THE IRISH QUESTION.

Northern Advocate, 31 March 1888, Page 3

THE IRISH QUESTION.

London, March 24. A meeting which Mr William O'Brien intended to address to-day atYouyhal has been proclaimed. In a speech at Stalybridge, Mr Bal- - four, Chief Secretary for Ireland, said . that the charges brought against his ' administration in Ireland are ridiculous ', and grotesque falsehoods. Mr Balfour

declared that Mr Gladstone's alliance with Mr Parnell was an evil augury of the polictical future, and it was merely sought by Mr Gladston^ in order to purchase 84 unstable Irish votes. The Parnellites, even though they were assisted by Mr Gladstone, would never succeed unless the people were entirely igorant of Irish affairs. He declared that the Irish policy of the Government was bearing excellent fruit in Ireland, which was being gradually relieved of a hoavy yoke. " j The Right Hon. E. Stanhope, Secretary of State for War, speaking at Worthing, said Government did not intend to legislate on the Irish land question until a future session. Dublin, March 24. Mr O'Brien had commenced to delive his speech at Youghal when the Scottish Rifles, with fixed bayonets, and the police, with batons, charged the mob, and dispersed the meeting. Several persons were seriously wounded. Later. The police prevented Mr William O'Brien, M.P. for Cork, from addressing the meeting at Youghal, which had been proclaimed. There was serious rioting, and Captain Plunkett, the magistrate, was brutally assualted before the crowd dispersed. Subsequently Mr O'Brien addressed a few of his supporters in Canon Kellar's stable.