| Total cases from commencement of disease. | Deaths. | |||
| Sunderland | 528 | 197 | ||
| Newcastle | 286 | 99 | ||
| North Shields and Tynemouth | 16 | 9 | ||
| Gateshead | 143 | 55 | ||
| Houghton le Spring and Pensher | 29 | 14 | ||
| Haddington | 6 | 4 | ||
| Walker Colliery | 7 | 1 | ||
It is impossible to give an account of this year without noticing the state of Ireland. It began badly, for the peasantry marched, in bands, throughout the country, demanding reduction of rents and increase of wages; and threatening destruction to the magistrates and gentry who should disobey or endeavour to resist. Nor did they stop at threats. In January, a Mr. Blood (county Clare) was murdered by ruffians introduced, for the purpose, by his own servants. In the middle of February, a Mr. Synge, who had tenants on Church lands, was pierced with four bullets in the neighbourhood of his own house; and, only a week afterwards, a magistrate, in Tipperary, was murdered by a band who entered his house to search for arms.
The peasantry, in some parts, were in great distress. In the country, as well as in the large towns, crowds were famishing for want of food, and sinking into bodily sickness from want of clothing during the inclemency of the winter. In only two baronies of the county of Mayo there were stated to be, in the middle of February, twenty thousand persons without any visible means of procuring food. The potato crop had failed along the western coast of Ireland, and it was estimated that in that district of the island there would be, almost immediately, at least two hundred thousand persons in want of food. Things were nearly as bad in Galway and Sligo, and in some other parts of the island. Petitions were presented to Parliament praying for relief, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer proposed a vote of £50,000 to be advanced to certain Commissioners, who should lend it, on proper security, to be used in giving employment to the starving population, in making roads, and similar public works.
Then, again, there was the cry of the Repeal of the Union, and Daniel O'Connell was to the fore, and soon began to show the physical force at his command. He advertised that the trades of Dublin were to march through its streets on December 27, 1830, and the Lord Lieutenant forbad it, by proclamation, on December 25th, as being unlawful. O'Connell then formed "The General Association of Ireland for the Prevention of Unlawful Meetings, and for the protection and exercise of the sacred Right of Petitioning for the Redress of Grievances." This was forbidden, as unlawfully meeting, by the Lord Lieutenant on January 7th. He held meetings, however, and, on January 18th, he and his leading partisans were apprehended and taken before the magistrates, and let out on bail. The same month true bills were found against all concerned, and he availed himself of every legal quibble. He first put in a demurrer, and pleaded, Not guilty; then he withdrew his demurrer and pleaded Guilty; but neither he nor any of the agitators were ever brought up for judgment.
In the spring of the year, in some portions of Ireland, notably in Clare, Roscommon, Galway, and Tipperary, the law seemed no longer to exist. Murder, robbery, searching for arms, etc., were done by bodies of men who could only be met by military force, and were the ordinary occurrences of every day. The lord lieutenant made a progress through the disturbed districts, hoping thereby to restore tranquillity. He was neither insulted nor murdered, but he did no good, and matters remained as they were.
It is impossible to notice all the cases of outrage, but I will give two as being typical. On June 18th, certain cattle, which had been impounded for the payment of tithe, were to be sold at Newton Barry in the County of Wexford. On the day of the intended sale, which happened to be market day, the populace were called to act, by the following placard:—
"Inhabitants of the parish of St. Mary, Newton Barry, there will be an end to Church plunder; your pot, blanket, and pig will not, hereafter, be sold by auction, to support in luxury, idleness and ease, persons who endeavour to make it appear that it is essential to the peace and prosperity of the country and your eternal salvation, while the most of you are starving. Attend to an auction of your neighbour's cattle, on Saturday next, the 18th instant, seized for tithe by the Rev. Alexander M'Clintock."
The police were thus put upon their guard, and a body of yeomanry was in readiness. The populace interfered with the sale, and the police with the populace. The yeomanry had to act in support of the police. The consequence was that twelve or thirteen of the populace were killed by the fire of the yeomanry, and about twenty wounded. The coroner's jury, after sitting for nine days, returned no verdict. Six Protestants, who were upon it, and six Catholics, being, it is said, directly opposed to each other in opinion. The Crown directed its officers to make an investigation, in consequence of which, bills of indictment were presented, at the Wexford Assizes, in July, against certain of the yeomanry, including the captain who commanded them, and a sergeant.
The prosecution was conducted by the Crown, in conjunction with the next of kin of the parties killed. The bills charged murder; the grand jury ignored them all, but expressed their readiness to entertain bills for manslaughter against the captain and sergeant. The counsel for the next of kin refused to co-operate with the crown in trying for the minor charge, but the Crown counsel declared that the case must be gone through, whatever the next of kin might choose to do. Bills for manslaughter against the captain and sergeant were then sent up. The bill against the former was ignored, a true bill was found against the latter. He was put upon his trial, but the witnesses had disappeared. The trial was postponed till the following day, but then, too, not one of them was forthcoming, and the case was delayed till the next assizes.