The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-02-29 00:00:00

Ekt Atou tlseticr.

SATURDAY. FEBRUARY 29, DM.

TEI GOVERNMENT, TUE PRESS,
AND THE PUBLIC.

Great Britain boasta, and fairly boasts, a press
Snood to nuns in the world. The freedom of
we press is one of our national glories, and may
our preys ever remain free. Time was, and that
not is long ago, when Government hampered
the press with heavy taxation, and when they
looked upon the press as a very dangerous power
which it was necessary to keep cribbed, cabined,
and °Wined within the narrowest limits. But
the press of today is free, just as British sub-
jects are free—within the law, lint neither
most transgress the laws made for the common

good, or they must pay tho common penalty of
dieobedience to constituted authority..

The recent press prosecutions in Ireland were
altogether of u very painful character. Ciovern-
meut Wild in no hurry to undertake them, but it
was felt that the time bad arrived when the
liberty which had degenerated into wild licence
mud be curbed. The country may rest assured

. . _
that these prosecutions were undertaken for its
good, and not from any motives of revenge, or
from any desire to strike s bow itt the fair, hon-
est expression of opinion within the range of
public deconey sod order. 'flint Governments
iu all countries mast have BJIUC control over t!..e

prom will be seen in a moment when we call to
mind that a totally uneoutrolltql pre'iiiili
sante/in in its rauks organs ot opinion which

nould.be.used not only tk;.excito revolution, but

actually to orgaiiise it; and it is not an extrava-
pot supposition to conclude that had the liiA•
maa end the IVvekly News been unchecked, they
might have proceeded to such lengths. We
doubt not that on the whole the Irish Govern-
ment felt themselves under painful compulsion
to adopt the course took, and it is certain that
she public regret that there over should have
'seen any necessity for it. It may be that ulti-
mately the result of these prosecutions will tend '
to the pacificatioa of Ireland, but :meanwhile it
Is inevitable that much irritation and ill-feeling
should be produced. But be the result what it
may, there has been no help for it but prosecu-
tion and puuislitueut in proportion to the gravity
of the offence.
Mr. Pigott and Mr. Sullivan, respeetively edi-
tors of the Iridaaan and the Wieldy Nov*, were
severally indicted for publishing seditious libels
calculated to bring the Government into con-
tempt and to encourage a breach of the public
peace. The former gentleman was also indicted
or having published articles with the view to
afford aid and encouragement to the Fenian con-
spiracy. After a fair and patient trial both were
found guilty, and the former, as haviug offended
to a greater extent, was sentenced to 12 months'
imprisonment ; the latter to six months.
The public can scarcely fail to agree with Mr.
Justice Fitzgerald, in passing sentence on Mr.
Sullivan. when he stated that no Government
sollid exist, or, if it could exist, could hope to
possess the esteem and the aff,ctiou of the
people if it allowed a journalist to proclaim with
impunity that the gaoler and the hangman are
the twin pillars on which the edifice of British
rule in Ireland has its support. Ai to Mr.
Pigott he bad without doubt devoted his pen and
his paper to the fostering of sedition uud the
-overthrow of British rule In Ireland. "AS to
the articles refloating on the administration of
Jostles," said Mr. Baron Deasy, " they excited
hatred end animosity against the people of Great
Britain, with whom their Irish fellow.subjects
Must live In some species of political Connec-
tion." The whole of the articles which gave
tie* to this prosecution were, in fact, inimical to
the intermits of Great Britain, and injurious
even to those of Ireland, and their denunciation
by the impartial administration of justice is a
great public benefit. With the learned judges
who passed sentence on the offenders we may
lament that gentlemen of education and ability
should thus be deprived of their liberty, but this
heavy blow and sore discouragement to sedition
will perhaps be the kindest thing that has been
done for Ireland for a long time.
Those who take a strongly pro-Irish view of
One prosecutions urge that seditious articles
have frequently appeared in the English press,
and that Government has taken no notice of
them. It may be so, and we may admit that in
fast that it is so. Whether sedition has gone to
the lengths of the /lir/anon and the Weekly
Serf may, however, be doubted. But this great
difference must he remarked. Ireland, during
the period of these seditious outpourings was
in • most excited elate, and the Government is
bosud to take into consideration the probable
affect of such articles on an excitable and irrita-
ted people. A portion of the Irish were in open
rebellion ; they were arming and preparing to
arm ; they were breathing out threatening; and
slaughter against the English Government;
outrages of a diabolical character had taken
place; and • dangerous section of the Ameri-
cam nation was acting in conjunction smith trai-
tors and rebels its Ireland. It was in such a
state of things that articles in aid of the Fenian
conspiracy were pouned and published, thus ex.
eitiug to rebellion when hundreds of deluded
Irish were ripe for it. There aim bore danger
to the body politic ; the v hole British COllllllll-
- wee dispirited; and the Government felt
that it was high time that this ular 11l ill g state of
affairs should be checked, if the aria of the law
lied power to do it. And the result commends
itself to English and Irish alike, where loyalty
is the ruling principle. No mow perhaps rejoices
at it; these painful sentences are not to lie re-
joiced over. Rather are they to he lamented—
lamented that they should even have been ne-
cessary, hut to be approved, inasmuch as they
are severely juat.

boo Lican•itov—The changes in the low, first in the
redintiou of the duty for each dog, which woo front
1. I, 50, aecoudly, the aledittion of the exemption of
shepherds Jog, mot tliir4lly, by the collection of the
duty by Mogi": .4 a 111,11. e for taclt dog, under the man-
ag.emout of the officers of excise inytoad of an ly,siti.s•
maul made by the to.ricons appointel by the Di (riot
Couttnis•iliocra of tale. for each parkli. It is this loot
eliange which the Mout iiiiiyorlaut, both in its actual
effect on the coil, etlion of the tat, and of the etoofirnia•
thou witch it afford.) oof the Yi..w which we have always
taken of the inefficiency of the siatem by which the as.
leased testa are .if 41/0.000 Ilitile
per. hemmed iii right In n.tlis if 100% thou luxe ac,uysed
Yu the 'es, liar. rcycivuol the moat valuable
fisalalsev, in the e.illao‘ion of this d Irmo the county
thronaliMet the country. eel we era I.,r‘bile to. I
NONA to Vilna Li Cult euotael hat hien aeltiered. I
litilitentiillfm theory ten tars nr tit llnnewil
the II reeetias ellivera of Die keine* Deptiiment were
tatPlataifb Ile Ward al Trail* daelas the month. at
0114. ISIS. aid Aegail la eolleettai 11. elatiethe el the
Illisieallseal ea* awl tin *leek. fa Gant artists. The
aware tad seetegteee lea 4 la Tarsal bath spin
Mama eelasheeee ow bleat the information reimired, mut
hays rammaionell Mor others mash additional Doable.—
Tie MeV, IWO yinesphe are extracts front the eleventh
retort of she tiorandmitomira of Ifer Majesty's Diland
lona% isr Vie Tar team March 31m, 140.