ENGLAND AS A SHELTER FOR VENDETTAS

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIX, Issue 21, 20 February 1891, Page 7

ENGLAND AS A SHELTER FOR VENDETTAS

Thk Weekly Itrgittrr contains this article on the murder jr of Minister Kossi, of Ticino, and the action of the Knglish Government : Castioni, the rain accuse i of the inurdjr of rt)?s', during the recent so-called Revolution in Ticino, has been allowed, by the law of England, to make good his escape from justice. Declaring that Ins brother, who had been punished four ye.»rs ago for political crimes, should he avenged, Castioni seized the occasiin of the rising at Ticino to shoot one of the Ministers whom the populace ineffectually soupbt to oust. The assassin fled to England, and was arrested ; and he would naturally, one thinks, be handed over to the authorities of his own country. Tbe law of extradition recognises, however, a distinction between political and other crime, and Castioni was adjudged a political offender, a-vl wis cons-quently S"t af 1 trge. Strange to say, this decision has the full approval of the Times That paper has quite anothoi gospel f>r Ireland. I' would have denounced any Government which had given sanctuary to a Phoenix Park murderer; and to-morrow it will applaud Mr. Ha I four it he demands from tbe Canadian authorities the arrest of Mr, Dillon and Mr. O'Brien. For our own par', while welcoming the laws which allow exiles of the class which range from the Comte de Pans to General Boulanger and Prince Krapotkm a home in England, we think nothing can be more confusing at nonce, or mine amazing abroad, tban ihf decision which frees Caationi from the judgment of his countrymen and the penalty of h.s crime. We see that the Univfrs, in expressing a tirailar opinion, goes so far as to regrer that Sir Charles Ku«sell should have held the brief for Castioni. That is quite another affair. It will be an evil day for accused persons whi n they can be detended only by counsel who share their views, and are persuaded at first glance of their int,o:ence. It n a tribute to the judicial manners and methods of even the pros-eouting and defenuing counsel in English Courts that the barrister is frequently entrusted with cases which do not win tbe sympathies of tdc man.