Show Secretary Balfour LONDON February 10In the House of Commons this evening Balfour Chief Secretary for Ireland continuing the debate on the address in reply to tbe Queens speech commented on the changed tone Mr Gladstone had manifested mani-fested in his speech last evening Where he asked was the impassioned orator who used all the resources of rhetoric to inflame th public mind aeaiust the law and against the policemen police-men Mr Gladstone interrupted the speaker saying There was not an atom of foundation for such assertions Balfour continuing recalled inciting I language in Mr Gladstones Notting ham speech and said he did not complain com-plain but rather congratulated Mr Gladstone on his change of tone Grave reflections had been cast upon resident magistrates in Ireland it was true they were dependent for appointment appoint-ment upon the executive government but out of a total of seventythree magistrates Earl Spencer appointed or approved sixty when he revised the list The number of persons tried under un-der the crimes act was 659 of whom 229 were acquitted In 186 the numberof agrarian offenses reached 2190 while in 1887 the total was only 1837 The total number of cases of ordinary crime reached 1903 in 1886 and in 1887 it was 1663 The number of agarian offenses for the six months ending January 1887 was 455 and for the same period ending January 1SSS was 351 a Tdecrease of 30 per cent The number of persons being boycotted at the end of July 1857 was 807 whereas now it was only 208 The governments efforts to protect persons from boycotters have become notably successful in Counties Clare and Kerry where a league has been suppressed People now traveling in Ireland declare that the condition of tbe country was greatly improved and judges corn firmed mis opinion The government was engaged in an old struggle but never before had any government arrayed ar-rayed against it forces recognized by opposition He claimedthat the figures adduced justified coercion and proved that the governments policy was successful suc-cessful Cheers John Morley said tho House would infer from Balfours speech what the temper was in which he administered coercion Regarding the Irish criminal statistics he said the period showing the decrease of crime included the six months calm during which eviction notices could not be executed The diminution of boycotting was not due to coercion but to an entirely changed state of feeling and deeper sense of responsibility toward Liberal members who were coworkers with the Irish to obtain justice for Ireland Cries Hear hear The Irish party was now assured that it would ultimatelv realize its aspirations If it should ever be deprived that hope the effects of coercion in aggravating social disorder would become painfully apparent Harrington Nationalist called Bal fours speech a choice example of his mendacity The Speaker called upon Harrington to withdraw the expression Harrington acquiesced but said he did so oniy under command Harrington Harring-ton continued and said Everybody conversant with the affairs of Ireland knows that magistrates who administered admin-istered the crimes act did all they could to irritate the people Bal fours regime oppressed the people and tried to suppress thos vindicating the peoples rights but the principles of liberty would be fought for until they triumphed Parnell movedan adjournment of the debate Agreed to |