THE IRISH DELEGATES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15185, 3 July 1911, Page 6

THE IRISH DELEGATES.

ARRIVAL OF MR HAZELTON, M.P. A CORDIAL WELCOME. A large number of people assembled at the Railway Station on' Saturday afternoon in anticipation of the arrival of the Irish delegates, Messrs Hazclton, Donovan, and Redmond by tho first express from the north. There was, however, considerable disappointment for tlioso present over tho fact that only Mr Hazelton arrived, the non-arrival of Messrs Donovan and Redmond, it was assumed, being due to tomo misunderstanding or misconception. It was subsequently learned that tho last-mentioned two gentlemen Jiad remained at Tiniaru., and that thoy would como on to Dunedin by tho first express to-day. Mr Hazelton was most warmly welcomed by tho peop'o at the Railway Station, and at the Grand Hotel subsequently, where ho was formally received, the welcome was again most cordial and enthusiastic. The Hon. J. B. Dalian, M.L.O, who presided over a .gathering of about 40 members of tho Reception Committee and otihors, said it Jiad been, deputed to him, as chairman of tho Reception Committee, to extend to Mr Hazelton a welcomo to Duncd'in. • Deeds spoko more forcibly than words, and the demonstrative manner in which Mr Hazelton had been welcomed at the Railway Station and the largo gathering of friends and well-wishers there must bo far moro iniprcssivo than any words that foil from him. In) Dunedin ho was sure- that all parties, no matter what their views might be as to tho mission of tho Irish envoys, would accord them a fair and impartial hearing. .That had always been characteristic of Dunedin. He quite remembered when ho had the privilege 28 years ago of extending a welcomo to Mr John lledmond as lie was now oxfcondinjr it to Mr Hazelton, and Mr Redmond had then expressed hk pleasure and his gratification at the manner in which he was received in Dunedin as against tho way ho had often been received in many of the cities of Australia. They were supporting their visitors because thoy were advocating a f orm of S3lf-government for Ireland which thoy all enjoyed he.ro in New Zealand, and which was also enjoyed in Canada, South Africa, Australia, and the Islo of Man; and he could s.iy that it was working towards greater loyalty greater prosperity, and greater happiness] ajid for that reason they sympathised with and to tho best of their means supported their _ visitors, and because they believed that if Ireland was granted a form of selfgovernment she would becom© more happy, inoro contented, and more loyal. Again ho extended to Mr Hazelton a cordial welcomo to the city of Dunedin.—(Applause,) Mr Hazelton, in responding, said he thanked them sincerely indeed for the cordial welcome extended to him. He thanked Mr Dalian for Jus kind words of sympathy. He desired to apologise for tho absence of his colleagues, although he accepted no responsibility in (he matter. They had evidently been misled on tho way, but he did not know how. He had no doubt that, at their public meeting in Dunedin thoy would receive kindness awl consideration, not merely from their own Irish kith and kin, but. from all sections of the community, which had been characteristic of the people of all the cit,W and towns and districts they had visited in New Zealand. He had never met a. more fair-minded or broad-minded propl'o than the people of X fl «- Zealand, and lie did not think that from anv noople or any community they could receive a fairer or more just, hearing or have extended to them a. moro hearty and onthusiwf.ie arreting. They believed, and they knew that'll, had Ijivmi largely duo to misrepresentation and want of knowledge of tho facts of tho situation that the Irish cause had not, progressed more than it, had. The facts of (he situation wore now becoming known by the people on all tides, hero in New Zealand and among the masses in Britain. It was becoming univoreally recognised that their causo was a great, and just, cause and that they would succeed in it in tho near future. He was glad to know that when Mr Redmond, the distinguished leader of the Irish party, visited New Zealand 28 years ago there, was a warm corner in tho hearts of

