, 1890-03-15
Spectator February 15th.l

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Spectator February 15tb.l
The R.port of tina Special Commission
on the connection betweens Parnellixm and
Crime, was presented on Thursday night
to the House of Commons, and is o singU-
laily plthy and able, a. we'll as Singularly
judicial document, signed by all the Com
mlSSiOnerS. and full of statements OF con.
Centrated Signiicance.' Sir James Hammer,
who has, we suppose, had the principal
baud i'll drawing the Report, deserves
great credit for having brought so elabOr-
ata and difficult all investigation to IN end,
and an end which will really help to en-
tighten those of the public who wish to be
enlightened, and do not wish merely to
have their own view backed up. We have
explained elsewhere what we regard as the
chief utility of the report in reference to
the condition OF Ireland. We may add
here that the verdict Of the Commits.
si0nerS comes very much to this,-that
some of the respondents, not including
Mr.. Parnell, but including Mr.. Dillon,
Mr.. OBriem, Mr.. Dayitt and others, did
really mean to use the Land League as
the meanStOr establishing the independence
of Ireland Il kt Mr.. PaIneIl wished to
avail himself OF the help of those who aim.
Ell at This object, whether by violent or.
peaceful means, without formally approx.
ing their object, and as a matter of fact,
did get thei: active help finally that the
effect OF The intimidation and boycOtting
which all the leaders expressly approx.
ed, was a large amount Of violent crime,
which, however, most of them deprecated,
aud one at least, Mr.. Davitt, warmly cou.
demned.
What the Commissioners say on the bow.
getting initiated by Mr.. Parnell in his
Ennis speech in 1880, is very impressive
and pithy :-"We aTe of opinion that the
COM ination of which boycOtting was the
instrument was illegal both in its objects,
and the means which were adopted. The
object of Til s elaborate and a~ll-pervading
Tyranny was not only to irjule the individual
landlords against whom it WAS directed,
by making their lane useless to them unless
they 0bcyel the edictS of the Land League,
but to injur4 the landlords as q class, and
drive them out of the country" The means
by which the depreciation of land from
twenty one tn f teen years purchase, had
already in 1879 ''been, aud CONT. .ued to
te effected was,' say the Commission
ers, ''by melting tenants not to pay
the rents they had contracted to pay, and
by inlimidating those who were willing to
fulfil their engagements from doing so.
This lntim idati0n was extended to care
takers and herds, and all by whose assist
ancB the land could be rendered Of any
value TO its owner" ut is further to- be
observed that though boycotting led in
many cases to actual outrage, yet it was
persisted in for years against the same in
dividuals, and was generally recommended
notwithstanding the evils which plainly 70.
suited from it. In our judgement. the leaders
of the Lsnd League WIN combined together
to carry out the %systeincof boycotting, were
guilty of Il criminal conspiracy. 49, And
amongst those who are enumerated as TAX
ing part in this criminal ~cohspiracy are Mr..
J~'arllell, Dir. Dillon, Mr. Biggar, Mr.. Sexton.
Mr.. T.. r. OConnor, Mir. Matthew Harris.
Mr.W .O'Brien, Mr.T. D,Sullivan, Mr.. Healy.
both the Messrs. Harrington, both the
Messrs. Redmond, and q great many more
of the popular leaders In Ireland and inthe
Parnellite Parliamentary party. 81 rass
The fifth Session OF the Queens
twelfth Parliament was opened on
Tuesday, with a Message in which
her Majesty first Of all alludes 10 the
dispute with Portugal. An. armed
force from Mozambique had In the
autunfn'invaded territory where Bril-