V 320 MINUTES OF E V I D E N C E T A K E N BEFORE T HE G. Battersby. Esq. 14206. What do you understand by a ' Prentice Boy ?— A member of that — society in Derrv. . T < 26 June 1838. 14207. In your opinion, is that society an Orange society ?— In my opinion nobody is of an Orange society who is not a sworn member of the Orange body; and whether those ' Prentice Boys are or are not, I do not at all know. 14208. But certainly nobody ever defamed Mr. Schoales so much as to call him a Liberal ?— I never heard him so called. 14209. Mr. Serjeant Jackson.] Mr. Schoales is a gentlemen, I believe, of considerable station at the bar of Ireland ?— He is a gentleman of long standing. 14210. One of Her Majesty's counsel ?— He is. 14211. A gentleman, I believe, of very high and unblemished moral cha- racter p.— 1 believe of the very highest; I never heard of any imputation upon Mr. Schoales. 14212. I believe this word " Orangeman" has received a great latitude of interpretation ?— If I were called upon now to say what is the common and received opinion in Ireland as to the proper definition of an Orangemen, I should be unable to answer it. 14213. Do not some persons, by way of stigmatising those who differ from them in opinion, call persons Orangemen merely because they happen to be Protestants ?— It is a very common practice. 14214. Do not others again call people Orangemen, merely because they differ from them in politics ?— It is a very common practice. 14215. Have you not heard the expression used, an " Orange Papist"?— I have ; and I think it is a term more accurately ascertained than the general term Orangeman. 14216. Though it would be, as far as I have been able to gather of the con- stitution of Orange lodges, quite impossible that a Roman- catholic could be an Orangeman at all ?— I do not know how that is ; I am not sufficiently acquainted with the doctrine of Orange lodges to say. 14217. But you have heard the term Orange Papist used to stigmatise a Roman- catholic holding high Conservative opinions?— I do not think they require them to go so far as to hold Conservative opinions; I have heard Catholics so called who were quite quiet and unobtrusive. 14218. Because they did not take an active part in favour of Roman- catholics? - Yes. 14219. That is clone to raise a prejudice against a man ?— Yes, I think it is, particularly to injure a man at the bar ; I believe the character of an Orange- man very frequently applied for that purpose to Protestants and Catholics. 14220. If a man be in fact neutral, he is stigmatised in that way for the purpose of raising a prejudice against him ?— Yes, if he is neutral, he is called a trimmer ; and lie is immediately designated an Orangeman, if necessary. 14221. So that, in your judgment, saying a man is an Orangemen, would not convey to your mind any well- grounded imputation upon him ?— Any expression of that description, either with respect to an Orangeman or any other in Ireland, I never believed or paid the slightest attention to. 14222. Now with respect to these votes, I think on the former day you stated you considered that many had been put upon the register, who really did not possess any bond fide qualification ?— That is my opinion. 14223. When that has occurred, according to the law as it stands now in Ireland, you have no opportunity of removing such person from the register, at least for a period of eight years ?— None, unless the House of Commons can do it. 14224. Do you think it is a defect in the law as it now exists in Ireland, that there should be no opportunity of getting rid of these fictitious votes ?— I do; I think the whole system as it now exists in Ireland, is a disgrace to the country; I think it invites perjury, and brings the administration of justice generally, by barristers, judges, and both Houses of Parliament, and everybody in any description of place or station, into disrepute and contempt with the people. 14225. You think it would be an improvement in the law, then, to give an appeal against the admission of persons improperly admitted to the register, as well as an appeal to those improperly rejected ?— I think any change would be an improvement; but that would be the most important improvement. 14226. Do