the people for him and tho cause ho represented, although at that time it did not occupy the samo position as it did to-day. At that time it was dillicult for Mr Redmond to secure halls in which to speak, and in one of the Stato Parliaments of Australia it was proposed to expel him from the colony. Now the position had changed, and they received nothing but kindness and friendship and support from tho masses of tho people As an indication of tho progress they were making he ■ would mention that the treasurer for New Zealand had informed him that the subscriptions to date had reached £7800. which must bo considered a splendid test of the generosity of tho people of New Zealand when it was remembered that on tho occasion of the la6t mission tho total received was just £5000. Tho progress which their causo had mado was duo largely to the spread of enlightenment with regard to the Irish question. It would givo them very great pleasure to appear before tho citizens of Dunedin , on Monday evening with the full facts in regard to the political situation in Ireland. He again thanked the chairman and tho6o present and tho people who had attended in such largo numbers at the Railway ; Station for their kind and hearty wel- . come.—(Applause.) ; HIBERNIAN SOCIETY'S WELCOME ; SOCIAL. In tho evening in St. Joseph's Hall Mr Hazelton was accorded a welcome social 1 by the members of the Hibernian Society. Tho hall was practically Idled by members ; of the society and tlieir lady friends, and ■ hero again tho reception accorded tho ' Irish envoy was cordial in tho extreme, ' The following address of welooino to Mr Hazelton was read by Mr James Deehan, ' president of tho society:— ' "Tho Hibernian Australasian Catholio Benefit Sooicty, St. Joseph's Branch No. 1 73, thanks you for tho great honour you i have havo done us this evening by I'md- ; ing time amongst your many engagements to givo us an opportunity of welcoming • you to our city. vVo wish also to assure ; you of our' hearty sympathy with tho • cause that has brought you here and of ■ the keen appreciation ot your own peri sonal efforts for that cause. We rejoice ■ in the thought that in these enlightened . days,' and in this democratic country, tho ! causo of Homo Rulo linds supporters . amongst all classes; but wo feel entitled . to say that no' organisation in this city > can make a better claim to bo in sympathy ; with tho object of your visit than wo cun, . Wo are Irish in our name. Our members , arc Irish, cither by birth or by descent, , and all of them are Irish in their hearts. ■ • Permit us to make this quotation from [ our rule bcok:—' One of tho objects of the society is for the membjrs to cherish the memory of Ireland,' rejoicing in the prosperity and condoling in the sufferings of their native land, and to bind them yet closer in social chains of fraternity and friendship in tliis Austral, land; also to endeavour to instil into the minds of the Celtic Australasian race a veneration for tho land of thoir forefathers, in order that they may imitate, if not excel, the faith and virtues of tiiat devoted nation, and t to extend the hand of fellowship to their - co-rcligionists of every nationality, partici. 3 pating with them in a brotherly spirit in ■ every benefit, social and pecuniary, that a tho society ■ affords. Every fresh initiation i ceremony that takes place reminds the a, members that these headily embraced duties to' 1 , their Fatherland aro part of their - obligations as members. Tho membership 0 of our society throughout New Zealand now s reaches some 3000, and tho accumulated J funds at tho society's disposal in Now Zoa- , land aro some £14,000. May wo not, i without egotism, say that the spectacle of i a useful and flourishing organisation such 3 as ours, composed of and governed by i Irishmen and tho sons of Irishmen, is f in itself a first-class answer to the sugges- ; tion still sometimes made that Irishmen are _ incapablo of managing their own i affairs. We trust that the success that 3 you havo hitherto met with in Now Zea--1 land may be crowned by a highly suocesss ful and pleasant tour throughout jour a province of Otago, and feel suro that the - members of our society wherever you meet l them will do everything they can, both l individually and collectively, to help you t in your labours. In conclusion, wo ex- - press the confident hope that, whenever t again it shall bo our pleasure and privis lego to assemble to welcome in our midst s Irish members of Parliament, they may r bo members from tho Irish House of i Commons at tho old College Green." r Mr Hazelton, in responding, first ex. s pressed his oxtremo rejret that his two 3 colleagues were not present to join with 3 him in such a pleasant function and to r listen to the kind words which had been r so well expressed in tho address just read. 1 On their behalf as well as on his own ho s had to thank the members of tho society 2 for their very kind expressions of friendi ship and their greeting, and ho desired ,- to express in return his own best wishes . for tho success and prosperity of their » foeiety. It was a pleasure to one who - was engaged upon the. work he and his col- , leagues