In the course of his speech, Sir W. Harcourt contrasted
Mr. Dillon's manliness in reiterating, under all circumstances, the language he had once uttered, with Mr. Parnell's flight to Franco, and amidst great laughter, quoted the "Anti- Jacobin :"— • " Sb..Audr4 was a captain bold, In battles much delighting; Do fled full soon, on tho First of Juno, But bade the rest keep fighting,"
By this Beall. Mr. Sexton was apparently very much irritated, and
tried on Wednesday to show that Mr. Parnell was doing more for Ireland in France than he could do in the House of Commons ; but on this subject, though emphatic, he was not explanatory. Yet in the statistical effort to show that Disarming Acts bad not really had ranch or any effect in diminishing the number of attempts on life, Mr. Sexton was more successful. The Solici- tor-General for Ireland did not really answer him by showing that the more general provisions of Coercion .Acts had. often produced wonderful effects in diminishing crime. That is not the'preciee question, The precise question is whether•Diaarm- ing Acts, as Disarming Acts, ever really deprive ruffians of the power of committing violence, and we confess we have great doubts on the subject, which Mr. Sexton's figures, if true, would tend greatly to confirm. Striking fear into ruffians is one thing ; paralysing them by depriving them of the oppor- tunity of getting arms is another, and. not, perhaps, so easy.
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