ENGLISH GOVERNMENT IN IRELAND.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVIII, Issue 12933, 29 September 1902, Page 6

ENGLISH GOVERNMENT IN IRELAND.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —As a. rule your leading articles are intelligently written, instructive and profitable reading, but there is one subject on •which you frequently discourse about which you are as ignorant as the garden variety of globe-trotter, who spends a week in New Zealand, goes home, and writes a book on the economic, moral, social and political 'condition of the colony. Take a case in . point. In your issue of Sept. 22 you t supply some reasons why “ English Qo- , vemment is not liked in"lreland.” It ap- , pears that the worshippers of William O’Brien wanted to hold a meeting i a the Mayo County Council Chambers, ostensibly for the purpose of presenting him with a ■ harmless address, but really with the object of spreading sedition, and making treasonable and disloyal speeches, and you • condemn Mr Wyndham and the High Sheriff for attempting to interfere with •this meeting of rebels, because, ‘forsooth, they happen to be ratepayers. Only by comparison can outsiders arrive at a- correct estimate of the value of your criticism in connection with this particular incident. Suppose the admirers of the late revered - William Johnston, of Ballykilbeg, or '■ Colonel Saunderson wanted to hold a meet- , ing in this same chamber for the purpose of presenting a loyal address, and not for the purpose of preaching sedition, would Mr Connor Kelly and his gang have given their consent? Nay, not for one moment. iOn the contrary, the majority of those ; present would have gone home with fractured heads, broken arms, etc., and had some ■unfortunate fanner from a distance- stayed in town, a little late, perchance, he would -have been shot by the assassin’s bullet from behind the usual stone fence, where the skin of the cowardly murderer would be -safe from all danger. If you want to be strictly impartial, why did you not denounce the action of the Chief Secretary 'for Ireland for preventing a thoroughly loyal and patriotic meeting being held at Warrenpoint, on July 12 last? No, this would not suit the sentiment of the Gloucester Street oracle. Before you again endeavour to instruct your readers on Irish affairs I trust you will make yourself better acquainted with the subject you are in the • habit of ao frequently writing about.—l am, etc., * NESTER. (There is no evidence that the meeting we ’ mentioned was intended to spread sedition. —Ed. “L.T.”