The scene of yesterday week was the first great public
exposure of the Session. Mr. Parnell on that evening called attention to what he deemed the miscarriage of justice under the Irish Crimes Act during the Administration of Lord Spencer, and. moved a resolution asking for a fresh investigation of the finding of the jury in the Idaamtrasna and other murder-cases. Sir Michael Hicks-Beach had to reply at once on behalf of the Government. He opposed the motion in form, but practically granted. it in reality. He expressed his confidence that Lord. Carnarvon would look into any memorials that might be pre- sented with the utmost care to discover whether any kind of injustice had been done. He declined pointedly to make the present Government in any sense responsible for that of Lord Spencer, and said that he should be very sorry to accept any such responsibility. He expressed, indeed, the utmost personal respect for Lord Spencer, whose conduct he contrasted. with Mr. Chamberlain's, very much to Mr. Chamberlain's dis- advantage; but the drift of his speech was that the present Government declined to assume any responsibility whatever, not merely for the Irish policy of the last Government, but for the administrative acts of Lord Spencer. This reply was, of course, received with blank dismay on the Treasury Bench, while the Parnellites roared out their applause as if Sir Michael Hicks- Beach were a Daniel come to judgment.
