The House of Commons, having nothing on hand but trivialities,
like the Education Bill, the Land Bill, the Crime Bill, and so on, devoted the beat part of Monday night to a furious discussion of the Coote case. The facts, as fairly stated by Lord Crichton, were these :—Mr. M'Kenna, a Catholic of Monaghan, was tried for the murder of James Clerk, a Protestant. The Sub-Sheriff empanelled a jury of none but Protestants, it was challenged, and the panel was set aside. Government, determined to put,a stop to the system of packing furies, one of the unsay disgraces of our system in Ireland, told the High Sheriff, Captain Coote, to dismiss his subordinate. Ile refused, and was dismissed for refusing. Tories say such interference is unconstitutional. Government says it is most inexpedient, except on grave emergency ; but grave emergency existed, as it was necessary to put down packing. Considering that to pack in such cases is neither more nor less than to murder a prisoner, the Government is clearly justified in its view ; and so thought the House, which supported it by a majority of 193 to 113. The mere fact tha't such a debate can be raised is sufficient proof that trial by jury, never a very scientific method of admin- istering justice, is utterly unsuited to Ireland.
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