Armagh, (underftanding that Mr. Lawfon had left the, town)' to take O^ Neil's Examinations; his reply to me I confefs I ido not exaftly recplleft, however I did HOt confider it as altogether a rejeftion ; I therefore I fent O'Neil to him, but he 'was turned out of doors and, by his Clerk, threatened to- be kicked if he did not fet off. Imuftj.uft here remark, that .this very Magiftrate confefled afttrzmrds to Mr* Serjeant Mopre and myfelf, that, '" tho' O'Neil's conduft' " had been extremely impertinent,, yet had -it been "^ otheWife, he could not take Examinations againft " his ( 1,5 ) ** his, particular ftiends, the Meffrs. Yerners !!!" W^ith . this latter gentleman I h^ve done, but I am to requeft the reader to keep Mr. Lawfon in his memory, — as I fhall have occafion to nieintion that worthy magiftrate hereafter. Unfuccefsful in my endeavours to get this unfor tunate O'Neil's complaints attended to in the ufual and regular courfe of Juftice, I did not hefi- tate to coniply with his prayer, " to tranfmit his memorial to goveirhment," and enclofed it in the following letter to the Lord Lieutenant's Secretary, Mr. Elliot: The Rt. Hon. Wm. Elliot, &c, SIR, Owna Lodge, April 30/^, 1806, r > Though it would be intruding too much upon your time, to detail all the reaforis which have led me to trouble you with a letter, (even if a letter could fatisfaftorily explain them,) yet in the courfe of the one I have the honor now of addrefling to you, a fufficiency Ltruft will appear, to exoner ate me from a charge of impertinent officioufnefs. ¦ — I have taken great pains to fatisfy myfelf as to the truth pf what is ftated in the enclofed papers, and from a thorough enquiry into the charafter of the unfortuna;te fubjeft of them, I learn that his only crime is that of being a Ronian Catholic \ a , crime which, in the minds of certaii;i men, makes him ^undeferving of the proteftion of the laws ! It is with great 'concern I feel myfelf warranted to de clare {. »^ ) dare, that where an Orangemaft and a Romaif Ca tholic are concerned, a moft difgraceftil partiality in favorof the former governs the proceeding? of nine in ten of the magiftrates in the part of the king- ' dom I refide in— the ntimerous .and affeftirg in ftances I met with of this on my arrival in Ireland, (with the earnefl entreaties' oif the people in my neigh bourhood,) induced me to take out a comm^oa of the peace ; which (from the part I took) ha& fubjefted me to great perfonal fatigue, expenfe; and obloqiiy— I have, however, the grateful fatisfaftiqn of knowing that I have often prevented tyranfty and oppreffion, and, to a certain degree,- tranquil lized a diftrift, which formerly had contained a neft . of villains, who harrafTed and pillaged the poor without reflraint or oppofition ! My endea vours to this end obtained for me a degree of con fidence with the Roman Catholics, and knowledge of their charafters, which I had flattered myfelf would have yeilded fomething more folid than mere local advantages ; and, with this view, I had frequent communications perfonally and by letter with your (and as I once thought my) friend Windham,— but from what he Giid to me in his laft letter, I find he _ is too much taken up with the duties of his prefent ' office, to attend to any thing which does not imme diately relate to it. — As he was the only perfoft in a minifterial fituation with whom I had a particular intimacy, dnd he not appearing to fet the value upon my communications which' I conceived their im portance merited, I had deterpiined whilfl I remained in ' ( 17 ) in Ireland, to confine myfelf to private efforts tp- ¦ Wards ameliorating the condition pf an ppprefTed, infulted, deceived, and . bafely niifreprefenl;^^ peo ple ! nothing could have ihduced me tp depart frprii this determination, but a cdnnJiSiion that juftice in its common courfe co\ild not be obtained by O'Neil. , '¦'^I brok6 through my refolution with the more Tetuftance,. as I had once occafion to treat with fome feverity the father of two of the alleged aggrefforsj on account of his attempting to prevent the operation of a law, (merely becaufe an Orangeman was the delinquent,) which materially affefted the public • reyenue, as well as the morals pf the people. Although I have not the honor of a perfonal ac quaintance with the Duke of Bedford, yet I have fufficient knowledge of his Grace's private charafter, to be aflTured that it is in the moft extenfiVe fenfe aimable and refpeftable, yet. Sir, from what I knPw > to be the prevailing fentiment of the Irifh gentry, (in this part of the kingdom particularly) with re gard to the Roman Catholics, and alfo the views ofj a certain defcription of men, who fomehow or other retain an influence aboiit the CafUe, I have ftrong apprehenfions that his Grace's benignant in tentions (though aided by your perfpiculty and knowledge of the Irifh people,) vvili not, haVe that compofing and falutary effeft, .which, I firmly believe, his Grace ,and you have moft warmly at heart. I cannot conclude this letter, withput broadly and diftinftly' declaring, that j if the fyftem with Q ' relpeft ^ ,( .8 ) , refpeft to the Roman Catholic? , is not matenal^ 2S.- tered, and tlmt'if th^ Irifti gentleme.n. (fhe Magif trates particularly), do npt adopt a very conciliatqry conduft towards. thei:n, there cannot exift a hope pf cordially attaching them to the ; Government ; and fure I am,, if they were properly anii humanely treated, their hands and hearts would, unite to fupport Britifh independence.— I fpeak not unad- Vifediy— though I have Uved , Iput -a . fl^ort timp amongft the Irifh, I have had great opportunities of ftudying their charaAer, an4, as far as my capa city enabled me, with fome advantage. I am to hope, Sir, you will have the goodnefs tp acquaint his Grace . the Lord Lieutenant with the ¦ main objeft of this letter, aujd dp m? the honor of informing me of his/ Grape's fentiments upon it ; — although a journey at this momprrt. would be attended with fome inconvenience, yet, if his Grace fhould think that a perfonal converfation (to ex plain what I confefs J could not do by lett^er,); could, ^forward his benevolent and, patriotic objefts, in this kingdom, I vvill do myfelf t^Tie honor of obe)fing his Grace's commands, as foon as you are pleafed to favor me with them. — I muft. here exprefs , my con fidence in your candour and liberality, ' that they will not ap[)ly any other than the avowed motive to this propofition, I have the Honor to be, &c. RICHARD WILSON. /, Ts . ( 19 ) r To this Letter'' I received the following Anfwer : Richard Wilson, Esq^ Owna-Lodge. ' SIR, Dublin Cafle, May sth, iSb6. ¦> I dfd not fail to take the earliefl: opportunity of laying before the Lord Lieutenant your letter of the 30th of April, tc^ther with its enclofbresi and I have received his Grace's commiands to in* form you, that his Grace has inftrufted' Mr. Serjeant Moore, one of the Law officers of the' Crown, to re|ia& without delay tp the County of Armagh, for the ptirppfe of invefligating fully the circumflances .flated in O'Neil's "Depofition, and to make a fpeciai repoFt upon the ful>jeft for his Grace's information. I caimot conclude without making my acknow ledgements for yoiif communication, and I flatter myfelf that the arrangement which his .Grace has adopted wiH feve' you the trouble of a journey to Dublin.; 1 have the Honor to be, w. elliot: Within a few days after the receipt of this let ter, Mr. Serjeant Meidre, ^accompanied' by Mr. Hamilton, Solicitor for the crown, arrived at my C 2 ' houfe (20)' houfe. — I confefs I fell miich gratified at finding an old acquaintance, in the fornier of thefe gentlemen;, as I conceived I fliould thereby communicate my thoughts upon the ftate of tlie country, 8^c, &c. with more opennefsj freedom, and effeft, than with ^ an entire ftranger.. Our two firft interviews cpn- 5rmed me in this opinion — our fentiments