MR. BIRRELL AND THE STATE OF IRELAND.
LTD THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—As a reply to those Liberal journals that, knowing the subject but imperfectly, object to the application of the Crimes Act on the ground that it is unfair to the accused and
unconstitutional, the following extract may be cited from a speech made on Sunday week in Westmeath by Mr. L. Ginnell, M.P., who, boasting that cattle-driving had been carried out " North and South and East and West," besought his hearers to continue the movement :—
" There were meaner things done under the Liberal Govern ment than under the Tory Government, because the Tories had the courage of their convictions and had the honesty to say, 'We will coerce them'; whereas this sneaking Liberal Government said, 'We will have nothing to do with coercion, we will treat them under the ordinary law.' What was the difference? Under the Coercion Set men were brought before two Resident Magis- trates for some sort of a trial at least, whereas there in County Westmeath their neighbours had been sent to gaol by one Resident Magistrate, without any trial at all."
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