On Wednesday, Mr. Robertson attempted to induce the House of
Commons to alter the Law of Conspiracy in such a way that nothing should be illegal when done by fifty or five hundred men which was not illegal when done by one. After a somewhat dull debate, in which the Solicitor-General opposed the Bill on behalf of the Government, the House divided,-s--143 voting for, and 179 against the measure. We arc not prepared to say that the Law of Conspiracy might not bear amend- ment, but it is clear that Mr. Robertson had not sufficiently considered his proposals. A matter so complicated as the Law of Conspiracy cannot be reformed at sight. Another ground for doing nothing at once, is to be found, in the fact that Mr. Bompas's judgment in the Plymouth case is being: appealed against. If, as is most likely, the decision is in favour of the trade-unionists, there will be no case for fresh. legislation ; or, at least, no case with which it is advisable to deal. In Ireland, the virtual abolition of the Law of Con- spiracy might have most serious effects.
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