were in complete unifon, as to the ftate of the Magiftracy^ and the treatment of the Rpman Catholics by tliC' Orange people — latterly we unfprtunately differed-; — the reader will prefently (ce how the " differ eticd''' came to exift — ^he may form bis own conjeftures'^^l fhall fimply detail fafts, and proceed in my relation of them. Mr. Serjeant Moore' began the cpnvetfar tion after we had taken our feats, by informing me, that " he had waited upon me by order of Go- " vernment, to. enter into the various .fubjefts of " which my letter to Mr. Elliot related— that it was •' extremely inconvenient fpr him' juft then to leave " Dublin, as the Courts were fitting, and" he wa^ " obliged to give his briefs tp a friend tp aft"fof ''him during his abfence, which gould not fail " of being attended with confiderable lofs to him ; but, • miwithfianding, he did not mean to hurry me — that he-, was'^ entirely at my difpofal, and muft waiti " " my leijure, as he had the commands of the Lord " Lieutenant fully to inveftigate the whole of the fubf^ " je^s contained in my letter to Mr. Elliot." ''- ' 1 endeavoured to prevail upon Mr. Serjeant Mopre • to remain at my houfe, " on account -of its conti- " |uity tp the places where numerous atrocities had ( 21 ) ^ been committed,, and vvhere many of the perron's " refided, vvho cotild give eividence of their having " taken place." Mr. Serjeant Mpore however, upon a point of delicacy, (as I afterwards found,) refufed my invitation, and we fettled th^t I fhould attend him in Armagh the fucc-eeding day, and give notice tp Dj-. Conwell and O'Neil to meet us. During the time Mr, Serjeant Moore remained with me,, I informed him, at his requeft, of fuch matters as at the time occurred to me, which related to the, conduft of the Orangemen towards the Roman . Catholics, and alfo of the inaccurqcy of fome of the Magiftrates in 'the difcharge of their duty. Mr. Serjeant Mopre and his , friend Mr, Hamiltpn ex prefTed " their indignation and regret, that fuch " proceedings could have paffed unpunifhed, — that " as to the conduft of the Magiftrates it was infi- ^' nltely worfe, ¦ inaccurate as J. had flated it here, in " almoft all other parts of the kingdom, &c. &c." Sppn after Mr. Serjeant Mopre took his leave, re- quef^ing nie " tp emplPy myfelf in the courfe of the " evening, in making minutes of the ifefts I wifhed " to have communicated to government, in order " that Mr. Hamilton might take them d.own when " we met in Armagh on the fucceeding morning," — this of .coui-fe I prpmifed and fulfilled.— I muft do Mr. Serjeant Moore the juftice to acknowledge, that, in his examination bf O'Ntil and his wife, (in mine and Dpftor Con well's prefence the next day,) he evinced the ftrongeft difpofition to inveftigate |heir charges-T-he pbtained from me then my pane- ( 22 ) ^c, and' aftep«!?af«3s. ill my letter t& Wk, i2Ii$t;. sithotigh an unfortunate dlference lA opinibn, upon appint I prefum«d to think of confiderable moineiit, mihap|)ily occurred ;— but to proceed— having fi-f silhed the examination of O'Neil sUd his wifft] ftfri Serjeant Maore thou^it it advifeable to pro ceed to O'NeiFs late refidence, in order tp' examin^ the perfons to whom O'JJeil referred. him„— t|iere was^^ not time therefore for Mr. Haihiltorf to cotiirn'it' to wdting the fabftaace of My minutes, and' Mir.' ¦Ssrjeant Mocffe requefted me to " return home,an^ '^ emiiime fa re[reftc\ nty memory with as many mors. ** drcumftmces ^s pofihlc^ and. meet hm. 'the. next' morn- •^ mg in Armagh, mkm ' flie ' "wAqle . of. the day after ** Ghcrchy (this was" Satiifday) pcmid he devoted id my ^'- daiails.^ I ^piiniftually obeyed' Mr. Serjeatnt Moore's direft ions,. — Wliea I'tafne toAxm^B oh. the; Siceeeding da.y, Mr. S^eanfMoore h'ad not return ed, it was my fe-oiittefsi tft Waif fPr him,. — albout three ®'Glb«^ he aJxived, it was tHto too late: to' do much feafiaefe as Btlle feowevelf' mi^t be' gpi^ throit^ BefejEe diaaer, and To I obferved to Mr. SerjeaM Mbore,^ — the reader may ea£ly' conceive my afjoni-fli- ' iBent at Mr. Serjeant Moore's reply, .it was to this €^-ft,— " that I had 'already told hiro " eaougft, . that " it Vijas-not necteffary to give myfelf. ajiy mcMre ** trp:isble, that he meant to talk" with' O'Neii aad " his wife the next morsing, immediately after whicfe '*¦ he propofed retuimng to Dublin, adding thai- he "would not reqmre me to ftay any longer froni ** hame, &c. &c: » ! J" , Petrified as I was at this moft extraordinary determimtion, alter Mr. Serjeant ' Moare's| (^3 ) M3.- has ( 27 ) has been a perfeft unifon in our fentiments in all the matters to which my letter related, with, only one exception, as to the mode of getting at fome of the evi dence. I have fo high an opinion pf that gentleman's judgment, that I dare hardly venture to fuppofe him in an error, as to the ppint I allude to, however I may have reafon to have foine ponfidence of my own, matured as it is by attentive confideration, and much local knowledge of the fubjeft. Serjeant Moore continuing a day longer, in the country, (though he had fixed on his return to Dublin this evening,) for the purpofe of obtaining further information, will, I hope, do away my fears :-!-fhould, however, my wifhes be difappoiiited, I fhall feel it my duty to requeft a perfonal converfation with you, in order to reftify what with gprdat hefitation q,nd doijbt p£ myfelf, I d^red tp denominate " an error,'' I cannot. Sir, conclude ; this hafty letter, with^- put exprefjing my obliga.tion fpr your pplite an4 prpmpt acquiefcence with my reqpeft, , " to fubmit ^' to his Grace the X'Ox^ Lieutenant's confideration, ** the objefts pf my former one,'' I have the Honor to be, |cc. &c, RICHARD WILSON. A violent cold I caught by 'lying in a damp bfed, ¦ijyhen in attendance upon Mr. Serjeant Moore in ' ! D 2 Armagh. Armagh,' prevented my leaving liome for I believe a fortnight after this letter was written ; however, a,s foon as I wasvable to tra!vel I vvaited upon Mr, Elliot (by appointment,) and found with him a gen tleman,, to whom he introduced me as the Lord Chancellor. I confefs I feel much difficulty in re counting what pafTed in this interview, — on the part of the twp gentlemen, great ftate, form> 3:Pd ceremony; on mine, very little of any thing but mat- ter-of-faft bufinefs. The commencement pf the cpn; • verfdtion fell uppn me, — rl began wit!,!- expreffing my regret " at the unfortunate difference pf opinion " which latterly fubfifted between Serjeant Mopre "and me, and which fubfequent confideration and " enquiry had not at all rempved," — I was here ftopped flibrt by the learned Lord, whp eajrneftly declared, that, " Mr. Serjeant . Moore's conduft, " in his journey fo the North, met with the moft " unqualified- approbatiort of Government'.'