Colonel Stanley made a speech at Over Darwen on Thurs-
day, in which he maintained that the late Government had nothing at all to do with the present state of Ireland ; and proved it, as he said, on the evidence of Mr. Justice Fitzgerald, who spoke of all the late violence and intimidation as having sprung up in Munster within the last few months. That, of course, is perfectly true, just as true as that the harvest springs up in a few months ; but not less is it due to seed planted in the previous autumn. The obvious truth is that the Land League has taken a hold of the interests of Irish tenants which no mere political agitation ever took, and that this would have been so equally under any Government and any state of the law. Colonel Stanley promises impartial consideration to the Irish measures of this Government; but the key-note of his speech is, of course, an augury of "most impartial" preposses- sion and prejudice against anything that the Liberal Govern- ment suggests.
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