Lord Herschel, speaking for the Government, admitted that, the ordinary
law was very cumbrous, and that the raiders could not easily be removed from the land they have stolen ; but the Government refused to put into force the Trespass Act, by which they certainly could be dislodged, on the ground that " trespass " did not mean continuous occupation of land. The Secretary for Scotland has in fact informed. Lady Gordon Cathcart that the only means of settlement is for her to divide up the island, break the lease with her tenant, and compensate him herself. The Government " deplores " and " condemns " the act of the law-breaking raiders ; but when asked to put in force the Trespass Act of 1856, refuses to do so, while admitting that the ordinary law is inadequate. This is an almost exact repetition of what the Government has been doing in Ireland, and we agree with Lord Rosebery that it would be impossible to find elsewhere a parallel to the excuses the Government offers for.looking on helplessly while the law is broken:
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