-' liiis declaration, without hearing what I had tp urge as. the' ground of my difTenting from the lea^nec^ gentleman, opened my eyes completely, — conviftion inftant-aneoufly flafhed on my, mind, that Goyern,- ment's attending to my communications was to amufe, not tP inveftigate; and tjiat if it ever fhould feel it indifpenfable to attend to the fubjefts I had wifhed to have flriftly examined into, it would take care that the credit attending the fcrutiny ftiould attach only to itfelf, — how far the reader may confi der. me juftified in this opinion, he will be able, to form , a tolerably accurate judgment, when he , has laboured through my remaining correfpondence with (29) with the Chancellor ^nd Mr. Elliot. I could not however, quit thefe great men without remarkingf that " it was a very novel, fort of mode of invefti-r " gating a moft flagitious crime, by applying to " the parties accufed to colleR evidences to convift " themfelves." To this the Chancellor replied with encreafed energ}', " that Mr. Serjeant Mppre's con- "- duft entitled him, and pofTefTed the warmeft; ap- " probation pf Government !" All I fliall add further Pn. th£!,t head is, that I do not envy him, I, made a few obfervations on the ftate of the Magiftracy in my part pf the country, which, to do the learned Lord juftice, he did not entirely difTent from. He afked, how I fhould propofe to remedy the evil ? I replied, " his Lordfhip muft be the beft judge' as to " that ; l^t appeared to nie, however, that the only " efteftual mode would be, by ifTuing a general new " commiffion, — -this would npt giye any partial, of* " fence ; and care afterwards fhould be taken not "> to permit any improper perfons into it." To this remark his Lordfhip replied by a fmile, but whether of approbation pr.djfapprobation I was then^ as I am fiill, ignorant and indifferent— I made a feyv further obfervations, but as I have already generally adverted. to them in the introduftion, I wifl not trouble the reader with a repetition, — I now took my leave of thefe great men, with fomething very like a determination never more to trouble them : I was however obliged (for reafons which the reader willi perceive were not without force), to alterit. Soon ( 3© ) Soon after my return to the country, I received two or three letters from Mr. Hamilton (the gen tleman who. attended Mr, Serjeant Moore,) — as thefe letters merely related to the intention of Government profecuting O'Neil's charges, and inclofing to mc , fubposnas for that purpofe, I fhaft wave further allu- fion to them ;i— the cauffe of reviving my correfpon dence with Government arofe from an application made to me, by certain Yeomen and Orangemen, on account of a difpute they had with their officers on the fubjeft: of pay which had been withheld from them, and their infifting upon the payment of which had occafioned theif; difmifTal from their corps ;—t they declared, and engaged to " prov&i that their com.- " plaint had been moft partially inveftigatad^ and " they implored me to tranfiuit their memorial to Go- " vernment, in order to obtain a fair and impar-; *' tial hearing, — not for the fake of the pakry con- ?' fideration of the money withheld from thehi, but ^' in order to iuftify their charafters to their brother " Yeomen.'' I could not, confiftently with the imi partiality which I truft I have never violated, refufe to make enquiry into the grounds of their com-i plaint ; and if I found 'their charafters wafranted my recoinmending their grievances to the confidb-' ration of government, I fhould certainly tranfmit their memorial to the Lord Lieutenant's Secretary ; , at the fame time pbferving to them that " I feared. " they had fixed upon the very worft, channel the " county afforded, to obtain an effeftual attentioa " to their complaints.'' To this they replied, that " if I could not be prevailed qpon to take up their " cayfef ( 31 ) " caufe, it m~uft remain unnoticed, fof, with the ex-* " ceptipn of myfelf, there was not one gentleman " of my rank who would liften to an inferior's com- " plaint againft his fuperiPr* &c. &C;" . Before I would abfolutely agree to their .requeft, I was deter-' mined to enquire into their charafters, and the , juf tice of their complaint, &c. &c. I did fo ; and from their clergyman ^who, T take upon me to fay^ is one of the beft and pureft of human beings,) I heard a moft unexceptionable kccount of them, as fober, honeft, induftrious men, conflant in their at tendance at church, &c. &c. 1 alfo was given to underftand that it was generally believed^ " that they " had been defrauded pf their pay." I did not he- fitate then to agree to their folicitation.-*-! had about the fame time been applied to by an unfortunate Ro man Catholic, whofe oppreflions wfere, from his own account, , if poffible, more flagitious than thofe com* plained of by O'Neil — I made a ftrift enquiry alfo about this man, and found that he had not at all 'exaggerated his affliftions, through- the oppreffion of a Magiftrate, ¦and the repeated .Putrages of his yeo men. Thefe two cafes coming together, I was de termined, once more, to try if I could really intereft Government, and enclofed the memorials relating tp them? in the following letter to Mr. Elliot,: Rt. Hon. Wm. Elliot. SIR, , • Owna Lodge, July \fi, 1806. If the intereft I have taken (deeply I confefs) in thei eaufe of an opprefTed body of people had ' , no'' not for its bafis principles which every jiift, humane; and conftitutional man ought to hold facred, I moft certainly fhould have confidered the converfation I lately had with you and the Chancellor fb very dif- couraging, and in ohe point of view humiliating, as to induce -my abandoning it ; confoling myfelf with the refleftionj that, as fai^ as my liniited talents en^ abled me, I had end^pavotlred to avert the calamities, which, fooner. or later, the infatuated pPlicywith re gard to the Roman Catholics could not fail of bring ing upon' the natidn ! But urged by motives which pofTefs, upon the - moft mattrre and grave confidera tion, my owk approbation, and would, if juftly viewedi entitle' therii to that pf Governmchtj hdwevfef fome fneaking place-hunter mi^i' atttm^pt to mifreprefent them, I fhall make one effort more to draw the at tention of Minifters to the honrlj em:re^afingty,j3:^ra^_^ ,'exei"cifed againft thefe unoffending creatures ! Had you and the Chancellor thoiight it advifeable to eU'^ ter at any length into the fubjefts of ihy firft letter to you, and nPt'have filertced ine by an " unquali- " fied approba,tion of the Whole of Mr. Serjeant " Moore's, conduft in his late .vifit to the North," ^ I fhould have not only fubftahtiated every fuggef- tion contained in that letter, but alfo have fhowri you, that, without afTigning ahy improper motives to the manner in which that learned gentleman ex^ ecuted his commiffion, it was completely fubvevfive of its avowed objeEl I I could farther have prpved, that it effentially varied (after his interview with Mr^ Verner,) from whit he abfolutely declared to be a leading feature of it, independent of his enquiry into O'Neil's ( 33 ) , O'NeiTs'bufinefS ! This is all I deem, juft now, ne* cefTary to hint at ; — it may be important, at a future periPd, to enter more widely into the matter of my prefent allufiori. — And here. Sir, I muft take leave to afk, (not from any perfonal curipfity, but for the fatisfaftion of a great body of people,) have O'Neil's injuriek been any way redreffed ? Has he even received a .Compenfation for the ruin of his property and his per- , fonal injuries? Have the aggreffprs, be they whom they may, been put in the w'ay of punifhment ? Has a fingle ftep been taken to prevent future aggreffions againft this harrafTed, this ruined man ? Has a fymp- ' tom of amelioration, a profpeft of proteftion, (fince Mr. Serjeant Moore's vifit) been felt or held out to /the perfecuted Catholics, fave what my confined and unfupported poWer a;fforded them ? I am grieved to fay I fear I myfelf can reply to all thefe queftions in an afflifting negative ! -And truly unhappy indeed am I to relate, that, fince the period alluded to, ma ny daring and atrocious violences have been com mitted againft thefe p^oor people by a banditti call ing themfelves " Yeomen and Orang6 men ;" who with arms in their hands bid defiance to law and its minifters 1 You may be told " I exaggerate;" I wifh it vva's not in my power to give repeated in ftances, and recently too, of the certainty of this ftatement. 