The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-12-20
A General Sentiment in Favor of Coer.
ciOn.

New York, Dec 1S.-Cable specials state
that The state of anarchy and fear which now
exists in Ireland is startlingly illustrated by
declaration to the Bench by the jury impanel-
led in one of several murder cases to be tried,
that they do not and shall not consider as
binding their oath to give verdict according
to their conscience, because a verdict of guilty
should inevitably cost them their lives.
LONDON, Dec 1S-A dispatch from Dublin
to the Times says: The loyal farmers and
traders in many counties, hitherto undisturbed,
are Welding very reluctantly to the pressure
to join the Land League and to subscribe to its
funds.
The following is the text of Gladstone's
letter in answer to that of Boycott. asking for
government assistance
Mr.. Charles Boycott:
Mr.. Gladstone has received your letter OF
the Sth He desires me to say that he is not
sure in what way he is to understand your re-
quest for assistance from the government. 1t
has been very largely afforded you in the use
of the public force. Beyond this it is the
duty of the government to use its best exer-
tions in the enforcement of existing law
which they are endeavoring to enforce
through the courts, and by asking, when neces-
sary, the assistance of the legislature to amend
or enlarge the law, a matter of much i'm
portance, on which you can of course only re-
ceive information together with the public
generally.
(Signed) SEYMOUR,
Private Secretary.
In consequence of the refusal of Gladstone
to assist Boycott, the English public will be
appealed to for aid. A list of the committee
will be published shortly, which will organize
a subscription in aid of Boycott.
The Times says: ''The governments last
and unnecessary blunder is Gladstones reply
to Boycott's demand for assistance, which is
conceived in spirit that will provoke much
offended by a letter which is devoid of natural
sympathy, and conceived in spirit of pettish-
ness against Boycott for having necessitated
the employment of troops. Unsatisfactory as
the action OF the government is, and unable
as they are to agree, we must still retain
them. if for no other reason than that we
should mot change horses while crossing
stream 1t is to be hoped that they will
brace themselves up when the time of legisla-
ton comes, however limp may be their atLi-
tude as an executive government"
The London correspondent of the Edin-
burgh Scotsman says: The dispatch of further
troops to Ireland has no reference to any ex-
pected popular outbreak. The government
districts where the magistrates declare they
can no longer depend on the police. The
same course was adopted in 1864.
New YORK, Dec. 19.-The Tribunes special
says that the evidence accumulates that Mr..
Chamberlain does not represent the sober
opinion of that large radical section of the
| Liberal party he assumes to speak for. Good
independent authority asserts to-day that
| three-fourths of the House of Commons are
| ready to assent TO measures of coersion. 1t is
understood that Mr. Forster returns to Ireland
strengthened by the assurance that measures
will be introduced at the opening of the ses-
| sion including the suspension of the habeas
corpus act.
The Worlds London special says that the en-
tire interest of the hour is conferred in the Irish
| land question. 1t is clear to most people that
| the Queens government no longer has an ex-
istence in her sister island, but has been
| superseded at the coast for the present by the
Land League whose DEGREES are now promul-
| gated in open day, executed with promptitude
| and vigor and respected implicitly. Thomas
O'Connor, M. p, has just returned from a
| successful tour of the provinces, during which
| he delivered many lectures. He believes the
situation in Ireland is most grave and
threatening and that bloody Christmas is
not improbable.
LONDON Dec. IA Land League meeting
at Mull1nger, county Westmeath, today, TO-
600 persons were present
Saturday 1000 persons attempted to wreck
the residence of Mr.. Downing, justice of the
peace at Bannicanon, county May, after he
The police kept them back at the point of the
the bayonet. Downing escaped on a car to
BAHAMA where he took the train for Dublin.
T.. d. Sullivan, M. p, in speaking at Null
linger, said their fathers had faced the sword
and bullet for ireland, and Irishmen were not
now to be frightened by the suspension of the
habeas corpus act or proclamation of martial
law
Foreign Notes.
The Turkish vote on the Greek question
] IS produced satisfactory impression. All
tne powers except one encourage the scheme
of European arbitration in the Greek question.
Count Won Arnim has been granted six
months leave of absence before undergoing
his sentence OH account of i'll health.
The King of Accra, on the West coast of
Z Africa, has been sentenced to 16 years inn
prisonment by the British for melting revolt
against the British residents.