The Irish standard., 1889-10-12
DURGE0KSl
His Infamous and Cruel Methods Of
Treating Political
Prisoners.
d IRISH MEMBERS IN PRISON.
Treated as Common Maiefactors for Utter
anoes Not Known Even to British
Law as Offences.

Law as Offences.
"A book has Just been published i'll
London which is attracting wide atten-
tion and. in fact, creating q sensation
all over Great Britain. Its purport is
indicated in the title, which is: Irish
Members and English Jailers." The
author is Right Hon. George John Shaw
Lefevre, Member Of Parliament for one
OF Ehe divisions of Bradford, Yorkshire.
Coming from such man the details Of |
the brutalities of the treatment OF poll
ticai prisoners in Ireland are of course
noticed. though the same details pre-
sented by Irishmen would IN ALI pro- |
pability be ignored and disbeheved. |
Though the story of British jail torture
of patriotic Irishmen is toleTably ram
liar to IRISH STANDARD readers, they
will be glad to have an opportunity of
forming all opinlOn Oh Mr. i,efevres y
performance We therefore present
some extracts
aEaBEks AND ENGLISH JAuERs,
y
Durfng che lasttwo years, and since
the passing of the Crimes Act in 1887
10 fewer rhan % out of the l03 repre-
sentatives Of Ireland IN the FL luse Of
Commons have been prosecuted, con
yicted, and imprisoned, many OF them
On two, three. or more different occa
sions, without trial byjurv, tor Offences
for the most part newly created by chat
Act and which are not offences under
any existing law id other parts OF the
United Kingdom and which III all other
eases could under the ordinary law have
been only tFiea before juries. Of these
% members only three have escaped
beng treated during some part If not
the whole period Of their Imprisonment
as common criminals subjected to all
the ildjgnities. degradations and bard
ships which are prescribed by law for
crimes of 4 disgIaceful character. II
nav be DOUBTED whether ever IN the
previous history of representative insti
tutions in any part of the world II has
occurred that one fifth Of the represen-
tatiyes of country have been subject
ed Co imprisonment aud treated as
common criminals for acts tor the most
part of distinctly political character,
ana without criminality in the true
sense of the term. More remarkable
still is the faC6 that these members have
not been subjected to this punishment
by the will of the majority of the repre-
sentatiyes of their own country. On
the contrary, S6 ont Of the 1OS Irish
members have been in hearty sympathy
with the actions Of those of their col
leagues who have been thus imprisoned
and punished as common criminals.
Nor has the policy been carried out by
an overwhelming msiorlty Of the repre-
sentatives OF Gfeat Britain on by force
of public opinion. lit has been by a
partv vote, aud by majority of English
members only, that these coercive pro
ceedlngs have been authorized OIL. have
escaped condemnation. Fof the first
time in our history, or IL the history oi
any country, has a penal law been
passed and put ia force in its severes
form by bare majority Of Legislative
assembly for tue purpose lot merely o.
restraining aud preventing but of pun
lshing the political acts of minority O
it's members.
1t may be worth while, therefore. fo
the purpose of making protest agains
such proceedings. to examine in detail
the cases which have occurred and 7
discuss lii principle the political ques
tions involved in the treatment OF sucl
men as common criminals by the ligh
OF past experience in this and othe
countries. The distinction between th
treatment of political offenders an
those guilty Of ordinary crimes de2ra
ding in their character. Is clearly draw
by the Prisons Acts of England an
Ireland. These acts prescribe tha
persons convicted Of sedition or of sed
tious libel shall be treated as frst-c
misdemeanants. No discretion, there
fore. IS left either with the Judges VIII
have to pass sentences in such cases c
with the Prisons Board. The offender
are absolutely entitled to be treated q
first-class 'nisdemeanants. It is scare
lv necesss ry to point ont the very gles
differences in the treatment OF prisonel
who are first class misdemeanants an
of those who have been sentenced /
ordinary criminals. The former al
treattd with great consideration; the
retain their ordinary dress, they al
alloxe,l to provide themselves with foo
from d aside the prison. they are pc
mitted To receive their friends witho'