On Monday an addition was made to the list of
counties proclaimed under the Crimes Act, which now includes the county boroughs of Dublin and Limerick. A great deal has been made of the incident, the word "proclamation" always suggesting martial law and arbitrary action. As a matter of fact, all that has happened is that the Crown is empowered in the places proclaimed to obtain trial by special juries ; that change of venue is facilitated where justice cannot be had otherwise ; and that in certain places the summary jurisdic- tion clauses of the Criminal Law Procedure Act of 1887 will apply. It is not 'too much to say that not a single man, woman, or child will be liable to be deprived of any just rights by reason of residence in the proclaimed areas. All that happens is that the escape of the guilty is made less easy than before. The true liberty of the subject would not be in the least interfered with if all England and Scotland were similarly proclaimed ; and unless we are greatly mistaken, a. portion of the provisions now proclaimed in Ireland is always in force in London, while even more stringent enactments in several particulars are in force in Scotland.
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