NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE Government of Ireland has arrested Mr. Dillon, Mr. O'Brien, and three other less important Members of Par- liament, charging them with "taking part in a criminal con- spiracy,"—to wit, a conspiracy to refuse his lawful rents to Mr. Smith-Barry. The charges are based on certain furious speeches, and will, of course, be carefully investigated. The Govern- ment, if in possession of evidence, was obliged to act on it, or incur just opprobrium for sparing the powerful while striking at the weak ; but the necessity is a little unfortunate. The people of Tipperary were of themselves beginning to revolt against the League, a movement far more fatal to its authority than any number of prosecutions. The League will now be able to appeal to the ingrained dislike of Irishmen for legal processes, a dislike so deeply rooted that Mr. O'Brien actually expects popular sympathy in denouncing a legal attempt to recover costs payable by him as the loser ha a libel action which he himself had instituted. Mr. Balfour had, as we have said, no option except to prose- cute or permit unjust distinctions ; but, somehow, nothing ever happens luckily in Ireland. The happiest thing that could occur there would be the disenchantment of the people with their leaders.
