IRISH LEAGUE'S MANIFESTO.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1774, 7 March 1906, Page 67

IRISH LEAGUE'S MANIFESTO.

Following is the manifesto of the United Irish League issued on January 1. Twenty years ago Lord Salisbury asked for twenty years of resolute Government in Ireland, and promised that, if this were granted, nothing more would be heard of the demand for Homo Rule. Twenty years have now passed, and the demand of Ireland for liberty and selfgovernment is, if possible, stronger than it was at the time of Lord 'Salisbury’s famous appeal, while the great party Avhich Avas formed in 188(3 for the epeeial purpose of resisting the demand of Ireland has fallen to pieces, and is now divided into factions and in a condition of discredit and collapse. That great coalti’on has during the last twenty years, by a diligent use of the Irish bogey, succeeded in inflicting enormous injuries on the people of Great Britain. It would take long to bell all that the people of Great Britain havo suffered through this monstrous programme of subordinating all British political issues to the anti-Irish campaign. But ft is not our business to go into these matters. What lias been the record of the Unionist Government in Ireland? ’Coercion, decay, universal discontent' — theso Avoids characterise the whole course of tho Unionist Government of Ireland. For tho first time since the Union a perpetual Coercion Act has been placed on the Statute-book. Passed in 1887 at the outset of the 20 years, it .proclaimed to the Avorld that the Unionist coalition recognised that the Government of Ireland by the present system under the ordinary form of constitutional freedom was impossible. Police Auoienoe, jury-packing, suspension of trial by jury in political eases, manufacture of crime by agents provocateurs, police perjury, and interference Avith liberty of the Press and of public metings—these have been tho methods habitually resorted to by the Irish Government. No serious attempt has been made to govern Ireland in harmony Avith the Avishes of the people, and even tho agents in Ireland of tho Unionist Government avlio spoke cf governing Ireland according to Irish ideas have been repudiated and denounced.

And what has been the result of this system ? Ireland has lost during the iast twenty years 700,000 of her popu-lation—one-seventh of the AA'hole —tho only civilised country in the AA'orld Avhich has lost population during the last 20 years. The country has gixnvn poorer year by year, and, Avhilo her AVealth and population decay, the taxation of tho country has been enormously increased, in spite of the protests of tho representatives of the people and for purposes Avhich bring not the smallest benefit to Ireland. Huge sums are used for purposes of corruption on the administration of Irish Government, while tho administration as regards public education and every other department of Government is in a condition of confusion and inefficiency ay hi oh avou Id be regarded as disgracoful in a semi-civilised Eastern land. Twenty yearn of resolute government in Ireland havo resulted in administrative confusion, growing poverty, universal discontent —-the present system of British government has literally no friends in Ireland—and finally in a more widespread and stronger demand for Irish control of purely Irish affairs.

The first duty then of tho Irish voters of Great Britain is to aid to tho utmost of their power in the discomfiture of tho great ccailition which lias .nflicted such immense injuries on their country. So far as the interests of the schools, which arc attended by the children of Irish National voters in Great Britain aro concerned, we would urge upon the Irish National voters in Great Britain that the best means of protecting their schools is to strengthen the power and prestige of the Irish party. Tho working people of Great Britain have never up to this been fairly represented [in tiho House cif Commons. The Irish National party have always been steady and consistent supporters of the claims of labour, while tho Labour members who have succeeded in getting into the House have-always been courageous and steady supporters of tho Irish National demand. A great opportunity now scorns bo offer itself to increase the representation of British labour in the House. For those reasons we recommend cur people in all cases where a Labour candidate who is sound on the question of Home Rule is in the field to give their votes to that candidate, except in cases where he is standing against an old and tried friend of the Irish cause, or where the support of the Labour candidate would ensure the return of the Unionist candidate. In ail other cases, with the exception stated below, we n; gently appeal to all Irish Nationalists to vote for tho Liberal candidate, and by doing so axl in the defeat of a party whose reason for existence was to deny to Ireland all the rights of free men, all voice in the management of their own affairs,

and to govern Ireland by coercion, and whose twenty years of resolute government have resulted in the complete impoverishment of Ireland. In the case of constituencies where the choice is between a Unionist and a so-called Liberal who declares himself against self-government for Ireland or aa'lio has proved by his action that he is a follower of Lord Rosebery on the Irish question special advice will be issued to the Irish voters.

Tlie manifesto is signed by (Mr T. P. O’Connor. Mr J. E. Redmond, and Mr F. L. Oilly, general secretary of the United Irish League of 'Great Britain.