The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1881-02-03
IRELAND.

Important Events Occurring I'm that Un-
fortunate Country During the Past Week.
The projected Land League meeting at Balla
has been prohibited.
An ironclad is reported on the coast Of Ire
land, to prevent the landing of arms.
At meeting held near Amsterdam it was re-
solved to circulate for signatures an address
asking Queen Victoria to avert bloodshed in the
Transvaal.
In the Court of the Queens Bench,
Judge Fitzgerald in charging the jury in the
case of the Crown against the Traversers ex-
pressed qualification at the fairness and justice
with which both sides had conducted the case.
He said the jury must dismiss from their minds
all they had heard read outside the Court,
and only consider the evidence. He pointed
out that the land laws of Ireland were more ia
yorable than those of Great Britain. He repu-
dated both the theory of the defense that the
Land League was chiefly charitable associa-
ton and the contrary theory that it was q
scheme OF socialism devised in America. Ameri-
cans, he said, were as a nation noble and gen.
erous, and no scheme of socialism for destruc-
ton of property in Ireland had been devised by
them. At the same time he strongly censured
1rish-American idlers who had returned to Ire
land to stir up dissension. He admitted the
existence of distress, and said there had doubt
less been instances of harshness on the part of
the landlords, but he considered that the Land
League had aggravated the i'll feeling between
the landlords and tenants. He went in detail
through the objects avowed by the League in
speeches and rules. showing they were illegal.
He pointed out that persons engaged in the
conspiracy were amenable to law even if they
were not all aware of illegal acts committed
Some of Biggar's speeches, he said, were shock
ing. Dillon, too, had discountenanced seeking
redress of grievances by constitutional means
Parne1 entered the Court after luncheon.
At the close he was loudly cheered, and was es-
eorted by the crowd along the quays.
The London Times says: ''The Dublin trial
is sufficient to show the helplessness and in
adequacy of the ordinary law to repress illegal
organization and agitation of large dimensions,
but the perplexity or the Dublin jury will not
prevent Englishmen from forming their con-
clusions in regard to the real character of the
agitation. If no supplementary legislation is
forthcoming, miscarriage of the Dublin trial
will be hailed in some quarters as establishing
and sanctioning the license"
1t is stated in Dublin on official authority that
elaborate preparations are making at Mount
Joy Prison, where former hdbeds corpus pris-
oners were confined, for the reception Of q
large number of Irish inmates.
At Land League meeting Macken, jury
man in the late trials, was proposed for member
ship by Davitt. The nomination was seconded
by Sullivan. M. P. amidst loud cheers.
The Catholic clergy assembled at Maynooth
under the Presidency Of Archbishop McCabe
passed resolutions declaring that Immediate
and thorough reform of the land laws framed
on principles of justice to all existing rights
would be certain to call back peace and security
but they can not refrain from expressing their
fear that the fictitious calm caused by coercion
may encourage the House of Lords to reject OF
nullify the land bill.
Macken, q juryman on the Irish State trials
was proposed for membership of the Land
League at his own request.