New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-02-25
GREAT BRITAIN.
y SCOTCH. AND ENGLISH INCIDENTS.

r This afternoon brings telegram announcing-to
uss phrase popularswith the lrish-the incarcera-
Sion of Messis Healy, Davitt, and Quinn. MIR.
Healy was presiding yesterday over - meeting OF
The Irish National League, and what he then said
has an interest of its own. / commented the other
day on the very singular language of MIR. Chamber
lain at Swansea and of The Daily Neos in London.
1t appears to have struck Mr.. Healy. if may pre-
sumo to say so, very much as it did me- ave have
nads said he, l." remarkable expression of opinion.
apparently Mnsterially inspired, in The Daily
Ne,rs, the Liberal organ of the Government, ana
also statement by Mr.. Chamberlain at Swansea,
inviting the Irish members although the next ses-
SION is not to be an Irish session. TO avail then-
selves Of any time at their disposal to bring forward
proposals in the various matters III when the irlsn
members might think reform was needed" rre-
cisely Mr.. Chamberlain protesting IN one oreath
that the coming session is not to be abandoned 10 te
Irish and in the next breath inviting lrlsh members
to say what they wanted, was soon to DO followed
by Mr. Healy or some other patriot ignoring MI.
Chamberlain No. 1 and cordially recognizing Mr..
Chamberlain No Q. And Mr. Healy. who does not
let much grass grow under his feet, devoted the last
day of bis liberty to sketching measure of county
government for Ireland. His county scheme may be
conveniently defined IN the words of Irish journal
"a scheme to get hold of the taxes of the country
and OF tho patronage connected with every public
department. Places are everywhere to be found Tor
the hungry followers Of the League. What he
probably cares for is the transfer OF the poor
law administration the magistracy, and above all
the police TO the control Of the League and OF those
who sympathize either with the League or with the
more energetic form of Irish opinion which finds ex-
preston IN assassination.
MIR. Healy was good Gu 1ugh to meutiour also, that
other Irish bills in preparation. relating to the
municipal franchise, to the registration OF voters
and (of course) the amendment of the Land Act OF
1851. Surely Mr.. Chamberlain ought to be gratiiied
with this promrt and ample recognition of his lnflu
ence. Whether Mr.. Chamberlain's colleagues are
equally gratifed is question on which more may
be heard by-and-by.
Mr.. Healy. not thinking the full honors of martyr
dom are TO be attained by six months Imprisonment.
is going TO resign his seat He will resign it-that
Is if he can get an Office under the Crown the only
method by which the scat of member OF Parliament
can he vacated But it does not follow that because
Mr. Healy applies for the Chiltern Hundreds he
will get it Mr. Gladstone may think 1t hardly con-
sistent with deco-um to confer, even for technical
purposes an appointment In the gift OF the Sovereign
upon man of Mr.. Healy's stamp. He is just going
to prison. Why's For asserting. so say the Irish,
freedom of speech. Mr.. Healys idea of free speech
may be gathered from the following elegant SEN
fences, which DIS prosecution WAS pdSeu'
"The Government of this country. being an organ
izatiou against the Will of the people, is simply an
organization OF so many pirates and 80 many brig
fnds 1t Is entitled to the same moral respect as
cut-throat."
No stress need be laid on the ccarseness of such
language. Mr.. He4y must speak after his kind.
But the language is used to popular audience in
country here respect for law is hardly known and
where every kind of violence and outrage is thought
right if used against the Government Mr.. Healy
almost avowedly uses II order 10 enlarge and con-
I'm his hold on the people. He Is setting himself up
NJ rival TO Mr.. ParDel Both of them are plotting
the overthrow of the Government, and if this sort
of talk were permitted it would be said in every
Irish cabin that the Government dared not silence
it, That why the assertion of authority Is wise IN
this case as 1t generally is wise in country ike
Ireland; and why the punishment OF Mr.. Healy is
not only wise but necessary. 1 do not see that IT
would be equally necessary and wise to facilitate
his resignation in order that be might have fresh
triumph in n fresh election on his restoration 10
fresh opportunities for mischief
The Conser alive victory in Haddingtonshire Is
ioudly celebrated by the Conservative press, but
may be sufficiently described by saving that the
Dutch have taken Holland. A Conservative re-
places a Conservative. One Lord Elcho succeeds
another. Surely our Conservative friends must be
sions 80 much blowing of trumpets. Nor was there
much hope of a Liberal gain. met a great many
Liberals in Scotland last month, many OF them most
closely concerned with election matters. / never
heard one OF them say he thought they should win
Uaddingtonshire. The first remark made after the
postponement of Mr. GladstOnes visit to Midlothian
pecame known was There goes the last chance OF
beating Elcho" Mr.. Finlay, who opposed him, was
al excellent candidate in all respects but one lie
would not bend the kne. to the more bigOted voters
whose idea OF Liberalism is summed up in the word
Disestablishlnent. His refusal lost him good many
votes but it is not clear that he would have won
he had swallowed the pledge exacted by those who
aIe known as the NJ. T. leaders.
The territorial possessions and influence IN Had
dingtonshire of the Elcho family. or Charters FAM
ily or whatever il ought to be called. are great.
The Lord Elcho whose name you may have heard In
America was The son of the Earl of Wemyss who
died only the other day at the of eghtysix the
son being then slxty-fonr. For more than forty
years Lord ElchO had been member of the House
of Commons; an unwearied speaker IN season and
out OF season. and especially out of season. lie had
genius for getting mp at the end Of debate, when
everybody was inpatient for a division, and de-
lyerng in the ears of angry and explosive audi
ence a series of disconnected observations on any
subject except that on which vote was to he taken.
rancorous politician withal, yet not unpopular
among his friends and his fathers tenantry, who
mad an odd way of condoling with hun on being
kept out of his title and property. Old Lord
Wemyss. who thus persisted in not dying. was, to
put il mildly, not a srendthrift, and Lord Elcho
will fnd at least one compensation for his long
minority in the large accumuaions of cash lie IS pre-
sumed to come in fol- When Lord Elcho became
Earl of Wemyss pronounced Weemsl his son
heretofore known as tho Hor. Alan Charteris be-
came Lord Elcho, which is a courtesy tltie and
he it is who is now The elect of HaddingtOnshire
A clever young fellow, they say, knows how to
sneak. has ideas on various questions and made on
unexpectedly good impression on the constituency