Sir William Harcourt on Thursday gave an explanation of his
conduct distinctly based on this plea. After reading the incriminated passages, and denouncing them f‘ bestial and ferocious," he declared that they constituted "a flagrant breach of our public municipal morals ;" that "incitements to murder, like obscene libels, attack the foundations of society ;" and that "the right of asylum is threatened, by this monstrous abuse of its privileges." We can see nothing unsound in that view, and do not understand quite what our Radical friends are at. Putting aside the right of asylum, which hae no connection with the case, the offence being committed here, suppose an Englishman openly recommended in print the assassination of Mr. Gladstone, would they permit that P What is there in a King to make him a caput lapiniam P Suppose Kingship is criminal, do we assassinate criminals without trial P It may be inexpedient to give a regicidal paper notoriety, and it certainly is next to impossible to suppress regicidal papers ; but regicide is a crime, nevertheless, like homicide, and no Govern- ment, once forced to notice the facts, can endure the open encouragement of it.
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