The Portland daily press., 1880-12-29
EUROPE,
Beginning of the Land League
Trials.
A JURY OBTAINED WITH DIFFICULT
TY.


formally, opened to-day in the court of the
Queens bench, before Lord Chief Justice May,
Justices Fitzgerald and Barry. The court
room was densely crowded with spectators.
building loudly cheered the traversers upon
their arrival The judges took their seats
shortly after ten o'clock. The BODY of the
court room is occupied by the counsel engaged
In the trials and other members of the bar.
The principal gallery is filled with Irish mem.
bers of parliament, few ladies, and a sprink.
ling OF the general public.
Chief Justice May read with considerable
composure a document declaring that he
should not take part in the present trials. 1t
The announcement that he would not preside
at the trials caused no manifestion. After
Chief Justice May had finished reading.
Justice Fitzgerald took the chief seat and the
trials proceeded before him and Justice Barry
Only Is out of "a jurors called answered to
their names.
A jury was empanelled after much difficulty.
All the traversers were present and answered
to their names.
The jury consists of eight Catholic, three
Protestant and one Quaker. The Attorney
General opened the case for the Crown in a
firm but moderate tone. He said the object of
the conspiracy in which the traversers were en-
gagged was t. cause social accommodation of
number OF persons and to make their lives
not worth having. He pointed out the absurd
lty OF the idea of parcelling out Ireland among
the population of 5,0O0,OOO which would only
add to the misery of the unfortunate country
He severely condemned the policy of the Land
League, which, he said, advocated freedom yet
brought all its power to bear in coercion of pri-
vate individuals. The Government, he said,
were bound to institute proceedings to put
down the wicked agitators.
The traversers were loudly cheered at the
adjournment of the Court.
Mr.. Bright's Reply to Earl Carnayon.
LONDON, Dec. 26.-John Bright, Chancellor
OF the Duchy of Lancaster, replies to Earl
Carnavon's letter, protesting against Bright's
speech at Birmingham last month, as follows:
"You comment on my speech of the 10th of
November, and find in it terrible blemishes not
discovered by other critics. You condemn me
for attacks on the Sovereign, the aristocracy
and the land owners. 1 have defended the
Monarchy, although defence is little needed in
this country and in this reign. have warned
the aristocracy of the danger I wished them to
shun. As to the land owners, have been
one OF the most prominent supporters of
policy so necessary for the country and SO
wise for them that, had it been obstin ately
resisted, the great land owners of England
and Scotland would long ago have been rum
ming for their lives, as some of the Irish land
owners are reported doing now. will not re-
ply at length to your letter. am content to
leave it and my speech to the Judgment of the
public"
AAO OPC es1O tA40 4I1Su 1TOuDl0S.
Rome dispatch to the Times saws the
publication of the note in the Osservatore
Romano. in which the Pope deplores the
serious character of the agitation in Ireland, is
the one topic of conversation among British
Catholics here. These are divided into two
groups, the active sympathizers with the land
league, and those who feel how serious may
be the consequences to Catholicism in Great
Britain should the Pope be supposed to favor
the movement in Ireland. The latter are
greatly in the majority. The Irish colleges,
which have constant access to the Vatican
effort to convince the Pope that the agitation
is legitimate and that the condition of ireland
is grossly exaggerated by the London press.
Resolutions of the Home Rulers.
At the meeting of home Rule members of
Parliament, held in Dublin yesterday, resolu-
tions were passed as follows, in addition to
those already announced:-That union among
the Irish members of Parliament is so abso-
lutely essential that large discretion must be
conferred on the Parliamentary committee, to
which the members present pledge themselves
to submit; that any attempt in Parliament to
pass coercion bill shall be resisted to the ut
most by every means in their power. It was
stated during the meeting that no English or
Scotch bill will be allowed to be proceeded
with until the arrears of Irish legislation are
wiped off.
The Irish Franchise.
LONDON, Dec. GA deputation of the cor
poration of Dublin interviewed Mr.. Forster,
Chief Secretary for Ireland, and urged the
government to introduce bill in Parliament
to assimilate the franchises of Ireland to those
OF England. Mr.. Forster said the govern
ment intended that the burrough franchises
shall be made alike in the two countries, but it
would be as well not to NEEDLE with the coun-
ty franchise at present, as they were looking
forward to great change in the English and
Scotch county franchise, and perhaps the Irish
time. The government, he said, were of the
opinion that the municipal franchise ought to
be similar to that policy of England, but they