New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-03-18
CONSPIRACY EXPOSED.

LIAhENT-A POWERf u. AilACh OION Inn LAM
LEAGUE-MR. billions sELF-CoNDRMNAToRY
REPLY-rHE LEAGUE ARRAIGNED FOR TREASON
AND ASSASSINATION - ULTRA-CoNsERVAlIEE
APOSTLES OF PATIENCE.
IeRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRTBuEE'l
LONDON, March 4.-The Irishmen have had bad
week Of it. The Protection bill, which passed tho
House of Commons last Friday, after the last
resource Of obstruction had been exhausted, passed
| the Lords on Wednesday, received the Royal as
sent and IS now law; no longer a Bill but an Act
The Peace PreseIvatio bill, called for short the
Arms bill, has been declared urgent by the House
of Commons, has passed its first and second read
ings and Is likely also to be law before the end OF
next week OF the two measures together IT may ne
said that they take weapons out of the hands I'll the
League and put them where they belong IN tho hands
of the Government There doubt that their pas
sage seriously hampers the leaders of the existing
agitation and Strengthens the Executive in such
way that they must be held responsible hereafter
for the enforcement of order in Ireland. But the
passage of the Protection, Coercion, act was
foregone conclusion The effect of it has already
been, to some extent discounted Since the House
showed ITSELF to the surprise and dlsmay OF the
Parnellites, resolved to put down obstruction these
gentlemen had made up their minds to coercion;
and had taken such steps were in their power TO
meet the difficulties 1t put in their way. Mr.. Dillon
and some OF his colleagues have been busy reorgan-
izng the League and providing for the replace
ment of such of its officers as were thought most
prominent candidates for arrest. But the dotermi-
nation of the Government to go on with the Arms
bill was an unpleasant surprise to them. They had
counted on their allies among the English Radicals
to stop this bill. With characteristic ceverness
they had spread abroad notion that they, the
Leaguers did not care much about the arms ques-
ton Mr. Chamberlain and his tail below the gang
way gave out last week that it was thought the
Government had gone far enough in the direction
of coercion and that it was high time to hear
something about remedial legislation, In the shape
of Land bill. The game was played, however, a
little too low down. The Conservatives took the
alarm. Sir Stafford NOrthcotc caused it to be init
mated to Mr. Gladstone that the Opposition consid-
cred the faith of the Government pledged to pass
the Arms bill as well the Coercion BILL and that
the support gwen them by the Conservatives mad
been given on condition that they should pcrseverc
with both measures. And so, thanks partly to the
premature exutation Of tho Leaguers over the
abandonment of the Arms BILL and partly to this
squirting of the Tories, and most Of all to their own
conviction that it was necessary measure, Minis
tiers determined at the eleventh hour, to proceed
with it anu have proceeded with an energy for
which friends and enemies alike are ready to give
them credt-of different kinds.
These decisions however important as they are,
have not been the worst OF the Irish inlsforunes.
What has beyond all other things. made the week
disastrous TO them has been two OF three
speeches; two delivered by Sir William Iiarcourt.
and one more elective than Sill Williams two by
MIR. John Dillon. Perhaps Mr. John Dcvoys tce-
gram ought to be mentioned also. 1t is n minor
matter bat it has helped to open peoples eyes to
the true value of the Irish American alliance. Sir
he gCpi ceM
Forster. absent in Dublin on business connected
with the execution of the Protection act and his
appearance is memorable one. Whether the
eject of the Home Secretarys OratOry foTcseen
or not hy his colleagues. cannot say But if their
purpose had been TO sting the lrsiIInen into impru
dent frankncss they could not haze done better
than send Mr.. Forster to Dublin, and nrust Sir
William Harcourt with the conduct Of the new
bill Mr.. Forster no doubt il hated by the Par
neltes. He has earned their hatred Ivy Loyalty
doing his duty, but he has done it with manifest
dislike for the work forced upon him by the law
less men with which he was surrounded in Ireland
He has never used harsh word where a soft one
had chaucr of turning away wrath. lie lclonGs
TO class OF statesmen to whom the most necessary
oncroachnents on personal liberty disagrceahlc
Sir William Harcourt is n Minister of q different
sort; with different instincts and trained in a
sterner and perhaps more old-fashiOned school.
His notion OF Government is that it should
govern. AS a lawyer he has n respect for law. AS
Home Secretary be is daily and hourly brought
into contact with the administration Of the law in
its most cocrcive form. He is, moreover n of
so much intellectual power and ST. much Stiffness
of nature that he can never have looked on very
patiently while the Queens authority III Ireland
and the authority of the vast prcpOndcrancr o: the
House of Commons were defed by a set Of men
inf in avery n % those whom
Opposed When. therefore, Sir william liarcourt
stood up on Monday night in his place Minister
of the Crown to move for leave TO bring in the Arms
bill he was i'll no mood to mInce matters. And he
did not mince them. His speech was an exceed
ingly able speech. The Home Rulers had had a
taste of the Home Secretary's quality on the pIc-
vious Friday, when lie traced home the connection
between the Land League in Ireland and the Fcnian
League i'll An erica and saddled upon Mr.. Parncll
the responsibility for the treason talked ~ Mr.
John Dewey. On Monday Sir Williams thesis was
equally simple, and the demonstration of IT not less
cogent. The substance of what he said may be |
stated in a sentence: that arms must he taken |
away from the Irish people because the League has
taught its members to illegally aud |
wickedly, and because, III consequence OF the |
teachings of the League, they have been used. |
It was not Necessary 90 to America for violence Of
this The evidence to be found. first in the IRISH
speeches Of Mr.. John Dillon the soul of the League
since Davtt's arrest, and, secondly, in the sworn |
testimony Of the acts to which billions speeches had
led All tins was pressed home remorselcssy; and |
with such effect as to bring Mr. Parncll back from
Paris, and Mr.. Dillon back from Dublin, to answer
it,
What Mr.. Parnel's fate may he remains to be
seen. but Mr. Dillon had much better have stayed
in Dublin HIS appearance in the House last night
and the speech he then made have done more TO
injure the League than anything in its history.
Sir William Harcourt summed it all up, with the
skill Of pIactised dcbater, in the opening sentence
OF his reply think, Sir, the debate this Bill |
NAV now close. We have heard the doctrine of