19 FEBRUARY 1887, Page 2

The resistance to the law in Ireland in rapidly developing

into. overt rebellion. In the districts where the people have arms, the police and the bailiffs are driven off by violence, and in some cases actual murder has been resorted to. In Clare, for example, two emergency-men in charge of a farm were on a journey to Clenagh to protect a horse which they expected, and, of course, were accompanied by armed policemen. At about 9 in the evening, they had left the railway-station, and were returning to their farm, walking two men in front and three in the rear. All at once, a volley was poured from a hedge on the three behind, two of whom were wounded. One, an emergency-man, has since died ; another, M‘Manns, was so hurt that he cannot give evidence; and the third, a police-serjeant, who escaped, was fired at so repeatedly that he at last fled for his life. The remaining two policemen were too far in front to render any assistance, and when they came up, they found that the murderers had escaped. They are, of course, perfectly safe, and may possibly for their heroism become Members of Parliament. No one on the country-side dare give them up, and, indeed, it would not matter if they did, for no jury outside Ulster would convict. Justice is dead in Ireland. It will be observed that the murdered man had done anything but earn his living by looking after an empty farm, and that the policeman was doing a simple duty which he had no means of avoiding.