Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-02-09
The Irish Question.

two hours, during which time the home
rulers had successfully resorted to parlia-
mentary expedients to defeat the first read
ing of Forster's coercion bill, the speaker OF
the house interposed without the sanction
of law or precedent, his arbitrary authority
to arrest the debate. He refused TO recog-
nize any of the home-rulers who addressed
the chair, and when the motion that leave
be given to bring in the coercion bill was
put, the homerulers, after continuous shouts
of Privilege" withdrew in body, amid
the cheers of the other members. The mo-
ton to report the bill was then unanimously
agreed to, and the house adjourned. On re-
assembling, the home-rulers resumed their
obstructive tactics by attacking the action
of the speaker in summarily closing the de-
bate, that official assuming all responsibility
for his unprecedented course. The house
was finally obliged to adjourn late at night,
without having made any further progress
with the force bill.
During the day on Thursday, the Sd inst,
Michael Davitt, one of the land-league lead
ers, was arrested in Dublin for violation of
his ticketofleave. For alleged completely
with the Fenian rising in 1870 Mr.. Davitt
had been sentenced to fifteen years penal
servitude, but in 1877 had been released on
cket-of-leave-permissio to be at large
and engage in any legitimate affairs. At
the time of his arrest he was in Dublin en-
gagged in arranging for the meeting of the
delegates to a projected land-league gather
ing in that city. Mr.. Davitt has been con-
sentative member of this organization, ex-
erting his influence to repress violence, and
always counseling moderation and peaceful
measures in the struggle for redress of Irish
grievances. The contemplated meeting of
land-league delegates is, SO far as its purpose
is apparent to the public, legitimate gath
ering. The delegates are supposed to repre-
sent the popular feeling in Ireland on the
question of the abuses under which its PEG.
pie are suffering. In this public manner
the delegates of the Irish people design to
give authoritative expression both to the
wrongs and abuses under which they are
suffering, and also to indicate the measures
through which they demand redress of
their grievances. What sedition there could
be in arranging for a peaceful political assem-
blage of this character does not appear to
the American mind, accustomed as it is to
the widest range Of criticism upon the course
of government, and the utmost freedom in
the press and in conventions of the people
in giving expression to popular dissent, or
demands for reform or redress. Mr.. Davitt
had but recently been acquitted by a jury Of
his peers of the charge of seditious conduct.
The prosecution by the crown had most sig
nally failed to convict him or his associates.
If he has been guilty of any unlawful &C.
tions since the termination of his trial, it is
a secret which the British government keeps
to itself.
On the reassembling of parliament on the
night of the third instant the house of COM
mons was crowded with an excited throng
of spectators. Mr.. Parnell demanded to
know what conditions of his ticket-of-leave
Mr.. Davitt had violated. There was no
answer to the question. Cheers and mingled
cries of "shame ensued. The scene is said
to have surpassed all description. The
speaker, maintaining his assumption of ar
bitrary power over the deliberations of the |!
house, called on Mr.. Gladstone to move
prearranged resolution practically entrust-
ing unlimited power to the speaker of the
house. Mr.. John Dillon, home-ruler, arose |
to speak, but the speaker refused to hear
him, and, on his perssting, "named him in
accordance with standing rule of the
house to punish contumacy and enforce the
authority of the presiding officer. Mr..
Gladstone moved Mr.. Dillon's suspension,
which was carried amid cheers and shouts
of shame" Mr.. Dillon, refusing to leave
the house, was forcibly removed by the SER
geantat-arms. Mr.. Parnell and twentysix |
others of his associate home-rulers were in
turn forcibly removed for defying the su.
preme authority of the speaker. All oppo-
sition having thus been eliminated from the
house, Mr.. Gladstone's resolution was passed
and the bill for the protection of life and
property in Ireland was on his motion de-
clared "urgent" Under the operation of
the extraordinary authority conferred upon
the speaker the Forster force bill will be
put upon its passage. The main features of
the bill are the suspension in Ireland of ha-
beas corpus and trial by jury. The bill also
provides that monthly lists of arrests made
shall be presented to parliament. Mr..
Davitt, after his arrest in Dublin, was taken
to London under strong guard, brought be-
fore magistrate, his ticket-of-leave re-
voked, and committed to Millbank prison,
whence he was removed to Dartmoor to
serve out the unexpired balance of his SEN
tence.
Thus stands the Irish question at present.
To an American it seems useless TO apply
coercion to the Irish people while the
wrongs of the tenants are unredressed. Or
der may be maintained in Ireland by the
strong arm of government, but will any
progress have been made toward removing
the causes of universal and long existing
disorderP Will one Irish heart have been
icconciicu 10 tne union WIFI EnBldnuf
Will that feeling of contentment and 10y
atty, which springs from material and social
prosperity under just and equal laws, have
been planted in the breasts of the Irish
tenantry2 Under the proposed force bill the
military power of the government may
maintain quiet in Ireland and mounted
and armed constabulary may arrest the NAL
contents and present lists of arrests monthly
to parliament, but that feeling which leads
people to self-control, which glories in the
formation and maintenance of government
"by the people and for the people," will
not be developed by such means. Discon-
tent may be smothered for time, but it
cannot be healed by force bills. During the
present century, France has shattered the
old feudal system of land distribution and
converted degraded, impoverished and ig-
norant peasantry into prosperous, intelligent
land owners and citizens of free and in
dependent republic, and marvellous pros
perity and contentment have taken the place
of sullen discomfort and misery Russia
has enfranchised her serfs, and Germany has
united all her people in an indissoluble bond
of national unity. 1t is the disgrace of
Enoland That tba Iriab In ZEALAND a,a atsu