William Gladstone

I do not expect, any more than I desire, these foreign complications, but still it is not wise wholly to shut them out.

But the day may come when your condition may not be so happy.

If this be a question of time at all, then it is most important to consider what is the right time.

This is not the only place where extra legal combinations and anti-legal combinations have been brought into existence for the purpose of mitigating social disorder.

It is a sign that the conditions of legality do not exist.

It is a sign that the law does not do its work.

For that statement of the right honorable gentleman, as amended and admitted, there is not a shadow of foundation. (Irish cheers.) That you cannot contradict, although you have plenty of myrmidons, and, perhaps, some minions.

In fact, these men have been punished for doing in Ireland that which would be perfectly lawful in England, and which, I believe, is perfectly lawful even in Ireland, under any fair interpretation of the act.

I do not believe the act does justify them; but this I am bound to say, that the interpretation of the act appears to be deliberately applied in a variety of instances for the punishment of simple exclusive dealing.

I want to know what title the resident magistrate had to make such a condition as that. (Opposition cheers.) Most dangerous is this introduction of the new discretion of resident magistrates,--a discretion of imposing new restrictions upon…

Has the administration of the law been of a character to reconcile, or has it been of a character to estrange, or has it been calculated to teach respect for the Government, or to bring the Government into increasing hatred or contempt?

Therefore the exhibition of particular instances is a very unsafe and insufficient test.

There must be, and will be, cases of harsh and unreasonable persecution under the name of boycotting.

I repeat my lamentations that some of the most difficult and the nicest parts of the law are removed by the operation of the Coercion Act of last year from judges and juries to men whom I termed of an inferior stamp.