There remains only to be mentioned the last stage in the Whiteboy system. When all means for the intimidation of informers and suppression of evidence have failed, and when the Whiteboy and the crown witnesses are both in safe custody, the only chance of saving the prisoner is to ensure that he shall be well defended at his trial. For this purpose, shortly before the assizes, people go round the country levying money by threats, and sometimes stating that they have to make up a precise sum. This is the only instance in which the Whiteboys take money; and in this case, it will be observed, that the robbers take it for the benefit, not of themselves, but of others.

Mr. James Lawler, Kerry :

"Is it the practice for this description of persons to go about and levy money upon the people ?—It was notorious; it was a matter of notoriety, that those persons who were called insurgents levied money upon the poor innocent wretched peasantry.

"Do they fix the sum themselves?—They used to get, as have often heard, 5s. or any sum, according to their caprice, as they may choose to require, and the ability of the peasant

to pay.

"If a man refuses to pay, what happens?—They tell them they will burn their houses, as was generally complained of by the peasantry about the country at that time."-H. C., 1824, p. 443.

The following speech of the Attorney-General, at Ennis, during the Clare Special Commission, will show in what an open and methodical manner this collection is sometimes made:-

"Michael Grady was indicted for feloniously, with force and by menaces, demanding money from various persons, with intent feloniously to steal the same.

"The Attorney-General.-Gentlemen, the prisoner is the collector of the Terry Alt Fund;' and I will now give you a short history of his proceedings, the manner in which he collected this fund, (whether he accounted or not, I don't know,) for a few days before and for some days after the opening of the Special Commission. It became necessary, in order to protect those prisoners who are charged with insurrectionary crimes, to raise a sufficient pecuniary fund. Accordingly, the prisoner at the bar undertook, in the name and by the authority of the Lady Alts and Lady Clare, or both, to select a portion of the country, in the neighbourhood of Meelick, which he had regularly assessed, and put down in a book the names of the contributors to this fund, and the amount which every man was to be compelled to pay. He went about in discharge of this duty as regularly as any collector of the cess of the county would do in peaceable times. Indeed, he was infinitely more successful than any person employed in the collection of the public money. He went about, and as is the case with all taxcollectors, when refused, promised to call again. I shall, out of a great number of cases, mention the circumstances that occurred with a gentleman named Miller, to show the general character of this man's conduct. On the 28th of May, Mr. Miller, an half-pay officer, who has a farm near Meelick, was visited by a large body of armed men, whose object was to drive him from his farm. On the 30th of May, two days before the Commission opened in Clare, and while the Commission was actually sitting in Limerick, he was from home, and on his return was informed there was a man waiting for him a long time. On this the person came in (it was the prisoner), and being brought to the parlour, he told Mr. Miller he got a list from Lady Clare and Lady Alts, specifying each person, and the townland, from whom they were to collect subscriptions, that he did not mean to compel him to pay, but recommended him to do so, as it was possible, by complying, he would be restored to the possession of his farm. On this, Miller said, I don't think they have any claim on me,-they treated me very badly, and think it very odd they would come

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to me to demand money. The prisoner repeated, that it would be a great deal better to comply, went away, and proceeded to raise the other sums he had assessed from the different persons in the country, a list of whose names he showed at the time, and promised to call again, Mr. Miller having mentioned he was an officer in the army, and that his subscribing to such a fund would involve him in difficulty. And what think you, Gentlemen, the very hour at which the judges were passing through Meelick Turnpike-gate, from Limerick, to open this Commission, he did again call on Mr. Miller. He was then in a considerably hurry. Hurry, hurry,' says he to Mr. Miller, several of the Ladies are at my house waiting.' Miller said he had mislaid the key of his desk; on which the prisoner said, Is that the answer I am to give to the Ladies?' This is only one instance in which this man attempted thus to levy money. There are no less than fifteen who can be produced, to whom similar visits were paid. He went from house to house, in a most impudent manner, and in the name and under the authority of this Lady Alt, levied contributions from the king's subjects. On the 13th of the present month, the police constables went to his house, and there found the list of the assessments and contributions. The man is now indicted for a transportable offence, of demanding money, by menaces and threats*."

The subjoined testimonies refer to the Queen's County :

W. W. Despard, Esq.

"Were there subscriptions raised for the defence of the persons tried?—Yes, it was done openly.

"To what description of persons did they apply?—They applied to all the farmers; they went to the farmers in my neighbourhood, and asked for money to defend their brothers in gaol.

"Was it done in daylight ?—Yes, in the middle of the day.

* Clare and Limerick Special Commission, p. 162-4.

"Was it made in a sort of way to be connected with any threat? If they were refused, they would look at the man and say, 'Mind that.'

"That was an intimation that the result of the refusal would be some sort of punishment and injury?—Yes.

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In this way they actually succeeded in raising a large sum of money for the defence of the prisoners?—Yes.

"In what way were they defended; did the defence exhibit much expense?—I believe the counsel were very well feed.

"How many counsel were employed in a case ?—Sometimes three, but generally two.

"Was the trial conducted with every sort of advantage to the person charged, as far as money could provide for legal defence?-I should think so."-H. C., 1832, Nos. 538-46.

M. Singleton, Esq.:

"Are you aware that the Whitefeet have a treasurer and a fund?—Yes, I am; and I believe they have forcibly levied money for the defence of the different prisoners that were tried at the Special Commission.

"Are you aware who the person is that is the treasurer?— I heard the name of a certain person who came from the town of Carlow, and attended during the Commission; and the report alleged that he was the treasurer, and that he paid a large sum of money for the prisoners' defence.

"Do you believe that to be true?-I do*." -H. C., 1832, Nos. 4085-7.

Having thus set forth at length the proceedings of the Whiteboys, when their system is in activity, it only remains to observe, that we are not to suppose that its influence ceases when the disturbances are no longer at their height, and when the country has passed from insurrection to a state of comparative tran

* Mr. O'Leary mentions that, so early as 1786, the Rightboys "collected money in two or three places for the support of their confederates who were in gaol."-Defence, p. 54.

quillity. At the present moment, in Ireland, many parts of the country are only tranquil because there is no need for disturbance. Whiteboyism reigns triumphant. It does not put forth its strength, because it has beat down all opposition. There is no need for applying the punishment where there is no disobedience. The country is tranquil; but in many parts it is (as was once remarked in reference to this subject) the tranquillity of a barrel of gunpowder. If any person imagines that the Whiteboy code is abrogated, whenever outrages are not daily committed, let him ask the Tipperary or Limerick landlord to what extent he is a free agent in the letting of his land, and what would be the probable duration of the life of a new tenant who violated the Whiteboy rules. If such an inquirer finds the regulations of this system universally obeyed, he will admit, that the more effectual the penal system, the rarely are its penalties actually inflicted.

FACTIONS.

There are certain local parties among the peasantry, in a large part of Ireland, but especially in Munster and Connaught, usually known by the name of factions, which have been already mentioned as increasing the disposition, or at least the opportunity for disturbance*. "Have not local factions, in some places (Mr. Justice Day is asked), contributed to the disturbances?—Yes (he says), in some places; in the dark and more uncivilized parts of the country. It is a remnant of the old barbarous Irish system of clanship, which still continues

* See above, p. 179.