1 I exprefTed niy intention when in Dublin, to yon iand the Chaiicellor, of " refigning my office of Ma- " glftrate";" — but the entreaties bf the' furroiinding country, and the abfence of almoft all the Juftices'in ' ' ' E - my K 3^ ) .my diftrift (particularly Mr. Armftrong of Dungan non, a moft refpeftable clergyman, and a really im partial magiftrate) have prevaile'd with me to con tinue in it as long as my affairs permit my refidence in this kingdom ; but in order to ftrengthei;i my ef forts in tranquillizing the country, and give effeft to the laws, I find it wilhbe neceffary for me to have a tiommiflion of the peace for the adjoining county, (which I am to hope you will forward to me) as I am feparated from it ' (Armagh) only by a river ."which runs through my grounds : — its contiguity en ables offenders to efcape, or colleft a party which fets me at .defiance, before I can get an Armagh Magif trate to back my warrants, the neareft being five miles diftaht from my place. I will not anticipate the reception of this fecond application to govern ment on the fubjeft of the perfecution of the Ro man Catholics in my ^art of the kingdom, however I may conceive I have caufe to regret the apparent fate of m^y former one'; but in juftice to myfelf, and I hope I fhall ftand excufed, I muft obferve that I court the moft minutely fevere examination of my public life ; - and if there appears a fingle inftance! of its ever having bee«i Marked by a trait of d^faElious pr interefied nature, let my name' be f onfigned to infamy and execration ! I have. Sir, a moft fenfible reafon for the above obfervation, which I poffibly may have occafion to detail hereafter. Had I been either the tool of a faftion,- or the flave of felf-inte- reft I fhould not at this day have been only in the fituation of a very little country gfcntle^ian ! I have,, (35) I have, Sir, enclofed fome papers relative tatranf- aftions, which, from the charafters of the perfons concerned, I cpnceive are not unworthy pf attention. I have ftriftly enquired into tlie fafts to which they, relate, and I am forry I am warranted in faying, that the truth of them appears to be but too well eftab lifhed. I fhould not however have interpofed even thus far, had the petitioners not fliewn me, they could not obtain any other channel to convey their grievances t9 governrnent but through me. They were entirely un known to, and live at a confiderable diftance from' me. I vvill not. Sir, trouble you with apologies for this letter — -If it is viewed by you in the fight I con ceive it merits, I am fure you will not require any; — if in an oppofite one, they would be offenfive. I have the Honor to be, ' ¦ ,' &c. &c, , ..nJ . , RICHARD WILSON. To this letter I did not receive any immediate re ply. On the 12th of the fame month a circum- -ftance occurred which induced, me to write again to Mr. Elliot;— The contents of this letter I can only detail from memory, as the events which gave rife to'it difabled me from undergoing ahy fatigue which wasnot indifpenfably neceffary. . My letters was however to the following purport : E 2 T« (36) To The Rt. Hon. Wm. Elliot. Owna Lodge, July 13, 1806. That the events pf the preceding day had rather unfitted me for the difcuffipn of them, yet their im portance appeared to me to require the immediate confideration of government. -i-Thaf reports ' had reached me, \yhich I had gpod reafon, tp- credit, pf Mr- Verner, on the acquittal of jiis fon% having caufed rejoicings in his neighbourhood by way of celebrat-: ing that qvent — That the Orange-men in various pther places had followed the example, ^nd amidft their rejoicings had burned me, the pope, &e. in effigy— That though; I had not in any -syay interfered in thefe rejoicings, yet, a party of the Orange-men to the amount pf about 500 paraded paft my houfe, (although to do. fo they were obliged to turn from the road which was to conduft them to Armagh, their place of rendezvous) and infulted my name with every term of opprobrium — That I did not know any thing 0/ this unprpvoked infult till after they had proceeded to Armagh— That, being given to underftand ,if this outrage fliould be repeated pn their return from Armagh, tha^t ferious iconfequences. might enfue, I had determined to be in the- way and ufemy a,uthprity to prevent them — That according ly in the evening, hearing the found of their mufic, and feeing at fome diftance a ftand of colours difplay- edj I went to the party, entirely unaccompanied. — That J ufed every effort to perfuade them " not to pro- "ceed ( 37 ) " ceed paft my houfe, as I had reafon to believe " their ponduft in the morning had given great " offence to a fet of people who had no wifh to give .f' any to them,; that I did not mean or wifh to " interrupt them in their mode of expreffing their " Ipyalty, provided they would not wantonly infult " harmlefs and unoffending people, &c. &c." — That I was un^tjle to- detail w,h9,t enfued, farther than to obferve, that by fome degree of prefence of mind and perfonal exertion, and by the affiftancie of one of my own people (an Orange man too) who accidental ly happened to be at no great difta.nce from the road, 1 efcaped affalfination.' — My preferver was feverely wounded in defending, me, when I was; juft finkiiig under their 'blows, (not having any weapon to defend myfelf) .which I could only guard againft by holding- one of the affallins between me and the affaiJants, Sue. — Tha,t I was m¥ch bruifed and got a moft fevere contufion with- a ftone pn my forehead, SfC. I then concluded by obferving, that, as I had not received any reply to my laft letter, I took it for granted Go vernment wifhed to difpenfe with my fervices, &c, &c. I believe I alfo adverted to a letter I had. re ceived from the Crown Solicitor upon O'Neil's bufi nefs, which Ijiad deelined farther interference in, as jit appeared that the manner in which it was managed i cpuld not produce the; iffue juftice^ required, &c. Signed, RICHARD WILSON. To ( 38 ) f To this, letter I received the following anfwer : Richard Wilson, Esci^ Owna Lopge. SIR, Dublin Cafik, July 1 6, 1 8ti,6. Your letter of the, 13th Inft. reached me fcfferday — I; fhall not fail to lay it before the Lord' Lieutenant, and very much lament the, diforderly and tumultuous tranfaftion, which you reprefent to have occurred near Owna on Saturday laft. I did not omit to' fubmit your letter of the ift Inftant, and its enclofures, to the Lord Lieutenant-? as foon as I received them ; and his Grace having taken into his confideration the memorial of the late privates of the Killyman corps of Yeomanry, and having alfo perufed the minutes (which are in the War-office) of the court pf enquiry, held in April 1805, on the conduft 'of the officers alluded to by the memorialifts, I am commanded to ftate to you, that his Grace does not feel himfelf juflified in open-, ing again a fiibjeft, which has been fo Ipng fince clofed after a full and competent examination. Tlie cafe of M'Gurk has been by his Grace's direftion put into the hands of the Chancellor, who win purfue fuch fteps as may appear to- his Lordfhip beft adapted for the inveftigation of the allegations contained in it.— I muft apprize you that your ap plication for the infertion of your name in the com miffion { 39 ) miffion of the Peace for the County of Arm^ fliould be addreffed to his LortMiip. ' I have the Honor to be, &c. &c. WILLIAM ELLIOT, V In confequence of the above remark, I addreffei the following letter to the Lord Chancellor, perfiiaii- €d I confefs that I had nothing farther to do th^ merely toafk his Lordfhip's fanftion to burthen my felf with additional fatigue, expenfe, and perfonal danger for the public tranquility-r-The reader xfM prefently fee how judicioufly I thought upon that head : My Lord, Owna Lodge, July 20th, iSog. A letter I yefterddy received from Mr, Ellix)t, " apprized rae of my error in not applying " to your Lordfhip, infteadof 1 him, for a commiffioa " of the Peace for the County of Armagh." I will not trouble your Lordfhip with detailing rhy motives for.defiring this extenfion of my authority, as Mr. Elliot (who is already in poffeffion of theSi^ as well as the heads of the difgracefrih Putrage coin- mitted againft me on the t2th Inft.) can give your Loirdfliip the neceffary explanations. — A fecond at tempt was made upon me yefterday evening, but the darknefs of the night, and the affaflins having had xeafon ? 