The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-02-12 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

THE LUNACY ACTS.
In the Housx OF LORDS, on February 7th, the
Lord Chancellor moved the second reading of the
Lunacy kat; Amendment Bill, which, he explained,
was similar to the measure introduced last year by
Lord Herschel!. He had, however, introduced a pro-
vision designed to give greater protection to the
liberty of the subject, under which it was required that
a 6 a condition of the power of restraint notice should
be served on every person alleged to be a lunatic in-
forming him thAt he could, at his own option, be
brought before a magistrate.
After some observations from Lord Herschell and
the Earl of Milltown, the bill was read a second time,
as alto was the Lunacy Bill, the object of which is to
codify the existing laws.

THE APPELLATE JURISDICTION BILL.
The Lord Chancellor moved the second reading of
the Appellate Jurisdiction Bill, which enables Lords of
Appeal in ordinary to retain their seats in the House
of Lords after resigning their legal offices.
Lord Herschel', while pointing out that the measure
proposed to sanction the creation of life peerages, wel-
comed the proposal as a distinct reform.
The second reAding was agreed to, and, the Plurali-
ties Act Amendment Bill having passed through com-
mittee, their lordships rose at a quarter to PAX o'clock.

MR. PARNELL'S AMENDMENT.
In the HOUSE OF COMMONS, the adjourned debate on
the Address was resumed by Mr. Parnell, who moved
an amendment asserting that the disturbance between
owners and occupiers in Ireland,which was compl Lined
of in the Address, had not taken place where suitable
concessions had been made to the tenants,
and that the remedy for the existing crisis
in Irish agrarian affairs was not to be tound
in increased stringency of criminal procedure, but
In such a reform of the law and the system of govern-
ment as would satisfy the needs and secure the
confidence of the Irish people. The hon. member
accused the Government of doubtful and unconsti-
tutional courses in Ireland during the past winter, par-
ticularly in connection with their attempt to deprive
Mr. John Dillon of his liberty by invoking the inherent
power of the Queen's Bench, the proclamation of the
Sligo meeting, the exclusion of Roman Catholics from
juries by which agrarian and political offences were
to be tried, and what he described as the mean
and shabby trick by wiaich the venue in Mr.
Dillon's case was removed under an obsolete statue
from the city to the county of Dublin, in order to
ensure his conviction, 'While declining to condemn
the exercise of the dispensing power by Sir Redvers
Buller' Judge Curran, and other Government
officials, he contended thst that in no way absolved
the Government from responsibility for the con-
sequences of the rejection of the Tenants' Relief Bill
last session. As one not responsible for promoting
the Plan of Campaign, he denied that there was any
foundation for the statement in the Address, and
asserted that in the opinion of learned counsel
who had been consulted the plan was perfectly legal
and of a constitutional character. The fact was that
the Government and the "plan of campaign" had been
aiming at the same end, and it was not until the
Government found that the plan was the more success-
ful that they declared it to be illegal. He warned the
Government that one measure of coercion would neces-
sitate another, and that in the end a repressive policy
would inevitably fail. If they refrained from a policy
of exasperation, and stopped the infliction of injustice
by legal enactment, he believed it would be possible to
devise some scheme of self-government for Ireland
which would give her the power of attending to the
legitimate wants and wishes of her people; and that a
selfsgoverned Ireland would show how libellous was
the assertion that she was not law-abiding. country.
The amendment was seconded by Mr. P. Macdonald,
and the discussion was continued by Mr. E. Baggallay,
Mr. Hayden, Mr. Blane, Mr. W. Johnston, and Mr.
Pinkerton.
Ur. Hanbury warned the Government against ex-
ceptional coercive legislation for Ireland, and urged
that the Land Act of 1881 should be enforced in letter
and in spirit, while at the same time the law of the
country was administered stringently. But the law
could not be upheld except with clean hands' and unless
they could say to the English people that while up-
holding the law they were also doing absolute justice,
and lending a ready ear to the just claims and the
material wants of the Irish people.
Mr. Wodehonse said the whole issue submitted to the
country at the last general election was involved in the
mild terms of the amendment. If 'Unionists were to
waver in their attitude, and not vigilantly guard the
position won by their success last year they would be
simply contemptible; and as an evidence of their
determination and stability of purpose, he trusted
the amendment would be rejected by an overwhelming
majority.
The Attorney-General for Ireland denied that the re-
jeation of the Tenants' Relief Bill had had anything
to do with the disturbance in the relations between
landlords and tenants in Ireland. That disturbance
was the direct result of the action of some of Mr. Par-
nell's colleagues and of the criminous and illegal "plan
of campaign," which was not a movement directed
against rents, but against the very existence of land.
lordism. Having indicated the course taken in regard
to the empannelling of juries, the suppression of
meetings intended to interfere with the administra-
tion of the law, and the action of General Bailer, he
declared that whatever improvement in criminal pro-
cedure might be proposed by the Govetnment would be
directed against criminal and not political action. The
Government would be prepared with remedial lecisla-
tion at the proper time, but whatever measure they
intro Need would be consistent with the preservation
of ths Union and the enforcement of law and order in
Ireland.
Mr. Dillon spoke at some length in support of the
amendment; and on the motion of Mr. John Morley
the debate was adjourned, and the House roes at flee
minutes to one.