THE IRISH ENVOY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13370, 27 December 1906, Page 6

THE IRISH ENVOY.

The following is a brief sketch of the career of Mr. Devlin, the envoy of the Irish Home Pule party: Joseph Devlin was born in February, 1872, in the West Division of Belfast. He received his education from the Christian Brother*. From an early period of his life he was deeply imbued with Irish National sentiments, his great ambition being to advance the cause of Home Rule for Ireland. When Parnell was battling for Irish self-government, Joseph Devlin, though a mere lad took the deepest interest in the new constitutional movement; and when Mr. Thomas Sexton successfully contested West Belfast in 1886. voting Devlin, with a number of school companions, formed themselves into a debating society. In this society his readiness of speech and political knowledge were soon recognised, and he was elected to the chair of the Sexton Debating Society. In reply to an address presented to him, Mr. .Sexton said:" I have listened to many speeches in my time, but I have never listened to one which gave me .more genuine pleasure or surprise than that In which your chairman (Master Devlin) has addressed me to-night." Having occupied the positions of president and secretary of the Sexton Debating Society, he joined at the same period the Belfast Commercial Elocution Class. So pronounced were his histrionic faculties that he succeeded in a single year in winning both the silver and gold medals for proficiency in the art of elocution. He was elected in 1888. although only 16 years of age, on the committee of the Irish National League.

On Friday, when Hie Penguin was backing out from Jervois Quay, Wellington, she bumped against the western corner of the new faranaki-street Wharf. The impact damaged the vessel's stern, and split the corner pile of the wharf. Speaking at Christcburch on Maori Missions, Dr. Buck said it had been estimated that 60,000 natives had been killed in intertribal wars since the introduction of firearms into New Zealandslain by guns and powderthings very generally* associated with civilisation.