had undertaken, and where there 1 was a great deal of travelling and a great 1 cveal of public speaking-ami he might i say that for tho last three weeks he had , had a meeting on every night except p Sundays,—to be able to attend a gathcri ing of this sort with no exiwctatiou of | having to make a lengthy ■■.speech. He | could assure them an occasion such as the . present was a welcome relief from the t otherwise serious work he was engaged i in, but which ho and his friends wore | proud to labour in and on behalf of, . becauso they know that thorc vould bo no moro noble and no more sac* d work > than that which the Irish isational , members wore doing in furtherance of tho ! Irish cause. It had, indeed, been a hard ■ and uphill struggle—,i struggle in • which many of the host and brav- , est sons of their race had fallen , by tho wnysido and had not lived to see » the realisation of their hopes. Hut it i was always a consolation to "know that no , matter who boro t.ho standard, it would lit; | carried on until tlieir purpose was achieved, i In tho words of ono o'f their old Irish i tongs, "each age lias seen countless brave . men pas* away, but the spirit, lived on in ; t.ho men of today," and ho was glad to | see that this spirit animated those who i had gone from t.ho Old Land and their . descendants in this country on behalf of , the cause of nationality and tho cause of ■ religion, which had boon largely into.rlwined • in Ireland not merely to-day, but for genei rations and in centuries gone by in the • proud titlo of faith and fatherland. This 1 was not the first time he had had tho I i honour and pleasure of meeting members of the Hibernian Society in New Zealand, and ho was glaxl to he' able to congratulate on tho good work tho society did, especially among tho younger people of their Irish generation in Now Zealand., Their sister organisation in Ireland, fho Ancient Order of Hibernians, ,l:ad during the past fow years ma<le wonderful progress, and its mombers we're to bo numbered not. by the thousands, but by the tens of thousands all over tho country. In Ireland, as in this country, it, was an exclusively Catholic organisation promoted in tho sacred causo of religion, and ho was

I very sorry to _ havo to say that on account I of that fact it had b,«cn subject to many I attacks and to many insults by thoso who should bo tho first to support anq encourage it. In this ago of liberty and enlightenment it would bo an extraordinary thing if any members wero not to havo an organisation such as the Catholics had in tho Hibernian Society. In Ireland the tho Society was working side by side with the National Political Organisation, and the United Irish League Thcso two great organisations were working hand in hand, helping on tho great political movement which had for its object the realisation of tho aspirations of tho Irish people. He was glad to recogniso that here, no less than in Ireland, the society was doing its best to show its sympathy with the movement and with thoir mission to New Zealand to appeal for funds for the causo and tho Irish party. During his own two months' experience, in New Zclaand he had very often found that it was not the Irish born people but thoso who wero the sons of Irish born people and bad never seen tho Old Country at all, who wore most energetic and most enthusiastic in their support of tho cause of Ireland. Ho hoped that many of tho mwho had never been in Ireland would avail themselves of the opportunity which ho believed would in tho courso of tho next few years bo given to them to go homo to Ireland to join with tho people there in the national celebrations on tho occasion of tho opening of tho Irish Parliament.-(Applause.) It had been said to him that it would be a splendid idea for the society in New Zealand to organise a great pilgrimage of peopfo to Ireland for the opening of their lorharnent. Ho hoped and believed this suggestion would matcraliso in tho coursi. of the comparatively short time, and that on the occasion of thoir national eclebra--1 tions in Dublin they would seo a vcrv large representation of thoir friends from the Emerald Islo of the Southern Ocean.— Applause.) He again thanked the society for its welcome and wished it every success and every prosperity in its future career. During tho evening'a short but excellent musical programme was provided by Miss Lallan, Mrs Power, Miss IMernaii, Mr T Hussy and Messrs Fogarty (4), and the bt. Joseph's Glee Club, and at the close light refreshments wero handed round. .Thus morning at the Town Hall Mr Hazelton is to bo accorded a civic welcome. Messrs Donovan and Redmond will reach Dunedin hv Tilt! first exnross from tho north this afternoon. ■