Sir William Harcourt introduced the new measure for strengthening the
administration of justice in Ireland at nine o'clock on Thursday night, after the return of the Members who had attended the funeral of Lord F. Cavendish. The Bill is dis- figured by some very unfortunate details ; for example, the absurd and unnecessary Press provisions, which ought to be struck out at once ; and, so far as we can judge from Sir William Harcourt's statement,—though here we may be misunderstanding him —unwise provisions making an offence of every walk after night- fall—even without substantially suspicious incidents—with the explanation of which an irritable police and magistracy may not choose to be satisfied. These things must be amended. But the substantial guarantees of the Bill for trial without jury,—the provision which requires for conviction the unanimity of all the three Judges in the Court of First Instance, and the con- currence of two Stipendiary Magistrates for conviction of an offence punished by summary jurisdiction,—seem to us wise, moderate, and just.
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