CARLOW.
LETTER from H. Butler, Esq. to Sir John Harvey, &c.
&c. &c. Sir, Carlow,
5 January 1835.
I HAD the honour of receiving your letter of
yesterday from the hands of Mr. Battersby, sub-inspector of this county, and
feel obliged by your readiness in affording civil aid for the preservation
of the peace during our elections, which commence on Tuesday the 13th inst.,
both of which will be contested. Previous to the receipt of your letter, the
high sheriff had made an application to Government for a strong military
force, both for the town of Carlow, as well as placing some in the villages.
I also believe that 60 additional police have been
applied for; all of which, in my opinion, will be most necessary, as the
county is at present in a state of great excitement, and already mobs have
been going about and visiting the houses of freeholders for the purpose of
intimidating them, or, in other words, forcing them to vote with the people.
With regard to the distribution of the civil force,
I would propose that they should be disposed of as follows; viz.
- 20 men at Glinn (Glynn),
- 20, at Leighlin Bridge,
- 20, at Tullow,
- 15, at Bagnalstown,
- 10, at Rathvilly,
- 10, at Hacketstown.
- Total 95
And the remainder of the disposable civil force to
be placed in Carlow, to act under the immediate orders of Mr. Battersby and
the local magistracy, in preserving the peace and protecting the freeholders
in coming to poll.
I have, &c.
(signed) H. Butler, Under-sheriff.
Source: Google Books; Parliamentary Papers, Volume
45