THE CONDITION OF IRELAND.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 197, 29 July 1881, Page 4

THE CONDITION OF IRELAND.

London, June 3. The condition of Ireland is daily becoming more serious, and rioting of a most formidable character has taken place throughout the past week. Fresh baronies have been proclaimed, and numerous fresh arrests made. The military are concentrating at various points for the preservation of order and the prevention of outrage. Several serious encounters have taken place between the troops and the people. No evicting can now bo carried out unless the law officers are supported by a strong military force. Agrarian murders are increasing, and bailiffs process-servers, care-takers, and anybody, in fact, obnoxious to the Land League daily fall victims to attacks of the most savage character. At Scariff, county Clare, a murderous affray took place on the Ist June in connection with the service of writs of ejectment on the defaulting tenants. ' Hundreds of persons armed with pitchforks, and other weapons obstructed the officers, and finally fired several shots at the constabulary, who charged several times with their bayonets. Subsequently several volleys were fired at the police by concealed assailants. The police returned the fire, killing one and wounding several rioters, twenty of whom armed with rifles, were arrested. At New Pallas, county Limerick, a number of Land Leaguers, who haveactively resisted the police in carrying out evictions, obtained possession of an old castle, and destroyed the approaches to it. A flying column of engineers, artillery, and infantry left Dublin last night with orders to demand the surrender of the castle, and attack the castle if refused possession. The county people are armed to an alarming extent. The soldiers and constabulary, who daily receive serious, if not fatal, injuries from the rioters, are growing exasperated at not being allowed to fire, and if the provocation continues it is feared the soldiery may = break out of the barracks and avenge themselves on the populace. There is too much, reason to fear that the cupidity of the agrarian clashes in Ireland, too, is excited to a degree that the Land League would be powerless to restrain them even if it gave evidence' of any "sincere desire to exercise a moderating influence. The resistance among the Irish members under the. dominion of the Parnellite faction, however, is growing stronger. ; The breach has been widened by a seeno in the House of Commons this week, when Mr Mitchell Henry drew attention to a breach of privilege, by the publication in the " Freeman's Journal " of a letter written by Mr Egan, secretary of the Land' League, residing in Paris, denouncing all Irishmen who did not follow Parnell's lead as place hunters, caurse, and , cowards, &c. O'Connor and: Power severely condemned the Parnell policy, and produced evidence of prominent Land Leaguers having solicited posts from the English Government. In view of the terrorism and incendiarism ' now carried on in Ireland, the total \ suppression of the Land Leaguers is being strongly urged by many London papers. Mr Gladstone, however, in replying to questions last night, said that the Eight Hon. W. E. Forster, Chief Secretary for Ireland, had not advised snch a measure.