Mr. Trevelyan's speech at Hawick yesterday week was in the
liighest possible tone, and contained as well a very impressive summary of the difficulties and facts of the Irish situation. He gave a frightful description df the amount of work which the ex- cessive centralisation of the Irish Government throws upon Lord • Spencer and himself,—the Home-Office work, the local-govern- ment work, the distress, the administration of the Land Act and Arrears Act, the education, and the State dealings with agricul- ture. In connection with many subjects, crisis follows crisis, ex- hausting the energies of the most indefatigable staff, and matters of the most delicate concern come before fagged intellects not up to the highest mark. Nevertheless, Mr. Trevelyan spoke with great confidence of the agrarian improvement. Of the classes of crimes that are murderous in intent, excluding mere threats, there had been in the last four months of 1881, 130; in the first four months of 1882, 125; in the middle four months-of the same year, 79; and in the final four months, but 14. Mr. Trevelyan exposed the gross calumny that the Crimes Pre- vention Act was passed in the interest of the rich. It was poor herdsmen, families on the brink of starvation, poor old -men and poor children, who had been massacred by the secret societies, that the reign of terror might be prolonged. And it was in defence of such as these that the Crimes Prevention Act -was passed, and was being effectually worked.
Previous page
