CRIMES THAT ARE NO CRIMES.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVIII, Issue 2, 9 May 1890, Page 15

CRIMES THAT ARE NO CRIMES.

The discussion of the Parnell Commission in the House of Lords baa brought forth some remarkable expressions of opinious. Lord Salisbury tried to make it appear that every Irishman who resisted Coercion was, so far as the criminality of the act was concerned, on the same moral plane as the ordinary criminal who committed acts that the moral sense of mankind in all ages and all countries condemns. If this statement were to be accepted as true we should then be obliged to classify as " criminals " every patriot who has resisted unjust laws. This would furnish us with an interesting list of criminals," in which the names of Washington, and Hampden, and otheis of the world's heroes would figure. Lord Robeberry punctured Sah"bury'd arguments when, ia a speech on the Parnell Commission, he condemned it for having failed Ito distinguish between moral guilt and political crime." Another Lord, Lord Hertchell, who at one time was Lord Chancellor, showed the absurdity of the report of the Commission by narrating some of his experience during a visit to this country. The ex-Ch<mcell»r told how on one occasion be found himself at a hotel in one of the States where the prohibition law was in force. On asking for spirituous liquors he was informed by the landlord that none would be sold to mi-um i-u * tbat be could bave WQ ate v er he wanted in that line. When the bill was presented to him he found the liquor charged to him under the bead of "sundries." Commenting on this method of evading the prohibition law, Lord Herßchell said :-'• It unquestionably male him a party to a criminal conspiracy against the law, aud his offence was quite as grave as those for which the Commission condemned the Irish members." Such criticism as this cannot fail to have considerable effect on English public opinion. It gives the English people an insight into the nature ot the " crimes " that the Tories are constantly denouncing in the hope of preventing the triumph of the Home liule cause. The signs, however, are multiplying that the Tory talk about " Irish crime "is ceasing to have the influence it once had. Earl Spencer, who acquired practical knowledge of Irish affairs while Lord Lieutenant, gave expression to the growing sentiment in England when, in answer to Salisbury, he declared that " the old methods of government in Ireland had failed, and the only remedy was to throw upon Irishmen the responsibility of managing their own affairs "— Irish World.

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