Two important Irish returns have been issued this week whose
figures are too eloquent to need comment. One is the return of agrarian offences during the month of May. The number of offences against the person amounted to 5,-2 of firing (without result), and 3 of assault. Of offences against property there were 24, and of offences against the public peace 66, of which 44 were threatening letters,—making a total of 93 offences in all, not one of which involved loss of life. Kerry seems to be now the most disordered of the Irish shires. It has 19 cases of crime, in which are counted the 2 cases of firing, 4 incendiary fires, and 3 cases of cattle-maiming. The return is a pleasing contrast with the grim bills of mortality of last year and the year before. The second paper is that giving the return of proceedings under the Land Law, also to the end of May. To that date, there bad been 97,207 applications to fix fair rents received. Fair rents had been fixed in 35,628 eases- There were 7,738 applications dismissed, and 5,862 withdrawn, —some indication that the Court does not invariably mulct the landlord. What is more satisfactory still, there were 41,644 agreements to fix fair rent out of Court. Of the 1,500 leases cases, 1,224 had been disposed of; and of the 8,417 appeals, 3,009 had been heard or withdrawn. At this pace, another year ought to see the new settlement of Ireland completed, and, so far as agrarian crime is concerned, its pacification alas accomplished,
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