4° ) ' reafon to believe, that I had already efcaped them, united to fave me ; fevetal of them, as well as the Orangemen of the 12th, are known — for my own part, / fhall not move, but if goVerninent is difpofed to take up the bufinefs in that' grave ar ^ folemn manner its importance, in a national po ilLof view, fo imperioufly demands, I am 'ready to al^rdall the aid iri my j30wer to give effeft to its exertions. I am howefver to hope, that, if government enters into an inveftigation, it will be carried on by perfons poffeffed of vigour, ' perfpicuity, and independence of mind ! I muft remark, with regard to myfelf, that I can never look forward to the fucceeding day for an -efcape from aflaflination. As an individual of very little perfonal importance. Government rriay feel indifferent as to my fate ; but I muft take leave to fuggeft, that if my life falls a facrifice to my humanity and exertions *in behalf of an^_opprefle^ great body of t>eople, independent of the efftft this in itfelf might have, an idea (already but too prevalent) will become rooted, that " Government wants either " the will or the abiiity to proteft them." , I need not point out to your Lordfhip the probable confe quences' of the eftablifhment of fuch dn opinion^ I have the honor to be, &c. Sec. RICHARD WILSON. One would have fuppofed .under all the preceding circumftances, that the above letter would have met with immediate attention — far "from it — it was n'jt anfwered ( 41 ) iirifwered till the 6th of September following ; nor do I believe it would have been noticed by the Ifearned Lord even then, had I not in fome- degree, compelled it by the following letter tp Mr. EUiPt. That gen tleman haying appeared to forget the promife made to me in his Hft, " of laying before the Lord Lieu tenant the diforderly trjinfaftioh; which took place at Owna," I thought it qeceffary to recall his attention ,to it, and alfo to animadvert a little upon the Very extrkordinary filence pf the Chancellor, &c. The Rt. Hon. Wm. Elliot. SIR, Qwnd Lodge, Augufl 'i6th, 1806, Five weeks have elapfed this day fince I ac quainted you with the daring arid Wanton outrage which had been cpmmit ted upon me the preceding evening;' and foriiewhat more than a month fince I received your reply to my information, " lamenting 1" that diforderly and tumultuous tranfaftion, with " your intention of laying my letter before the Lprd 4' Lieutenarit." Your filence leaving me in' ignorance oi\m Grace's, opinion upon .that difagrefeable bufi nefs, I hold myfelf juftified in demanding why I h'aVe not- obtained that " pplnion" long before this, pecjtr- liarly ai>d dangeir-oufiy fitpated as I am ? It refts with you, Sir, to fliew, why juftice and humanity fliould ;be fo far apparently violated as tp have their opera tion tvithhcld in prptefting the life of a Magiftrate in -tlie performance of his duty, when the meanefi fubjeft j is ronft-itutiohally entitled to ti^e promp't,''aftivfe, aild. p ' vigorous C 40 vigorous exertion of them, when either his life' pr property is endangered ? In confequence oP tlie obfervation in your letter of the 1 6th of July, I wrote to the Chancellor " to " reftify the errpr yoa apprized me pf having ,com- " mjtted.iri not applying to his Lordfhip, infl^ad " of Government, to extend my magifterial power to " the adjoining County of Armagh." In my letter. to his Lordfliip I took leave to ftate, " that I had " been attacked a /ffowJ time on the igth pf the " above-iuentioned' mip'nth ;" the^ patticulars I did not /y4^«j nor fliall r»0TO ienteir into; — the limits of a letter, indeed,- would not permit me, even was I difpofed (which- 1 confefs I am not) fo to do ; hav-- ing-'muehimpPrtant- matter, independent of what relates to myfelf, that ought to be fubmitted to grave and deliberate confideration. When I perceive Go vernment difpofed to afford that to my communica tions, I will cheerfully, hut perfonally, detail them : .in the mean time, I am to obferve that I am prepared 'to prove that the Laws (as I, in my firft letter to you, intimated) are " moft partially and . carelefsly. (I wifh to fpeak mildly} adminiftered withregard tothe Roman Catholics ;— that I have inftances, within Hhefe few days, of Robber i, Afiaffim, Forgers of Bank Notes, and Public Difiurbers being protected; and their .Profecutors frightened from following up their complaints : — alfo of Examinations being either fecreted [by^ thofe who ought to iian^e brought them forward) or with held from the Clerk of the Crown ; or, if given to 'hirii, his being preniaikd upon not to form bills of indiftment (43),, indiftment upon them ! All this. Sir, I fay, I am prepared to prove,^ and call upon Government to -put me to the proof — If I fail, (provided I am enabled to bring fpi-ward my witnefies and affured of their per fonal proteftion ?/^?« and hereafteT,.'!i\.^o that my judg es fhall not . be prepoffeffed) let me be held out to the Public as the very oppofite to what I have dedi cated my whole life to fubfbintiate — a man devoted to its interefis,'its happinefs', its tranquillity and its free dom! Inmy lettertotheChanpellorl hinted, that there was an idea rather too prevalent;?wV/« a great part of the public', that " Gpvernme'nt was either unable or unwil- •" ling to proteft the oppreffed." If the outrage com mitted againft me be unnoticed, ajid the means de nied me of bringing forward the charges I have de clared myfelf prepared to make good, you cannot. Sir, be furprifed at my being confirmed in this opi nion, not only with regard to the Roman Catholics, but alfo with reipeft to thofe who are bold enpugh to ftand forward as their advocates, and venture to vindicate a conduft, which, inftead of procuring the thanks and fupport of Government, has excited a vindiftivenefs which, unlefs I fpeedily defert my- re fidence, will not be allied until J fall its viftim ! The Chancellor not replying to my letter, I con fefs, a good deal puzzles me, as whatever opinion his Lordfhip may pleafe to form of my reprefentations and objefts, I cannot bring myfelf to believe him deficient in the politenefs of a gentleman. ' . I have the honor to be, &c. RICHARD WILSON. F 2 To ( 44-) : To tliis- letter I received the following Anfwer- • RiciiAftp WnsoN, Es'cL OwNArLoDGE. SIR, Dublin Cafile, Augufi -zoih, iSoS. In acknowledging your letter of the 1 6th Inft. J, feel incumbent on me to_ affure you that I took the-, earlieft opportunity of laying before the Lord Lieutenant your commnnications of the i^th-Ultr .but I at the fame time concluded, that, if the outrage d:ef9ribed in it, had admitted of any redrefs at law, you would.have availed yourfelf of the ^ffizes- which were then, approaching, to have brought the offending parties to juftjce,; It gives me gr^atconcern to learn, that according to your view of thf ftate of the coun try in you*' neighbourhdod much difquiet and alarm prevail.^-The meafures taken - by orders of Govern-f ment at the affizes of Armagh miift, I fhould have hpped, h9.ve convinced all defcriptipns of perfonsj that the Lord Lieutenant has nothing fp- much at Jieart as dping equal juftice without reference to re ligious or other differences 5 and it has been cp'nfider* ed as particularly fafisfaftory, that all the reports which haye been received 'frpm the North-eaft cir-f cuit have cpnfirmed the belief that that fentiment generally prevails, :and thajt that part of the country is in a ftate that gives no ground for apprehendino- fny interruption of -its former tranquillity, It will be prpper that the conduft of the perfons, whom ^ou ftate to have prevented Robbers, Affaflins, and Forgers of Bank Notes from being brpught to juftice, ¦ ftiPuld (45-) l^oiold beftiUyinveftigated, as well sas that of the^terij pf the Crown, Whp is alleged to have been fo d^. fient in the difcharge of his duty ; and whenevar you fhall tranfinit to me fuch authentic infornaatiom on thefe charge^.as ypii may be ^ble to procure, .1 will lofe np time in conferring with i the ChaneellM" ¦ ipn th^ proper fteps to be, taken on the fubjeft. : -i 'irUr I have the honor, &c. W. ELLIOT. If thfe reader will have the goodioefs tp bear m tnind the fiibfiance of my former letters, particularly the pieties helcl out in my laft, I believe he will agree with me, that this Jettcr . of Mr. Elliot's was any ' thing "but to tlie purpofe?! However I thought it right to reply, to.' it, which 1 did in/the.