The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-02-17
ERIN'S SPIRIT STILL HIGH
O'BEIEN DETIEs BALFOUR TO HIS
TEETH IN THE HOUSE.

/ Tho Coercion Act characterized as
/ one Of the Most Horrible Measures
Ever Directed Against Humanity-A
Denial That the Imprisoned Laborers
Fe!gned Sickness in Prison.
! LONDON Feb. l6-The governments new
/ rules of procedure provide that the House
! OF Commons shall set from o'clock in the
/ afternoon until l o'clock in the morning,
with dinner hour that closure rule may
he applied if there is a majority of 100 tn-
stead of 200 as at presenO in favor of such
action, and that the Speaker may suspend
for sitting grossly disorderly members.
Other rules greatly increase the Speakers
powers The committees to deal with bills
relating to the law, trade, shipping and
! manufactures are revived.
In the House of Commons to-day William
O'Brien resumed the debate on the address
IN reply TO the Queens speech. He said
that Mr.. Balfour had failed to smash the
Irish organization. or to weaken the spirit
of the Irish people, or to degrade them in
the eyes of the world. Abject discontinue
and disgrace had attended the crimes act,
the operation of which proved it to be ore
Of the most horrible measures evor dir ectsd
against humanity.
HIS IMPRISONMENT.
Regarding his own imprisonment, he said
he did not feel wounded nor in tho least de-
graded. With all his jaunty bravery, Mr..
! baltour's conscience was not as easy as his
cvn. When he was in prison he resented
and felt keenly the letter which Mr. Balfour
wrote conveying the stealthy. loathsome in
! sinuatlon that he sheltered himself whilst in
prison under the plea Of illness. Now they
were face TO face 70 face, and he challenged
| the government TO produce the prison
| doctors to prove the truth of the insinua-
ton. tParnellite cheersl 1t had been as
/ serted that the imprisoned leaguers had
tied to secure distinction between the treat
ment given TO imprisoned members of Par
lament and that given TO imprisoned
| PEASANTS; but there was no founda-
| ton for the assertion. What the
| imprisoned members complained Of was
the moral torture inflicted upon them,
| from which ordinary criminals were ex-
empt. When the government asked them
voluntarily to acknowledge their kinship
with criminals, they answered. We will
die first, you will have to l3arn the differ
ence between representatives, Of the Grim
inal classes and Irish political prisoners,
oven if it takes Coroner's juries to announce
the distinction. Reverting to the failure Of
Coercion, he said that the crimes act had
| not stamped out IA single village club. The
plan of campaign was unorippled, every
evicted tenant had been restored, and every
shilling of law costs incurred had been
repaid as indemnity by the landlords.
[Checrsl
THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BILL
The new local government bill, in it's
final form. as unanimously adopted by the
| Cabinet creates new county boards on a
purely elective basis, the conditions Of suf-
frage at elections of mem bers of the boards
to be the same as at Parliamentary cleo
tions These boards are 10 have entire con-
troll of the police forces within
their jurisdictions, and they are
also to issue and annul publicans'
licenses. The adoption of the principle of
local option is accompanied with provision
for the compensation Of publIcaus for the
loss OF their license, unless these privileges
are 10 be- annulled in consequence of viola
tions Of the law.
The House agreed To Lord Randolph
Churchilrs amendment to the address ask
ing that a special commission be appointed
to inquire into the Board Of Works
scandals.
POLICE STONED.
DUBLIN, Feb. 16.-While Mr. Pvne, III.
P. after his second arrest Yesterday was
being taken to the depot for conveyance TO
Clonmel, a large mob congregated and
stoned the police. One of the missiles
struck Mr.. Pyne on the head, severely in
juring him. Upon his arrival at Clonmei
Mr.. Payne was taken before a magistrate
who rernanded him for a week without bail
to answer the second charge. One hundred
mon at Lisflnny, with horses and plows have
cropped the farms of Mr.. Pyne. The
work was rapid despite the snow
The Court of Queens Bench in this city
has liberated on bail Mr.. Gilhooly. III. p,
who was arrested few days ago while
leaving the House of Commons on a charge
Of having violated the crimes act.
Thirteen persons have been sentenced to
one months Imprisonment each for rio6ous
conduct at Gweedore at the time of Father
Stephens arrest last month.