\ 254 MINUTES OF EVIDENCE TAKEN BEFORE THE Rev. E. M'Gnvcr. 11880. A Roman- catholic family ?— Yes. 11881. They were put out ?- Yes. 25 May 1838. !! § 82. How many men ?— All that were in the town. 11883.' How many men ?— I did not take the number of the population, for I had no idea of being examined here; but I am certain they were put out and Protestants put in their place. ^ 11884. You told us of one family, and I ask can you tell us of another r - You asked what opportunity I had of knowing, and I said I had an acquaintance with one family, and I gave you the name of that family; and you asked me if any other men had been turned out, and I said other men had been turned out, but I did not say that they were my acquaintances. I am aware of the fact of their being turned out, but as to having an acquaintance with them, I had no acquaintance except with one family. 11885. And that is so long ago, you cannot bring the time to your recollec- tion ?— I was a schoolboy at that time. 11886. And in the interval between that time and your late proceedings, you never had advised your flock to act in the same way you have done lately ?— I always did since I became a clergyman, whenever I had an opportunity. 11887. You took every opportunity of advising your flock to go against their landlords ?— No, not because they were their landlords, but when the landlord differed from me in politics. 11888. You have done that ever since you became a clergyman ?— Yes. 11889. Is that the general practice of the Roman- catholic clergy in your county ?— Indeed I believe it is in the county of Longford. 11890. So that all the clergy in that county are engaged continually in setting- the tenants against their landlords ?— They are necessarily engaged in politics, not for the purpose of setting the tenants against their landlords, but for the purpose of the poor of the country being justified. 11891. I am not imputing motives or inquiring into motives, but the result of their proceedings is to set the landlords and tenants at variance ?— It has had that result. 11892. Now give me leave to ask you, do you consider that is promoting peace and goodwill amongst men ?— Upon my word I think it is the means to come at peace and goodwill, therefore such means should necessarily be adopted; that is my feeling. 11893. You think that is the means of coming at peace and goodwill amongst men ?— Yes. 11894. Now, give me leave to ask you, do you know or do you believe, or rather do you not believe, there have been instances where, in consequence of addresses from the altar, Roman- catholics have had their seats in the chapel torn to pieces and thrown into the road ?— I heard of an instance in the chapel of Edgeworth's Town where one or two seats were injured; 1 was not present, but I heard of it. 11895. You heard of these instances?— Yes; I think I heard of another in the parish of Ardagh. 11896. Did you never hear of an instance of that sort in the neighbourhood of Mr. Fox ?— That is the neighbourhood of Ardagh. 11897. You heard of that instance ?— I did ; it was done without the know- ledge of the parish priest, and the Sunday following he reprobated the people for doing it, and said he would put it up at his own expense. 11898. Had he not addressed the people from his altar on the subject of the election ?— I have no doubt he had; there was not a clergyman in the county who did not at one place or other. 11899. You have no doubt that he had addressed them ?— I believe he did ; and we all agreed at our clubs to exert ourselves to the best of our power to perfect the registry and return fit and proper persons to represent us. 11900. Then the Roman- catholic clergy formed themselves into clubs ?— It is not confined to the clergy alone. 11901. You joined the political clubs in that county ?— Yes. 11902. And you pledged yourselves to exert the utmost of your power to perfect the registry ?— Yes ; and bring in the most fit and proper persons. 11903. To exert all your influence and power for that object?— Yes, all reasonable power. 11904. And