^QllQwli^ terms-: ¦-,•.. - A, ^ V. , , . Tttg Rt. Hon. WtLLiAM Elliot. , vSIR, Owna Lodge, Augufi zo,d, 1.806. I feel it incumbent Upon me. not to delay a poft in replying to the letter I have this moment received from you. Before I enter upon the material objefts I intend to advert toj I ?im to requeft you '¦will give me credit when I affure you, that thou^ I have not jthehoncmr. of a perfonal acquaintance with the JLord Lieutenant, I. am fuUy perfuaded, from his general charafter, : of his poffeffing moft efti- mabie (46 )' linabfe qualities, and that: he feels every difpofition to execute his high office, with juftice; impartiality, and humanity ;— but, notwithftanding his' Grace's arid your perfpicuityj yet you cannot tte' every where, or know evety thing i you muft,- in'genersl, 'aft- upon information.- — If lam to credit a News-paper report which now lies -before mte, I can eafily account for the favourable opinion held by Govefnirjent of the " tranquil ftate of this part of the kingdom:"-^* fhort fiaterrient will beft explain my allufion. In O'Neil's trial, a Mt. "Lawfon, a Magiftrate for the county of Armagh, is made to depofe upon oath (in the Belfaft Chronicle of the. r 3th inft.) that '' O'Neil " and his brother wire men not to be believed upon their " oaths, from the knowledge -he' had of them, and from *^ their general charaSter inthe country ;" hte, alfo, .gaive his teftiniony " • of the extreme goddc tharafters-i of " Meffrs. David and John Vernfer, 'and- g^/Mr i^re- " mitting endeamwS' to reconcile all parties, and -ke^p " quiet in the country I!" All this, to be fure, is very fine, nor can it he at all wonderedkt, if GpvQfnment, from fuch fources of information, is difpofed to be lieve" the conhtry "in a tranquil ftate :" bqt now,. Sir, let us fee how the rnatter really ftands with re- .gard to this Mr. Lawfon's evidence^ ; Underftanding that this gentleman lived neaf O'Neil's refidence, and meeting him accidentally in the ftreets of Armagh, * T immediately applied tP him for information upon the ^fubjeft of O'Neil'^ com plaint : to my utter aftonifhment (and I belieye it will alfo eicite yours,) this Mr. Lawfon, (though , within (47 ) within two ihiles of the fpot, and a man, I am told almpft always on horfeback) never heard a word of the. natter until I queftioned hira upon it ! And here, Sir, let me obferve, that if fo ferious a bufinefs as .this fliould ; npt have pubhcity enough to reach the ear of ft refident in the vicinity, and a public Magif trate tQp, may it not very probably happen,, that many other afts of atrocity may -have taken place and yet not reach the fijrj of Government.? — but more pf this p.refently. After fome converfatipn with Mr. Lawfoa, and behaving my information confirmed by $ man who accidentally came up to us, (and who lived near O'Neil's) I afked him pirticularly as to O^Neifs character, acquainting him . with , ' the rnemorial he wifhed me to tranfmit tp .government. " .Mr. Lawfon replied that " O'Neil was a ree fort of a fellow (a " gjitafe I underftood to mean wild,, giddy, &c.) who " Jiked a drop of drink, and was a famous boxer, " v^o would hold his own, but that he knew no ill of " Mm in any other refpeEl, unlefs it^ was on ' account " pf fome difputes he had with his brother about "the divifion of his father's property." I quefti oned. him clofely as to" whether or. not O'Neil was " to be credited upon his oath.?" To this he pofi- tively anfwered, that " he knew no reafon whatever " why he fltiouldnot be believed upon his oath!" Mr. Lawfon advifed, " that as the Barrifter was then " fitting in Court, O'Neil fliould have his Examina- " tions fworn immediately before him, as that wpuld "be -the moft effeftuaf means , of bringing the " accufed parties to juftice.'" Upon which advice O'Neil afted ; but before he could get liis Examina- tipnS: ( 48 )' ti®QS, written out, the Barrifter had left thd CPurt, aaad thus loft the opportunity of availing himfelf of Mr. iLawfon's advice. — One word farther I muft add:— ^I obferved that " I hadfeen thefe Gentletnen (the Mr. "Verners) once or twice, and that they appear.^... cd to be modeft well behaved Mienj a^d very unlikely |!€rfons to commit fo atrocious an aft/* Mr. Law^ fen replied, that *' they were very good fort of young ** Men, but that they had rather too tnucb of their ." Father's diflike to tb^ Roman Catholics." Now^ Sir, [ let thefe two accounts be" compared ;— ^is tp the iffiie •sf the trial, it was exaftly fuch, as I anticipated firom the curious mode in which it was inveftigated at the fetting out. Whether O'Neil is a rafcal or not, or whether the Mr. Verners, or any other per fons (for it had been rumouj-ed, by certain people, that O'Neil burned it himfelf,)Twere aoceffary to the burning ' his houfe, I knpw not } but there is one pretty clear faft, th^at his houfe has been burned, and that the aggreffprs, be th.ey whom they may, re main unpunilhed ! And now. Sir, to prove that Government is not acquainted with the real ftafe of this part of the country, I am to ob ferve, that on the night when I was attacked by the Ofange-men, a po,or inof^nfive man Was al moft murdered by a ftraggling party of them, for HO other offence but his merely faying, " T was *' a worthy Gentleman." Ten days fince a man was klfo almoft niurdered,"zyiV/jozi(^ any fort of provoca tion, \^ three fellows, who ftepped acrofs the river and got out of my juriftiiftron, and there they go at large ! Thefe laft tneniioiied people, in jufl.i,Ge- to . . the -V ^ 49 ) the €irange-men I mention it, I am given to underftand were not of that party. — With regard to the other fafts I have alluded to in my laft letter, they can be completely fubftantiated ; — but. Sir, can it be ex- pefted that I am to bear the plague, trouble, and ex- pence of thefe inveftigafions ? 1 affure you, I have gone much greater lengths than either my health or fprtune admit of, to bring viUains to punifhment and keep tranquillity in the country, — and where is myj; reward ? emolument or marks of diftinftion I neither fought for, nor expefted ; — Ihave not even obtained th6 thanks of Government for my endeavours to effeft thofe objefts which the indolence and grofs par tiality of Pthers have made indifpenfable, you ac- count " for not acquainting me with the Lord Lieu- •' tenant's opinion upon the attempts made upon " my life, by fuppofing that I fhould have applied '*' to the afllzes." Alas! Sir, you know but little of the managing thefe fort of matters there ! Had 1 put myfelf to a couple of hundred pounds expence to retain cPunfel and bring a horde of witneiTes to Oraagh, I fhould have had for my pains a hoft of Gentlemen to appear to the charaBer of the accufed parties, which would have obtained for them expref- tuns of efteem, and an honourable acquittal by the Jury! (ex. gr. Mr. Lawfon and O'Neil!) You may think of this as you may, but I know from paft experience that it would have been the cafe, — the truth is, however, that I was not well enpugh to at- ' ttnd the affiires, from' the effefts of the blows 1 re ceived from thefe very Orange-men,— nor dare I be abient from home after day-light fpr fear of affaffina- ,0 ' tion. (so) tloUj «r having my houfe burned to the groand. — ^The only night I was from home fince the at tack made upon me on the J2th of July, I was way laid — ^my fervant who was before mCj luckily tojd the party who enquired" jf I was