The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-04-25
THAT MEAN TORY TRICK.

mE. Gladstone Scathingly Denounces the Ac-
tion of Mr.. Madden.
LONDON, April 14.-In the House of Com
mons, this evening, Mr.. Justin Mccarthy
moved an adjournment Of business in order 60
call attention to a departure in the usual prac-
tice of Irish county courts in increasing
tences upon appeal In lengthy speech Mr..
Mccarthy condemned the practice.
Mr.. Dodson Madden. Attorney general for Ire
land, defended the action of the judges. He
said that it was not appeal, but a rehearing OF
cases. and it was the judges duty to pronounce
whatever judgment they considered the evi-
dence warranted.
Mr. Shawl Lefevere spoke. condemning the
practice
He was followed by Sir VIM. Harcourt who
said that there were unused powers within the
law that were rusty weapons of brutal irony.
These brutal weapons, whether within the law
not, unconstitutional 1t was easy to
conceive how convenient it was for the govern
mont to make the people afraid of appealing.
What was easier than 10 introduce now feature
which would deter the people from appealing for
fear their sentences would be increased! Here
after Irishmen could pot. and ought not. nsss
confidence In the administration of the law. be-
cause it was executed in q manner which was
repugnant all fairminded Englisnmen.
Mr. Balfour Chief Secretary, replied to the
charges. He said that Sir William Harcourt
insinuated that the judges in Ireland derived
inspiration from Dublin Castle. This, he said,
ent body which completely fulfilled its duties.
The motion TO adjourn was rejected by vote
OF 219 to Loo.
Mr.. Gladstone followed Mr.. Balfour. He
said that while it was unadvisable that Parlia-
nent occupy itself with the doings OF tpe courts
OF justice in adverse sense, 1t was necessary,
when the proceedings Of the courts were not
conducted in a spirit of justice. that Parliament
exercise its highest powers as the grand inquest
of the nation Apart from the legal aspect OF
the case, the point they had to argue was this:
86nt0DC0
could be produced in England, were they pre-
pared, while boasting of their intention to treat
the Irish ON footing of equality, to intro
duce this wholly new feature into Irelaud7
Mr.. Madden had suggested that there might
have been new evidence. but If there had been
new evidence, Mr.. Madden would have been ap-
prised Of the fact. Loud cheers. The sug-
gsstion WAS empty pretext. The fact that
an appeal had been granted showed that it was
not against him. He tainted Mr.. Balfour with
breach of faith in granting the right of appeal
and then practically putting veto on it,
Mr. Balfcur appealed to the Speaker to declare
Mr.. Gladstone out of order.
The Speaker, however, ruled in Mr. Glad
stones favor. and his decision was the signal for
loud and long-contln ued Irish cheers.
Mr.. Gladstone, con tinuinC, said that II was
trick of the meanest kind. the discredit for
which he would not divide between the govern
ment and the authorities in Ireland for he did
not know how to divide it. Opposition cheers.
and Conservative shouts of ..oh." ''oh. u He
believed by this discussion that Mr. Mccarthy
but outrageous practice. which had been pursued
in defiance of the principle of policy and pre-
cedent; practice which was totally impossible
in England and Scotland, but was thought good
enough for Ireland as long as the people of
England were disposed to tolerate it.
Attorney-general Webster Indignantly repudi-
abed Mr.. Gladstone's insinuations and dcharged
Mr. Trevelyan when Chief Secretary for Ireland.
with allowing cumulative sentences. Amid the
derisive laughter OF the Parnellites, he warmly
denied that the government had interfered with
the Irish magistracy, and he quoted from Mr..
Balfour's speech at Birmingham to the same
effect There a running fire of cheers and
counter-cheers while he complained of being i'm
paled upon the horns of dilemma through Mr..
Gladstone refraining from making straightfor
ward charge that the government infiuenc-
ing the Irish courts
Mr.. Gladstone admitted that if such cases had
occurred under his government. the opposition
had right to attack the present government,
but he believed that such cases had oc-
Cured.
Sir G. O. Trevelyan complained of the attacks
that had been made upon himself and Earl
Spencer. He compared the large reduction in
crime in Ireland under their government with
the small reduction under the government of
Mr.. Bslfour. They had imprisoned one member
of Parliament, while Balfour had imprisoned
six. The government had adduced only one in
stance of an increase of sentence under the Lib