io PAPERS RELATIVE TO THE' * '
*j : On Saturday night last, five respectable houses in the neighborhood of Littleton were attacked, and wantonly fired into and robbed of their guns, and there is no such thing as getting evidence to identify any; of the offenders.
The people are afraid to come before me to be examined, lest they should have their houses and cattle destroyed.
The constables are harassed patroling at night; but without information little good is to be done.
All the well-disposed are most anxious for the renewal of the Insurrection Act; and I fear if some strong measure is not resorted to, pr at least the old Military Stations again occupied, this county will soon be as bad as the county of Limerick.
, i .
I have &c.
(Signed) EDWARD WILSON, .».
Right Hon.
Henry Goulburn, "
&c.
&c &c -*' *
>
(iwciaswre JS.
/« iVb.
3 .J)
.Memorial
0/ l/ze .Magistrates
0/ tf/*e iSouf^u/'&tf Z>i$fric£ 0/" £fe Counfy o/*CVA\"^ May it please your Excellency, WE, tlie undersigned Magistrates of the Southwest District of the county of Cork, beg leave most respectfully to renew our representations to your Excellency, on the alarming state of insubordination to which our district has risen.
But a short period has elapsed since we had the honour to transmit to your Excellency, through your Secretary, a Memorial, praying amongst other things, for an increase of Military Force to be sent into the district, as the only means of checking the progress of a system; from which, if suffered to get strength, and to proceed without being met by a prompt and vigorous resistance, the most disgraceful and dangerous consequences were to be apprehended.
We have now to lament that our apprehensions were but too well founded; the progress of this diabolical system during the last month, has been most rapid and alarming; and we regret to say, that we have been obliged, from want of adequate assistance, to remain almost passive spectators of its daring advances; until at length many have been obliged to convert their habitations into garrisons, and others have sought security in the towns.
We know that nightly meetings are held in various parts of the district, which it would be our duty to disperse, and if possible, to bring those concerned in them to justice; and we are most willing to do our duty if we had the means; but we are utterly destitute of any force adequate to such an undertaking.
We cannot expect individuals to leave their houses and families exposed, while they go out' with patroling parties; and even if they could for one or two nights engage in sueh duty, they could not continue it;—-it would be beyond their physical strength, and incompatible with their other avocations.
From Clonakilty, where there is a yeomanry corps on duty, to Skjbbereen, where there is a subaltern and sixteen men of a regiment of infantry, a distance of 16 miles, with a crouded population, there are about six police-men.
From Skibbereen to Crookhaven, a distance of twenty-four miles, equally populous, there may be perhaps eight police-men, an establishment wholly inadequate to the ordinary duties of civil constables, much less to the suppression of for-midable insurrection.
In fact, the whole district may be said to be in a defence-less state.
• That your Excellency may not suppose that we are making exaggerated state-ments grounded only in our own fears, or resting on idle and unfounded rumours, we beg leave to state a very few facts which have occurred in this district within the last month:— At Crookhaven, in the parish of Kilmoe, Mr.
Baker's corn-stores, with all the grain therein, burnt, his shop set on fire, and other property of his destroyed: At Corminagh, in the parish of Kilmacabea, near Rosscarberry, Doctor Townsend's house broken into, and himself robbed and beaten: In the parish of Scull several houses attacked by large bodies of men, and arms taken.
At Donemarke, near Baatry, Mr.
Mellifont's house attacked by a body of men, to the amount of some hundreds, armed and mounted on horses.-—These
are
* facts which we state as grounded on depositions taken on oath.
We could add many more equally well grounded of nightly meetings, swearing, &c.
but we
