The Crimes Act.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 13, 27 March 1902, Page 18

The Crimes Act.

Cablegrams during the week have informed us of the alleged intention of the British Government to enforce the Crimes Act in some districts of Ireland. It would appear from sources that are absolutely reliable that there is as little justfication in the state of Ireland for the enforcement of that extreme measure as there would be for the declaration of martial law in New Zealand. Quite recently in tha House of Commons Mr J. Redmond quoted some figures, which were not gainsaid by the Government, and which Bhowed that according to the most recent statistics the condition of Ireland was peaceful. He said that there was not to-day in Euiope, nor in the world, any country where crime was less than in Ireland, and so far as the United Kingdom was concerned, Ireland stood far above in this respect England, Scotland, or Wales. For the year 1901 there were recorded in Scotland 339 indiotable offences to every 100,000 of the population. In England the number was 239, »nd in Ireland only 201 per 100,000. Furthermore, in the crimelees country of Ireland double the amount was spent, in proportion to the ]popul»tion, on police compared with what was spent in England. Mayo and Roscommon are the theatres of the Government's ooeroive energy. In the former there is a population of 233,000, and the total number of indiotable offences last year was 193 ; while in Cumberland police district, with the same population, there were 283; and in Monmouthshire 580. In the county of Roscommon there is a population of 103,000, and the total number of indictable offences was 92; while in Brighton the number was 252. As a matter of faot, agrarian orime has praotically disappeared from Ireland. Even the figures quoted include offences which in other

parts of the Kingdom are not considered crimes at all. It is therefore, very evident that if the Government intend to enforce the Crimes Aot, the condition of Ireland affords no pretext for the Btep.