Year: 1872

and fitting of the English expediionists
between Bagomoyo and Zanzibar.


The Case OF Justice Keogh and the De-


bate I'm tho English House or Conn


mons.


The despatch which we publish in another
column informs us of the defeat, in the Eng
lish House of Commons, of Counsellor Butts
motion to remove Justice Keogh. The motion
was directly caused by the strongly partisan
charge of Justice Keogh in giving Judgment
in the Galway election petition, by which
Captain Nolan, the popular candidate, was un-
seated. In commenting on the conduct of
certain Catholic clergymen who were charged
with using undue influence the Judge allowed
himself to be carried beyond the bounds of
good taste He denounced the priesthood
in terms SO violent and extravagant that the
moderate press in England was scandalized,
and such q storm of indignation aroused in
Ireland that Judge Keogh was obliged to take
refuge in England from fear of personal vio-
lence. Popular indignation, however, was
not to be appeased by anything less than the





had soiled the purity of the ermine by dis
play of partisan violence out of keeping with
that judicial impartiality that should be
strictly maintained. It was not denied that
in some instances his condemnations were
merited, but he had shown that while he was
quick to detect and denounce anything savoring
Of intimidation on the popular side, he could
be conveniently blind to conduct as
reprehensible on the part of the landlord or
governmental supporters. Nor was he content
with simply ignoring the facts presented to
him. but contrary to the evidence, he abso-
gross intimidation which had been proved by
reliable witnesses in his Court This proceed
ing, more even than his attack on the priests,
brought down on him the condemnation of all
moderate men, because it was manifestly un-
just 1t gave stronger and deeper tinge to
nunciation of a class held in special rever-
ence by the masses as their spiritual and politi-
cal guides.


In appealing for justice to the English
House of Commons Counsellor Butt had q
deeper object than unseating Judge Keogh.
He must have known from experience that
Keogh's attack on the political action of tho
priests was in perfect harmony with the pre-
vailing prejudice of the English mind, and
that he could hope for no reparation in on
English House of Commons. His motion was
certain to be defeated, but he desired to pro-
volvo ,,ct tha oxvrooc;o,, of op;,,;oy, which m
suited from the debate. The chief aim of the
federation party" of which Counsellor Butt
is the leader, is to convince the upper and
middle classes in Ireland that their
interests or opinions have no weight with
English statesmen. In this he has been
completely successful. The tone of the House,
the enthusiastic way in which the attacks of
the landlord orators on the people and their
leaders were received, will do more to embitter
public feeling in Ireland than even the orig
iVal insult, which has raised such a storm
Premier Gladstone and the government found
themselves placed in on exceedingly unpleas-
ant position. If they had dared they would
have liked to disassociate themselves from
Judge Keogh, but they could neither do so
nor yet boldly defend him. So they were
obliged from the beginning to adopt o nom
committal tone in his regard, which cannot be
regarded in any other light than on unwilling
admission of the charges of violent partisanship
alleged against him. Considering the small
ness of the Irish representation in the House
of Commons, the majority of one hundred by
which the government succeeded in defeating
Counsellor Butts motion must be looked on
as moral defeat of the government and a con-
demnation of the action Of Judge Keogh. AT
the same time it will furnish telling argu-
ment for the home rulers against the possibi-
lily of obtaining impartial justice at the hands
of foreign Parliament.