t
EEPORT. 7
the Census of 1861, having been 3 to 1 (178,182 Catholics to 59,190 Protestants), while in
Londonderry at the same date the Protestants were as 5 to 4 (100,782 Protestants to
83,402 Catholics). In the city itself the relative numbers were 12,036 Catholics to Census, 18gi, and
8,839 Protestants of all denominations, those of the Episcopalian Church being only d? 'Kni<rlit^
3,657. It is painful to feel that questions of creed should here, as in so many other 5358-5361!' '
instances, thus force themselves on the consideration of those whose duty it is to inves¬
tigate the causes of social disturbance in Ireland. But as, unhappily, such questions
have necessarily engaged our attention, in connexion with the riots in Londonderry, we
must give the facts connected with them in our Report to your Excellency.
The total population of the city of Londonderry is now estimated at nearly 30,000. Gregg, 4716.
It is a corporate borough, the corporation consisting of a mayor, recorder, six aldermen,
and eighteen town councillors. Its magisterial arrangements are distinct from those of
the county, and the city magisterial bench consists of twelve gentlemen, with whom has
been associated for a short time past a resident magistrate.
The city is possessed of a local police force, embodied under the provisions of the 11 & 12 Vict. cap.
Londonderry Improvement Act, 1848, with which was incorporated the Towns' Police cxk; 10& 11 Vict.,
Clauses Act, 1847. The total number of this force is thirty-eight men, including
officers. Besides these a portion of the Royal Irish Constabulary force, allocated to inspector Stafford,
the county, is stationed in the borough, about twenty men in all, including four at '599, leii.
Waterside.
The inefficiency of the local police for the suppression of riots was so clearly estab- Mr. O'Neill, uss;
lished, by the evidence given before us, as to leave no doubt on our minds respecting it. 1538^9^
It was a point as to which witnesses of all classes, parties, and creeds, agreed. For years Dolierty,_2i24- _
no second opinion has been entertained about it in Londonderry, and the extracts sup- ^^04 '4965^4^5"^'
plied to us by the town clerk, from a correspondence carried on by him, as the officer Mr.M'Carter,4809.
of the corporation, which nominated and controlled the force, with the authorities in
Dublin Castle—a correspondence commenced in 1851, and coming down to nearly App. A, Nos. 9, !i,
the date of our Inquiry—shows that the municipal representatives of the city through-
out the whole period felt the inadequacy of the police in question for the duties that
such a body should properly discharge, and were anxious to substitute for it a more
efficient force. In drill, organization, and equipments, the men were, on all hands,
admitted to be entirely wanting. It is only due to them at the same time to p. M'Monagle,
state, that their attention to the ordinary duties of a watch and ward, street patrolling, 4081-82.
and the like, was not called in question by any witness, and that the general testimony
in their favour, as well-conducted and respectable, was very strong indeed.
One charge—a very serious one certainly—was made by several witnesses, that of J.Hempton, 34,35;
political, or politico-religious partisanship, on those occasions on which anything occurred
likely to excite such a feeling. Moreover, persons of unquestionable veracity, with
peculiar means of knowing the sentiments of the humbler ranks of the Catholic popula¬
tion, expressed the belief that amongst them this opinion as to the partizanship of the
force was nearly universal. Having investigated the circumstances, we must, however, say infra., p. 10, and
that nothing was presented to us which we could reg-ard as satisfactory proof of its justice, references there.
The recommendations which we shall have the honour to submit to your Excellency, at
the close of our Report, make it unnecessary that we should say more on this subject.
We now pass to the next part of our Inquiry, namely, " the proceedings taken by the
magistrates and other local authorities towards the prevention or suppression of the said
riots and disturbances," which necessarily involves the " circumstances'' of the riots
themselves, and the consideration of these, though first alluded to in your Excellency's
warrant, we have, for greater convenience and perspicuity, consequently postponed till
now.
We have appended to our Report a map, prepared by the Ordnance Survey Department, App. p. 22.
of the city of Londonderry and the adjoining district, with the aid of which we hope to
make sufficiently clear to your Excellency the local circumstances connected with the
riots, and thus to render their general character more intelligible. A reference to it will
show that the Corporation Hall stands nearly in the centre of the old city—that is the
portion within the walls. It is at a considerable elevation, being ninety feet above the
river ; the hill on which the city is built rising still higher towards the cathedral, which,
as we have already mentioned is its crowning point. Ship-quay street, leading in a
south-westerly direction from the river to the Hall, is a steep acclivity, its prolongation.
Bishop-street, having also a slight rise. Ascending the former. Butcher-street runs on the ko. 1 on Map.
right laand from the Diamond, in which the Corporation Hall stands, to Butcher's Gate, jstq. 3.
which leads into the Cow-bog, or Bog-side quarter. In the opposite direction, from the
left side of the Diamond, Eerry-quay-street leads through Ferry-quay Gate, towards Ko. 2.
the bridge across the Eoyle. We may observe that the Bog-side quarter, as its name
would suggest, lies very low, the city wall overlooking it at a considerable elevation, fro