coming," that " I had left Dunganribn two hours before," which led them to believe I had jefcaped them ; — half an hour after, I overtook thefe fellows— (fome of whom' - can be fworn to by two perfom ;} — the , darknefs of the night prevented their recognizing me at firft (alfo, not expeftin^ me, from what the fervant had told them) 9;^ — but as foon as they were fure of me, they purfued me, declaring their intention of " murder- *' ing me, if they could, lay hold of me." They were on foot, I on horfeback, and fo, for that time, efcaped with my life ; — never going out now tut in the middle of the day, and always returning by a different road, I have efcaped any more attacks. I have however declared my intention of quitting my place, which I have, nearly, at a great expence, completed ; — an expence, God knows, I could but ill affbrd, and muft now leave it to deftruftion pf one fort or other ! ' Government may do me a favour, and itfelf too, by taking* my houfe, and making it a barrack for a fnfall number of men. — I take upon me to fay, that the time approaches when a military force in this part of the country will be thought advifable. — In ftead of afking a hundred per cent, for my houfe, 1 will give it for three, and gratefully thank Govern ment for its fecuring any thing either by way of life or I 5^ ) or property I Its contigaJty to CharlemoHnt, Is an- oJher recommendation — I affure you. Sit, I am fe rious, nor have I any thing, row, more at heait ^ince my hopes of proving myfelf a really ufeful member of the community have failed) as to quit a I country where oppreffion and injuftice are formed > into 3 fyftem, and where true ^atriotifra meets with 1 obloquy inftead of honour^ gratitude, and protec-/ UOD Before, Sir, I conclude, I ara to intreat you to believe that I feel no fort of irritation againft you or his Grace the Lord Lieutenants — I am fully perfuad ed, if yoQ were not pvedijpofed againft my reprefea- lations, they would meet with your diftingmfhed ap probation and fupport; bat, as I have before ob ferved, you muft aft upon the report of thofe, wl^o, you have reafon to believe, are better entitled to your credence ; bat this I muft take leave to add, that I chaJienge a comparifon of my conduft, as a Magiftrate, with that of the whole of my bre thren in this diftrift ; yet the Chancellor has not deigned to anfwer my application for a farther ex tenfion of my power ta do good I The Chancellor is a very great man, and I a very Httle onej but I hold nxyfelf inferior to his Lordfhip, in nothing but ta- ,lents and gaad fortune. — Had I made a ttfartdly ufe of ray opporfunities, my fituation, and connexions, his Lordfhip might perhaps have thought he did not dS' regate in treating me with the good manners of a Gentleman.— This letter. Sir, is extended far he- yood njy imention,' — you wiU, I hope, have the ' G 2 goodads goodnefs to exoufe its. length, when you confider ihjit ihy peculiar fituation required fome prefent explana? tion to you. — The niifinterpretation of my conduft, fince I came into Ireknd, by thofe whofe intereft it is to calumniate it, compels me to give a detail tP the public of the tfanfaftions in my diftrift, and my fhare in them— this detail I fhall commence as foon as I have arrai^ged my affairs here previous to my departure. I have the Honor to be, , &c. &c, RICHARD WiLSONv To the abPve letter Mr. Elliot never replied. ;^n the futceediiig month, I received one from Sir E. Littlehaies adverting to a pari of mine which allud- fed to" '5 the difpofal of my houfe to Government for *' a barrack ;" to this letter I will prefently attend ; but the reader muft allow me to notice, the Chan- teller's aiifwer tP my letter of the zoth of July. Richard Wilson, Esq.^ Owna-Lodge, SIR, Ely-place, Sept. &th, i%o6. I am very forry that a preffnre of bufinefs which could not be poftponed has prevented me from fend ing an earlier anfwer to the letter ypu did me the honour of writing to me ih July laft. — That any at tempts • . ( S3 ) tempts fliould be made at affaffmation muft be a fub jeft of the deepeft regret, and will, I am fure, ex cite in the Government the moft anxious defire to deleft and punifh thofe who are guilty of them, amS I hope that no defcription of his Majefty's fubjefts ift Ireland will ever have reafon "to confider thofe t© whom he may be pleafed to delegate his authority, as either unable or unwilling to proteft them ; with refpeft to the adminiftration of the Duke of Bed ford, I can moft confidently affirm that there nei^ •was and never will be in this country one more fia- cerely difpofed to proteft with vigbur and impartiality all its inhabitants, and that whoever ihall violate the laws, will find his Grace both willing and able to vindicate their authority. The application which you have been pleafed to jnake for a commiffion of the peace for the county of Armagh not having been feconded by the recommen dation of the Goviernor, or either of the members for that county, or of any refident Privy Counfellor, I am under the neceffity of forbearing to comply TUfith it. I have the Honor, &c. &c. GEO. PONSONBY, C, , The moft inattentive reader muft obferve that the above letter was meant, under all the previous cir- ' curnftances, to infult me. I viewed it in that light* and at firft ipfended to coiifign it to filent contempt j but. ( 54 ) Esil^, on looki?^ over k a fecoisd rime, I changed 'my jfeteriHinatton and returned the following anEver: 'LORB CHANCEI.E.OR., Qima-Lfsd^^ Sept. gtb, iSoff. MY LORD, ¦ > I confefs I have had Tome debate with myfelf whe ther or not I fhould reply to your Lordfhip's letter of tfefi §th Enfl. but a 'momejifs confideration upon a fecond perufa! of it, has fliewn me^ that confiftently ymih what has before paffed^ and what Bereafter is to pafi, relative to my commrunscations with Govern ment, 1 ought not to poftppnie an iraraediate, and^ as far as the limits of a letter would admit, a parti- eular notice of the feveral points to which it relates. I fhall proceed as methodically as I can : ^rft as to the *^ preffure"' of yoiir Lordfhip's " bufinefs" which ** could not be poftponed," and which prevented your- Lordfhip " fi-om fending an earlier anfwer (« ^¦period intervening ef near two mmtbt I ) ta my let- " ter in July laft' j" I am to obferve, that withdot pre- faming to guefs what that " preffure of bufinefs'* may have been, yet there is fomething rather extra ordinary, that now your leifure has permitted, a no tice of " my communications," your Lordftiip has sot held out even art escpeitation that thefe " com- •* munications" are to be followed up by a Jtrtgle 'motion oi that " vigour and impartiality" which an other part of your Lordfhip's letter announces as the charaft«rjfties ( 55 ) charaftenftics of the pr-efent admlniffration ! Yoar Lordfhip next adverts to the attempts made to aflaf- finate me, in the humane, and I muft take leave %a add the fpitited difcharge of my magifterial duty by an organized mob ; after " deeply regretting thofe «' attempts pn the part of Government whofe moft *' anxious ^ifb you declare is to deleft and punifh " thofe whs are guilty of them, and hope that no *' defCTiption of his Majefty's fubjefts in Ireland will *« ever have reafon to confider thofe to whom he " may be pleafed to delegate his authority as either *' unable or unwilling to proteft them :" there you let the matter reft, as I have before obferved, not c(|nfidering me, I fuppofe, as one *' of bis Majefty's " fubjefts !" Your Lordfhip then proceeds to pro nounce a perfonal eulogium on his Grace the Duke of Bedford, " confidently affirming there never was, " and never wiU be, in this country one more fin- " cerely difpofed to proteft with vigour and impar- *' tiali^y all its inhabitants, and that whoever fhall " violate the laws will find his Grace both able and " willing to vindicate their (adminiftration's) au- " thority." Now to be fure thefe are mighty fine words, and one would be led to fuppofe that I had made fome perfonal refleftions upon the noble Duke by this uncalled-for eulogy. The faft however, is precifely the reverfe — I have repeatedly declared to Mr. Elliof, that " though I had not the honour of " his Grace's acquaintance, yet frora my intimacy " with many of thofe who poffeffed that high gra- " tification, (and froni general report) I was per- " liiadfed of his perfonal worth, &c. &c." — but I am. (56) am ready to admit, that, at the fame time, I ob- fearved, *' that I feared there was a fet of people ** about him, who would keep truth from his ear, **^ and fruftrate all his patriotic intentions."'