IRISH AFFAIRS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6251, 29 November 1881, Page 5

IRISH AFFAIRS.

[pep. s.s. te axac, at the bluff.] Losdos, October 21. The Irish crisis has reached an acute sta«e, by the arrest of Parnell and the leading members of the Land League, followed by other rigorous measures, culminating, yesterday, in a proclamation by the Lord Lieutenant, supressing the Land Leaj/ue immediately. The cause of the proclamation is understood io be a manifesto of the League, issued just after Parnell's arrest, which was an outrageous defiance of the British Government,, even grosser in terms than the insulting challenge delivered by Parnell, in reply to Gladstone's speech at Leeds, condemning the Land League agitators. The League delivered that the executive, forced by the action of the British Government in arresting Parnell and his colleagues to abandon their policy of testing the Land League, and were bound to advise the tenant farmers of Ireland, from that time forth to pay no rent ander any circumstances unless the Government relinquished the existing system of terrorism, and restored the constitutional rights of the people. The manifesto exhorted the people not to be intimidated by the removal of the leaders, and declared it to be lawful to refuse to pay the rents under the circumstances. The document stated that the funds of the Land League would be poured out instantly for the support "of all who endured evictions rather than pay rent. By this manifesto the League stood fully unmasked, and its suppression, which many thought had been too long delayed, was considered inevitable. The Lord-Lieutenant's proclamation charges the League with interfering with the Queen's subjects in the free exercise of their lawful rights, with controlling the relations between landlords and tenants, with obstructing the service of processes and the execution of the Queen's writs, and deterring the Queen's subjects from fulfilling their contracts. The League, moreover, had avowed the purpose to prevent the payment of all rents, and the eifect of tha subversion of the law was therefore declared an uulawful and criminal association. All its meetings were prohibited, and if necessary would be dispersed by force. The Government will use all its powers and resources to protect the Queen's subjects and to enforce the fulfilment of their lawful obligations. The arrest of Parnell was followed by serious and prolonged disturbances in Dublin aud Limerick. Iα Dublin the mob wrecked many houses and shops, whence much property was stolen. The street lamps were broken in many of the principal streets, and enormous damage was done. The constabulary, after a long forbearance, charged the mob in Sackville-street. Several innocent persons, present as spectators, were roughly \ handled. Next day a deputation from the Dublin Parnellites, mostly members of the municipality, waited upon Mr. Forster, complaining of the unnecessary display of force, and the brutil conduct of the polije. Ms , . Forster •i.ecliued vo enter into any expi. nation. He said simply that the Government hail information that a dangerous outbreak was projected, which fully justified the precautionary measures that were taken.