MS. FARNELL AND MR. DAVITT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 7080, 26 July 1884, Page 2 (Supplement)

MS. FARNELL AND MR. DAVITT.

Me. Michael Ditdi pobliahea a letter, in which he to the differenoe between himself »mi Mr, Parnell with regard to the of Hi says•"But to return to the platform of the National League. I dissent from its plan of land settlement, in the opinion of some of ray critics among the Irish-American Press, I should either quit the 'League or oease the advocacy of another plan of settlement., TKwu> oeni](uss& ptrh&pß) not iwiro of the following facts, which I think they will admit folly justly my position. On the 13th of September, 1882, John Dillon, Thomas Brennas, and myself were invited to Avon, dale by Mr. PameU to consider a proposal for a conference and the initiation of another movement to succeed the Land League, which I have pressed upon Mr. Parnell on my return from America in the preceding August, and ■pain on the oooaoon of the invitation above referred to. The result of the consultation waa a for the conference of the 16th of October, 1882, from which the National JLieague has sprung. Mr. Parnell would not join in issuing this call, except on the condition that the land policy of the new organisation should bo defined by him ; that the policy should be in favour of peasant proprietary; and that I would not divide the conference on - the respective merita of nationalisation and peasant proprietary. I had to choose between no organisation whatever, or one that would embody Mr. Parnell s views on the land question, I agreed to the conditions, on this condition for myself: that after the conference I should be at full liberty to advocate my own principle of land settlement. This Mr. Parnell agreed to, and the National League came into existence. I have adhered to every letter of the conditions •greed upon between Mr* Parnell andtnysell in presence of John Dillon and Thomas Brennan at Avondale on the 13th of September, J882; while the people of Ireland know as well that I have seldom, at the numerous publio meetings which I have since addressed, acted on the condition which left me free ta convince them, if I could, that national ownership of" land was more just than class ownership."