DEVEL OPMENTS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVI, Issue 43, 15 February 1889, Page 17

DEVEL OPMENTS.

PAItNLr action in the Scotch Courts has come t_ 0 an end> on a technicality. This is a sugg' jgtive commentary on the proceedings of the Times. For many naorths the Times v, a 8 engaged challenging Mr. Parnell to pro* ecate it either in England, Ireland, or . bcotl» nd, b u t the moment this challenge wag tiken np the Twits p JO Ted heiiven and earth to stop proceed-

ines, and employed every engine of ingenuity, and availed itself of every technicality to prevent the action from being tried This shows that the Times has no faith in the justice of its cause, and that it is convinced it is unable to sustain its position in a court of law before a jury. It is a confession of emit and ;n; n this light it will be considered by all dispassionate men ' It appears that fllr. Parnell failed in Scotland on a technicality and has now commenced an action against his base calutan-ator in Dublin. Some time ago the Times was virtuously indignant with Mr. Parkell for not taking an action against it in Dublin. We shall now see how much honesty •Id sincerity wua in this indignation. Had the Times been sincere in its taunts as regards Scotland ,t would have waived every technical objection and consented to the I rm of the action on its merits . But it is now clear that the Tims was only playing a part, and that neither an honest nor a creditable part of a" comedy intended to throw dust m people' s eyes so far, at all events, as Scotland was concerned. We shall soon see what credit is to be given to its words as regards Dubhn Will it have recourse to technicalities there in order to stop the action ? Will it employ every trick of lawyers to prevent Mr Parnell from having his action tried before a jury / Will it invoke the aid of the Government should the action come on, to provide a partisan judge and a packed jury ?AU know how these things can be done in Ire land,^ndhow übiquitous are the influence and action of the Executive. S we shall see, and, when we do «o, we shall be in a pos^on to judge of the tac.ics and motives of the Tims. Judging from what has recently token pl«»m Scotland we can entertain no doubt that the JW is in mortal terror of a fair judge and jury in any part of the worid, and we shall not be rash, therefore, in saying that the ' Times will have recourse to every trick and subterfuge, and emly every device known to the most cunning lawyers to pre^n? the trying of the action in Dublm. For, although jurfes can be easily packed there, as has often been the case before and jury lists lost in sume mysterious way, still this wiU not be so easy now as it used to be ; and the limes w therefore be obliged to run the risk of having its conduct Tn before an honest jury. But a terrible fight may be first SEJSed In the T B Lation of the Time* it will be safer to prevent the trial of the action altogether than to face a jury. It i b not very urlikely, consequently that the species of opposition had recoarse to in Scotland with success will be aVai f eell 7 M^l" "eok has appeared before the P.rnell hut has succeeded to perfection in proving himself to be an U is hard to s%y whether this story is more discreditable to the Government or to the Major himse.f. It amounts to 1 LribTe inLment of both, and shows that the Government of. =s »£ TTiioru himself to the condition of a wretched U freedom re of ? 1 ' fh%d Governments, to be driven to the commission of tools of b. %d uoje ,ft G oyernment WQlch em ploy 8 the co^octors'Tcrhne and the betrayers of their companion, 8Dd ThT mak wup another chapter to be added to the Urge This mak F . ul hißto of conspiracies, volume which ~ nta J™ haag ing ß , for which the British treasons, betr a> ra^ « d °«« r f BpO nßible in Ireland. Let Government is V^ fc^" Iy of g P rieva nces be open, sbote the agitation for let Irishmen be on board,manly 3 8tra^rward their guard agam b '™£Z For the most part these are

thai they may betray them, and enrich them selves on thel proceeds of tb eir own criminality and treasons, bee how this Major and similar men have traded on their simplicity and lore of country ; see how thiy have turned their indignation against the wrongs of tbeir country and race to th«'ir own pecuniary advantage ; and 6ee with what unblushing effrontery and cynical shamekssness they can testify iv the courts of jQftico to the infamous part they have played in ruining individuals and wrecking their country's hopes — safe them■elves in the protection of their employers in high places, who ■re hardly less criminal than the base informers themselves.