when there is such a state of things,
it justifies the observation made by the learned judge who
presided at last Connaught Winter Assizes, that when the chain
of terrorism was complete, no witness would give evidence and
no jury would convict."

Thereupon Mr. Birrell, who at the beginning of the year had succeeded
Mr. Bryce as Chief Secretary, having no doubt studied these and
similar reports, said in a speech at Halifax in the following month:--

"You may take my word for this, that Ireland is at this moment
in a more peaceful condition than for the last six hundred
years."

Soon afterwards, Mr. Justice Ross, who, as Judge of the Land Judge's
Court, Chancery Division, was in charge of many estates in Ireland,
said:

"He had known from other Receivers about this widespread and
audacious conspiracy at present rampant in the West of Ireland
... This was actually a conspiracy which on ordinary moral
grounds amounted to highway robbery, to seize on these grass
lands, to drive away the stock of the people who had been
in the habit of taking it; and then, when the owner had been
starved out, the Estates Commissioners were expected to buy up
the property and to distribute it amongst the very people who
had been urging on the business, and who had been engaged in
these outrages."

When an Ulster member drew attention to this in the House of Commons,
Mr. Birrell replied:--

"There is no evidence before the Government that a widespread
conspiracy is rampant in the West of Ireland."

And in reply to another question he said that:--

"The reports he received from the police and other persons
revealed the condition of Ireland generally as to peace and
order as being very satisfactory."

During the month of October 1907, twenty-nine claims for compensation
from the rates in respect of malicious injuries had been proved and
granted in twelve counties, the amount levied from the ratepayers
being about L900. The malicious injuries comprised destruction of and
firing into dwelling houses, mutilation of horses and cattle, burning
cattle to death, spiking meadows and damaging mowing machines, damages
to fences and walls, burning heather and pasturage, damage to gates in
connection with cattle driving, and injury to cattle by driving. And
in November an attempt was made to assassinate Mr. White Blake and his
mother when driving home from c