ALARMING STATE OF AFFAIRS IN IRELAND.

New Zealander, Volume 8, Issue 636, 19 May 1852, Page 3

ALARMING STATE OF AFFAIRS IN IRELAND.

(From " Bell's 'Weekly Messcngci," Jannary 10) Another meeting of magistrates has been held in the )rovince of Ulster, now rendeied as,notorious for its igranan crimes «s the southern counties, which have fipperary for their centre, were a few yeais back, ilmost every post bi ings some account of human blood jeing slied, houses maliciously burned — or other atrojities peculiar to the system ot Itibbonibm which liasso ong plagued ihis land. This Jast mcc.ing was he]<] at josford Castle, within five milos of Aimagb. The neeting was priva'e ; but it is s ated that it adopted an iddress to the Loid Lieutenant, suggesting fujther police amngemcti s, the levy of the tax t'ov extia police is a distinct one, to be collec ed monthly and certain nodifica'ions in the jury systen, together with more stringent legislation foi the suppression of crime. We have a report of anoihei muiderous assault — indeed, there aie grounds for .■ppiehending it may (urn out a muider — which was commi ted near Armagh, on the night of the Ist. The suffdier is an honest industrious farmer, and his offence against the ribbon code will doub less appear a strange cause for the cru< I punishment which has been inflated upon him. It appears that some days ago this man paid his rent in due course. He was summoned to a meeting of his fellowtennntry to memoiialise their landlord for a further reduction in theients. This meeting was attended by a Roman Catholic cura c, who pioposed a series of lesoutions, which the unfortunate man above alluded to opposed, but, as might be expected, (he piopositions of the piiesta were adopted, What was the icsult of the poor fellow's refusal to join in what he conceived to be an unreasonable course ? On Thuisday i i^ht he was set upon by seven miscreants, who beat him as they supposed to death. Three of his ribs weve separated from the spine, and so seiious are his wounds I hat the medical men in attendance on him consider his life in imminent peiil. Tne neighbourhood of Dund.dk will suffer by the lecent infamous deeds of the Ribbon conspirators, ftli. Foiteseue, of Ravensd lie, is about to discharge a. Uige number of the workpeople in his employment, and quit the district in which a conspiracy was entered into to assassinate him. Mr. Foiteseue is the brother-in-law of the Marquis of Ormoni'. The following panioulais of another barbarous murder aie from the Leitnm Journal:— "Shortly after night had set in on the evening of Wednesday last three men armed entered the dwelling house of a jioor man named John Cunan, res'ding at Corduff, and having placed him on bus knees, one of them dischaiged the contents of a loaded gun through his heart, leaving him a lifeless coipse on his own llooi ! They quietly depar ed,and although theie ueie two of the deceased man's daughters present ot the time, one of whom was a married woman, neither of them as much as raised the cry of muvdei, or ende.ivonud by any means to obstiuct the escape of the assassins. On Fndiy Alexander Peicy, Esq., held an inquest on the body of deceased, nnd a numbei of witnesses were examined, but nothing tianspired to throw ii^l.t on the matter. The veidict was to the effect that the dpcesed John Cunan came by bisjdeath at the time ,md place mentioned, from the effect of a gunshot-v.ound inflicted on him by some person or persons unknown." The Limenck Chronicle of Wednesday hns a long list of outrages perpetrated within the piecedmg lour days. "The constabulaiy at Dund-ilk, we have jusi been informed, having on Tuesday night in consequence of puvate nifoimation, arrested <i man named iJamill, living at Coiteel, neai Dundalk, on examining his lesidence found the gold watch talieti frjtn Mu Eastwood at the time the numleious attack was made upon him. It was in a trunk, sewn up in an old stocking, and having still attached to it the piece of the broken chain gimrd which we mentioned os a-missing. When the Ley of the trunk was asked lot by the police, we aie told that Hnimll alleged 'it w\is "lost;' and the police theieon fo ceil the trunk open, and speedily came upon the seireteu cumhutoiy aiticle,"