NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE Government have proclaimed Ireland generally to be under the provisions of Sub-section 3 of Clause 2 of the Crimes Act,—i.c., so for as regards rioting and unlawful assembly, so far as regards holding unlawful pos- session by forcible means, and as regards the provisions affecting those who obstruct the police, which are much the same as those already in force in England. As regards Clause 6, dealing with unlawful Associations, the Act had not been enforced by proclamation when we went to press. it is time that the Government should take a firm line, if they intend to take one, with regard to such speeches as Mr. Davitt's at Bodyke on Sunday, when he actually distributed medals to those who had committed outrages on the police while enforcing the Bodyke evictions. He accused himself and his colleagues of want of moral courage in the moderation they had shown with regard to the "Plan of Campaign." Instead of being content with 15 or 20 per cent, redactions, they ought to have insisted on reductions of 60 or 70 or 80 per cent. In fact, evictions ought to be put an absolute stop to, as a very bad species of crime. Mr. Davitt regarded those who had thrown scalding water on the police as entitled to the greatest honour, and did his best to persuade his audience that all evictions were criminal,—criminal, as we understand him, whether rents are fair or not. In short, he wants to make it possible for the perfectly idle to starve on their uncultivated laud without losing the gifts they abuse. And he wants to facilitate this by encouraging in every way in his power cruelty to the police who are engaged in evictions. Is Mr. Davitt to be allowed to preach these evil doctrines with impunity P
