PARNELL BANQUET.

Grey River Argus, Volume XXX, Issue 4785, 24 January 1884, Page 4

PARNELL BANQUET.

A grand banquet was given to Mr Parnell in the Rotunda, Dublin, on December 11. It was attended by persons from all parts of Ireland and Great Britain, as well as more distant places. Five hundred and eighty tickets were sold. Mr Parnell in his pe'ech dwelt upon the assisted emigration question, stigmatising is as an indirect attempt on the part of Goxernment to get over the difficulty by getting quit of the Irish people. He insisted that three-fourths of the emigrants of the last year or two had been compelled to find homes in miserable garrets in New York, Boston, and Montreal. The present Irish executive was characterised as mean, and more incapable than any of its predecessors. Referring to the Parliamentary position, he said: "If we cannot rule ourselves, we can cause England to be ruled as wo choose." At the close of the speech, Mayor Dawson, of Dublin, presented Mr Parnell with a cheque for £38,000, as a national tribute. Mr W. E. Forster, M.P., replied to Mr Parnell's banquet speech in an address to the people of Bradford on December 13. He said that in any Franchise Bill, Government might introduce into Parliament he inferred they intended it should include Ireland. If so, he agreed Avith them. — (Cheers.) The more he thought of it the more he thought of it the more clearly he Avas convinced Ireland should be included in the bill. He was not surprised at Mr Parnell's recent speech. He sometimes thought that Mr Parnell wished Government would refuse Ireland the benefit of the Franchise Bill, in order that he might increase his hold upon his followers. Mr Forster believed the inclusion of Ireland might for a time increase Mr Parnell's following, but Government Avould have the satisfaction that they would meet them in Parliament, and not in the country, perpetrating outrages Regarding the boast of the Home Rulers that they Avould be able to turn the balance of parties, Mr Forster said he felt that if the j>arty snould coalesce Avith the Parnellites, Government, when attacked, Avould only have to appeal to the country to defeat the coalition.