Every one knows that Ireland, for her sins, maintains two distinct, regularly organised bodies of police; the duties of the one being to prevent the distillation¹ of potheen or illicit² whiskey, those of the other to check the riots created by its consumption. These forces, for they are in fact military forces, have each their officers, sub-officers, and privates, as the army has; their dress, full dress, and half dress; their arms, field arms, and house arms; their barracks, stations, and military regulations; their captains, colonels, and commander-inchief, but called by other names; and, in fact, each body is a regularly disciplined force, only differing from the standing³ army by being carried on in a more expensive manner.

The first of these — that for preventing the distillation of potheen, commonly called the revenue police — was, at the time of our story, honoured by the services of Myles Ussher. He held the office of one of the sub-inspectors⁴ in the county of Leitrim, and he resided in the town of Mohill; he had a body of about five-and-twenty men under him, with a sergeant⁵; and his duty was, as I have before said, to prevent the distillation of potheen. This was only to be done by seizing it when made, or in the process of making; and, as a considerable portion of the fine levied⁶ in all cases possible from the dealers⁷ in the trade, became the perquisite⁸ of the sub-inspector or officer effecting the seizure⁹, the situation in a wild lawless district was one of considerable emolument¹⁰; consequently gentlemen of repute and good family were glad to get their sons into the service, and at the present time, a commission in the revenue police is considered, if not a more fashionable, at any rate a more

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