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New Zealand Tablet, Volume IX, Issue 466, 17 March 1882, Page 21

The Irish people will rejoice to hear that Michael Davitt has again been visited. Several months had passed and nothing had been heard of the heroic prisoner of Portland. The suspense was relieved however, on Wednesday, when Mrs. A M. Sullivan was permitted by Sir William Harcourt to have an interview with Mr. Davitt. Mrs. Sullivan found that he was in the enjoyment of excellent health, that he had nothing special to complain of as to his treatment, was in as good spirits as when he was at liberty and had gained six pounds in weight since he last saw the same visitor. He passes much of his time in literary labour, and he has already written 320 close pages of manuscript. He was not, however, allowed to hint what subjects he had dealt with in those pages. Mrs. Sullivan was able to give him an idea of the large number of arrests that had been made under the Coercion Act, and how many of his friends amongst the Irish members were at present in prison. His left lung, which was materially affected, is now sound and strong, He stated that he had written to his sister to came over from America to see him. The heaps of Christmas cards and Chri3tmaß presents forwarded to the prison are lying in the governor's care for him undelivered. At the end of the interview he sent his kindest regards to all his friends in Ireland, in prison and out of it. — Nation, Jan. 14. The Marquis of Blandford, ,who as heir to the Dukedom of Marlborough, contributes a valuable letter to the Pall Mall on the subject of Irish agrarian outrages. A few days ago Lord George Hamilton wrote to the Times with the object of showing that by the Parliamentary returns it was proved Ireland had of late years shown a decided increase in its criminal records. This conclusion Lord Blandford now shows to be totally erroneous. He has been apparently at some pains poring over the criminal statistics of J the country and publishes a tabular statement as the result of his researches, from which it may be seen that since 1845 the total number of crimes committed in Ireland has greatly decreased. There had been a slight increase in offences ot an agrarian character, but having regard to the manner in which the agrarian returns are compiled, it is fair to suppose that even this is more apparent than real. As far as ordinary crime is concerned Ireland bears favourable comparison with any country in the world. Writing on this subject, the Pall Mall Gazette says—" So far as the suppression of outrages is concerned we have held steadfastly|to our opinion — that the failure lies with the Bureaucracy of Dublin Castle. It is notoriously redtapism barren of expedients, inveterately centralised, and jealous of its authority. There could not be a body less fitted to cope with the shifting dances of agrarian confusion." — DubUn Freeman,