IRISH AFFAIRS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 342, 18 January 1881, Page 2

IRISH AFFAIRS.

The League Courts are shutting out appeals to the ordinary tribunals. tsusinpw« men are afraid *o s .t"<s on the juries, and lawyers refuse ta act against the leaguers for fear of assassination. Mr Parnell declare* the Gorernment i 8 too weak Jo crush the league. The Orange Grand Lodge has arranged a code of signals 10 enable the members to assemble at any time of the night. Subscriptions are opened for the defence fund. There has been fighting between soldiers and street roughs in Dublin. The situation in Ireland is causing much anxiety, and it is feared that a bloody collision between th-s Leaguers and the Government forces may ensue at any moment. The <Government are largely reinforcing the troops in Ireland, and these are now estimated at 30,000. Many Irish refugees are flocking to London, many of them being in destitute circumstances. Families who were well off a few months ago are now in a state of total poverty. The situation is rapidly Hearing a point where something will have to be done by the Government. The Land Leaguers,Fenians, and Home Rulers wiU otherwise have arrayed against the Administration nearly the entire population of the Island.

Aa immense anti-leaguers meeting was held at Monaghan on D ceinber 16th, Lord Rossinore presiding. A resolution was passed declaring that an equitable settlement of the land question was absolutely necessary ; that was a aettlement giving landlords a fair rent and tenunts protection from b'ick rents and capricious evii'tments. " Boycotting " inflexibly imposed in disaffected districts in driving even well meaning people and many Protestants into open affiliation with the leaguers. Numerous instances are given when even with police protection, prescribed individuals could obtain nothing in the way of labor, food, or lodging from the inhabitants. In Dublin merchants am! other citizens ilsclare they will not serve on juries in State trials, for fear of injury to their business or murder. Local attorneys refuse to serve eviction papers, and in one instance where one served papers he narrowly escaped, with his life although he apologised and promised not to repeat the action Winter has set in in Ireland with severity and much suffering exists among laborers on accc lint of the scarcity of work, tli e League taking care of only those who are

men in some cases. The League has ordered landlords and tenants to put on

men to improve their property which in some cases has been done near Sligo. Mr Begg, M.P., is one of those who h;is obeyed the mandate of the League. The Chief Justice of the Queen's Bench, at Dublin, denounces Irish anarchy in unmeasured terms, intimating very plainly that he would enforce the law with the utmost rigor possible. For using such l;mgunge he has been set upon with the utmost fury by the Leagueis in Ireland, and their sympathisers in England.

Mr Parneil, in a speech at Waterford, denounced the Government, and said that he hoped to crush them by keeping the League representatives from Parliament.

A man at Armagh, County Tyrone, has been sentenced to 20 years for shooting at a landlord.

A bailiff named Mulholland has been shot dead by a Leaguer, named Graham, near Clonmel, when serving a writ Graham escaped, being uided by his neighbors, but was afterwards arretted on December 14th.

Baron Downes, presiding at the Connaught Assizes, received a threatening letter dooming him to death should he convict any Leaguers. Several other Judges have received letters of similar purport. The Land Leaguers have issued an address condemning the outrages and the seeding of threatening letters. The Leaguers themselves have received threatening letters. Mb Parneil gol oue telling him he would be shot if he attended a certain meeting.

Urgent orders have been issued to the troops in Dublin to hold themeelvea m readiness for service, and all furloughs have been cancelled. The Scots Guards will reinforce the troops there. A regiment from Gibraltar for England has been ordered to land at Cork. Magazines and depots are being established throughout the disaffected districts, with detachments of soldiers and constabulary to guard them and for oilier services.

At a meeting of the Land League held at Dublin on December 15th, a manifesto was adopted which stated that when the outlines of the promised Land Bill are stated by the Government a special meeting of the League will be held, for the purpose of discussing the measure and to pronounce as to its worth. Captain Boycott has applied to Mr Gladstone for compensation for his losses, which the Premier would not promise to give.