**-My tord, I have faid this, and I repeat it — and will f^nje, at its proper time and place, the irtcth of ¦what I have formerly afferted, " that the laws are ** not executed with vigour and inipartiality," and tfcat "a// defcriptions of his MMJeJlf sJubjeEts^ are not ** protested" and here, my LoTd,- we are at iffue, — ibliferve, my Lord, I confine myfelf to my own dif- Itrift — I am, though a native, almoft an entire ftran ger in Ireland. ^^I fpeak of the ftate of the country at no greater diftance than twenty miles about my e»wn hoiife. The concluding part -of your Lord- Ifeip's letter conveying fomething very hke perfonal infult, I muft animadvert upon it with fome minute- taefs : — Your Lordfhip fays, " the application which ** you have been pleafed to make for a commiffion ** of the peace %r the county of Armagh, not be- "^ ing feconded by a recommendation of the Go- •^ vernor or either of the Members for the county, " or of any refident' Privy Courifellor, I am under *' the neceffity of forbearing to comply with it ! ! !" Priy, my Lord, did not Mr. Elliot (a Privy Coun. fellor and "brother Minift'er) \x\1oxta. you of the motive of rtly requiring this extenfion of my authority ? Did npt your Lordfliip know that I was alrefady a N^agiftrate for the county immediately, adjoining, ?Ed that my houfe was within a ftone's throw of the .county of Armagh ? Had your Lordfliip any ground for thinking me unfit for the office df a Magiltra-e .'' and (57) and if you had, was it not your duty to ftrike me out of the commiffion I already held ? Had your Lord fhip zpundation for believing that my conduft, as a Magiftrate, or when a Member of Parliament, fub- jeded me to a charge of corruption, faftioufnefs, difloyalty or felfifhnefs ? I will reply for your Lord' fhip—" I have none."— Then, my Lord, if fo, why this fqueamifh delicacy, this fenfelefs etiquette, or more properly fpeaking, this flimfy evafion .? Was it to infult a man who never offended you— whole whole public life defies calumny to impeach its inte- grity, its difintereftednefs, and its exertions — as far as aTimited fortune and ftill more limited talents enabled him — in fupport of a conftitution which,' till disfi- •gured and violated by corruption and apojiate Pa triots, was e'ur §lory, our pride, and our fafeguard ! a conftitution, my Lord, which, had it been pre. fervedjn its original purity, would have defied the power which magnanimity itfelf now trembles at, niaugre the thrafonical bravadoings of our political dedaimers ! But to the more immediate fubjeft— I do not think there is one refident Privy Counfellor in the county of Armagh ; — the tvi'o members are, t knownot where' — moft probably upon their military duty, as 1 underftand they are in the army or mi litia; — as to the governor, he refides, I learn, in England. — Now, thus circumftanced, fuppofe 1 had thought it neceffary (which I confefs I did npt) tp apply to any of thofe perfons your Lordffiip points out, what was I to do to obtain your Lordfhip's <^//)tea to^crifice ray time, my health, and my property, without even a profpeft of remuneration ^,as full well H I knew ^ ( 58 ) I knew) in the fervice of the public ? why" truly I took, hy chancel own, the only ftep which would have remained for i me to take as the nioft effeftual to the end, I applied to your Lordfliip's colleague, a Privy Counfellor, and the Lord Lieutenant's principal Secretan ¦' 1 need urge this no farther.—- 1 confefs, my Lord, I am an^ry, and ftill more angry at per mitting myfelf to be angry at what, I confefs, ought to excite a very different fenfation. - I .have the Honor, &c. ' • • RICHARD WILSON. The reader will anticipate that this letter remain ed linanfwered^t has fo indeed, and I defy the learned Lord to make any reply to it, which can either refleft credit on himfelf, or the reverfe upon me! I own I thought my eo/refpondehce with the Caftle clofed"^, and was not a little furpriv'ed at re ceiving the letter I have before adverted to, from Sir Edward Littlehaies,^ — it related to the offer I had made in Auguft laft, (through Mr. ElfibtJ to Go vernment of my houfe, as a balrrack, — I own this offer ' never, again, came acrofs my, mind ; as I felt, the moment after 1 made it, that the very reafons I ¦had afligned as indu-cemems for Government to ac- - cept it would operate the direft contrary way ! viz. its cheapnefs, utility, anA Jerving me I Sir Edward Littlehaies' letter is as follows : ' (59) , RiCHjVRD Wilson, Esq. Owna-Lodge. SIR, Duhlin-Cafile, Sept. i6th, 1806. I have the honour to acquaint you that Mr. Elliot refeVred, by the Lord Lieutenant's direction, to the CPmrnander pf , the Forces, your propofal to difpofe of your concerns contiguous to Charlemount for Barrack purpofes, and communication was alfo had with the,. Deputy. Barrack-Mafter General, with a view, if prafticable, to your accommodation by hir ing the premlfes in queftion in the event of their be ing required for the King's troops. , As Mr. Elliot was very defirous I fhotild fubmit the report on this fubjeft, if received during his ab fence, to the general confideration of his Grace, I am now to ftate that General, the Earl of Harring ton', has given it as his opinion, that it is inexpe dient to take the concerns alluded to, as it appears from the reprefentation of the Deputy Barrack-Maf- ter-General, that there is a temporary Barrack (call ed Roxborough) eflabliffied within a ffiort diftance from Charlemount Fort, which has not been occu pied fince 1803, ^"'^ ^^^^ "° farther Barrack accom- modatipn feems neceffary in that quarter. His Grace ig much concerned that he does not, under thefe cir- cuinftances, feel himfelf juftified in direfting the premifes in queftion to be purchafed or hired for the fervice of Government. I have the Honor, &c. E. B. LiriLEHALES. H 2 I am ,' ( 6o ) I am ready to ;ackno^ledge the civility .pf- this letter, btit I muft at the fame time obferve that iV does not apply. I admit that the word '? contiguous," ufed in my letter to Mr. Elliot, as to the fituation of itiy hoiifei may cPnvey the idea bf' tfoff tO''^,or '"'nearly adjoining," but I belleve it is alfo frequently ufed ih a figurative fenfe, as " at a dift4l3fel< which "' would admit of eafy and ready interc0urf<2-," this, I confefs was'' the meaning I meant tP attach tp it,';— for the' truth is, OwnaiLpdge is" five miles frotti Charlemouritj and in an oppofite direftion to Rpjt- borough ; — fo much by way pf explanation -of the Deputy Barrack- Mafter-General, and General, the Earl of Harrington's miftake, occaflpjoed; by my want of critical precifion in the defcriprion of Owna- to^ge. > ;H'!i ' fere ends my correfpoiidehce with 'GoVerhment. — 1 will detain the readerbut very fittle; Iphger-^I "cannot, how^vGr, conclude withputadvefling to twp or three matters with which he inay wifti to be acT- ."quaihted, and of which, in fny-'lettersi I hinted 4 future e'xplanation. I have more than biice held out a cKaileiige " to have' hfy public life feverely -" fifted arid'" examined." Here' follows my 'teafon for' this repeated'" challenge." — % Gentleman co??- neded with Government, in a private; converfation, obferved to me, with" great app'earance' of frien