of a preceding night ?-As well as my recollection serves me, he had been sworn on a former night, on the border of the county, and was going forward, in consequence of his oath, to fulfil the duty imposed upon him.

"You call him captain, because he appeared to command the party?—He was taken in the act of going forward, and cheering the party to follow him on for the purpose on which they were sent.

"Was he distinguished by any particular dress?—I think he had a white band round his hat that night."—H. C., 1824, pp. 134, 135.

"Are the people totally devoid of all property?—I think the persons generally concerned in the disturbances are the poorest description of farmers or labourers.

"That is, they are persons seeking by force to keep possession of lands of which they have had notice of ejectment?Very often they are so, but I do not think they have a combined object. Every case of outrage has its own immediate

cause.

"Do you imagine that there were a great many individuals concerned in the association in Clare ?-A great many; almost the whole peasantry of the country."-H. C., 1832, Nos. 23, 24. 27.

The O'Conor Don :

"What class of persons were concerned in those disturbances [in the county of Roscommon]?—They were, in the commencement of these disturbances, of the lower order of people, but in the end it was said they were joined by persons in better circumstances."-H. C., 1832, No. 293.

W. W. Despard, Esq. :

"On the late trials at Maryborough did it appear what class of people were engaged in these outrages?—The people convicted on my side of the county were of the very lowest class.

"Did anything appear to lead you to think that respectable persons were engaged?—I think there were persons from the neighbourhood of the colliery of a respectable description."H. C., 1832, Nos. 415-16.

Colonel Johnson, being asked who are the parties concerned, answers

"The lower orders; and a good number, I will not say of the very best farmers, but the middling description. I cannot but say they are parties concerned, for they will not assist us in detecting these people,-quite the reverse."-H. C. 1832, No. 757.

Major-General Crawford, occasionally resident at Castle Comer :

"What description of persons are engaged in these lawless proceedings?-There are a considerable number of farmers, but the greater number are of the lower order and ill-conditioned; there are some schoolmasters in it, who are great inciters to it, one of whom was made prisoner."-H. C., 1832, No. 2055.

Robert Cassidy, Esq. :

"Have not large numbers of the lower orders, and even the small farmers, been engaged in this Whitefoot and Blackfoot conspiracy?—I rather think not; my information leads me to think that neither the class of persons to whom I have alluded, namely, heads of families, nor men of generally good character, had been in those Whitefoot associations.

"Then, is it your opinion that the Whitefoot and Blackfoot associations, or other associations connected with the disturbance of the public peace, are confined to a few in the county? -I conceive that they are not confined to a few; but I think the majority comprising them are persons of bad character, and without either house or home, or anything whatever to attach them to the state by any tie of interest.

"How do you reconcile the state of the county as to general outrage and insecurity, with the notion that the ma

jority of the lower orders have not embarked themselves in these outrages against the public peace ?-I conceive that the outrages have been committed by a few; that the majority of the persons, either from intimidation or other causes, do not wish to expose themselves as informers, not knowing to what extent the combination extends; and I conceive there is also another and very prevalent assistance or power that those persons receive who commit breaches of the peace, which is, that the small farmers of the country are of opinion that but for those outrages their lands would be taken from them on the fall of their leases, and that strangers are deterred from coming into the country to take their lands, in consequence of the outrages which have occasionally been committed in it; and although not themselves actually participators in the outrage, they are calm or rather silent spectators of a few committing the outrages which have disgraced the county."-H. C., 1832, Nos. 6415-16. 6418.

Any persons engaged in a lawless course of life are likely to take a part in the Whiteboy disturbances when they have once begun.

"Is it within your knowledge (Mr. Griffith is asked) in what manner the persons who had been engaged in that lawless course of life occupied themselves in the close of the year 1821? A great number of those smugglers became leaders of Whiteboys in the district I have been describing. (The southwest counties.)

"Do you mean that they quitted the coast, and betook themselves to this particular district?-Smuggling was conducted by a chain of people connected with the coast, and running through the mountains; a great number of these people belonged to the particular district I have been describing, and finding that their trade in smuggling was destroyed by the exertions of the preventive water-guard, they turned their attention, and were the chief actors, in the Whiteboy warfare. "The insurrection broke out in the autumn of 1821, did it not? It did, in the county of Limerick.

"Can you say in what manner those smugglers of which you are speaking were occupied during the spring and summer of 1821 ?—I think they, and some discontented farmers connected with them, were the fomenters of the Whiteboys, and were the chief leaders in the mountain parts of it.—H. C., 1824, p. 228.

Occasionally, however, a somewhat higher class are implicated, partly from interest, but chiefly from intimidation anybody, in fact, who wishes to resist the law may, if he is inclined, make use of the services of the Whiteboys *.

Mr. Blackburne :

"Can you speak as to the sentiments of the better and middle ranks of farmers in the county of Limerick, with respect to the continuance of the Insurrection Act?-I cannot; if I were to form an opinion, 1 should say that several of them have felt an interest in those disturbances, and that their immunity from the payment of rent during the disturbances was an advantage they felt they derived from them. I recollect particularly a case, in which a farmer of opulence had screened and protected two men charged with murder; and they were discovered under a bed, upon which his wife and daughter were lying to conceal them. I recollect another instance, in which a farmer came forward to prosecute a man upon a charge of delivering a threatening message; and the cross examination of this man by the prisoner himself, went to show, that the farmer brought forward the charge under a belief that the prisoner, who knew his secrets, would betray him, and bring him to justice for some insurrectionary offences, unless he was before-hand with him."-H. C. 1824, p. 18.

Mr. Barrington:

"You have found no substantial person possessed of property ever engaged in these disturbances ?-I have never found any but the lowest occupiers of land. I do not even recollect an instance of any man of any substance, except three or four

* See above, p. 150.

jority of the lower orders have not embarked themselves in these outrages against the public peace?—I conceive that the outrages have been committed by a few; that the majority of the persons, either from intimidation or other causes, do not wish to expose themselves as informers, not knowing to what extent the combination extends; and I conceive there is also another and very prevalent assistance or power that those persons receive who commit breaches of the peace, which is, that the small farmers of the country are of opinion that but for those outrages their lands would be taken from them on the fall of their leases, and that strangers are deterred from coming into the country to take their lands, in consequence of the outrages which have occasionally been committed in it; and although not themselves actually participators in the outrage, they are calm or rather silent spectators of a few committing the outrages which have disgraced the county."-H. C., 1832, Nos. 6415-16. 6418.

Any persons engaged in a lawless course of life are likely to take a part in the Whiteboy disturbances when they have once begun.

"Is it within your knowledge (Mr. Griffith is asked) in what manner the persons who had been engaged in that lawless course of life occupied themselves in the close of the year 1821?-A great number of those smugglers became leaders of Whiteboys in the district I have been describing. (The southwest counties.)

66 Do you mean that they quitted the coast, and betook themselves to this particular district?-Smuggling was conducted by a chain of people connected with the coast, and running through the mountains; a great number of these people belonged to the particular district I have been describing, and finding that their trade in smuggling was destroyed by the exertions of the preventive water-guard, they turned their attention, and were the chief actors, in the Whiteboy warfare. "The insurrection broke out in the autumn of 1821, did it not?—It did, in the county of Limerick.