THE HON. C. H. BROMBY ON THE ENGLISH IN IRELAND.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3156, 15 May 1883, Page 2

THE HON. C. H. BROMBY ON THE ENGLISH IN IRELAND.

Last night in the Theatre Royal, the Hon. C. H. Bromby, barrister of Hobart, delivered his now famous lecture on “ The English in Ireland.” The Chair was taken by Mr W. Gosling of Coonoor, and there was a fair attendance, largely composed of Irish and Catholic residents.

The Chairman, in introducing the lecturer, said be as an Englishman loved fair play, and he felt sure that everyone would be pleased to listen to the eloquent lecture on Ireland. Mr Bromby, who is a gentleman of good presence and remarkably composed air; and who speaks in an easy but very distinct voice, uses little, if any gesticulation and is entirely dependent for effect upon the modulation of bis voice —and who possesses the faculty of graphic description and word-painting —began his lecture by stating that the facts he intended bringing forward were matters of history; though for the

deductions he alone was responsible. A very great deal of misconception had been prevalent regarding Ireland; it was generally supposed that the Irish people were sunk in ignorance, until the benign light of England shone upon them. Such was not the ease. Ireland bad religion and learning, and even a missionary organisation long before the Saxon set bis foot on her shores. The reception of Boman Catholicism by Ireland, her. constancy, her fidelity to it were matters of history. Bat while the Irish people were united in their faith, they were disunited in politics. The then described the formation of the “English pale,” and the facility for English settlement, and showed that the reason of the submission of the Irish people was their easygoing temperament. They had sustained many wrongs, the chief of which was the imposition on them of a tax to support the Church of England which they did not attend or believe In ; and the consequent degradation of the people. He referred in terms of reprobation to the Acts of supremacy and uniformity passed in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and described some of the scenes under the new regime, in graphic and powerful language. He put it to the English people whether they thought, supposing the Spanish Armada had conquered England, the nation would not have risen to a man, to expel the Spanish adventurers. He then passed to the massacres of the Cromwellian era, and the shipment of young people to the West Indian islands, and remarked that it could hardly be wondered that the descendants of these outraged people should entertain no love for the descendants of their persecutors. He regretted that time would not admit of his more than glancing at the chief events of Irish history since the era of Cromwell, and he concluded his lecture with a cursory review of these, and sat down amid loud and continued applause, having spoken somewhat over an hour and a-half amid an attentive silence. A vote of thanks to the lecturer was moved and seconded by Mr Duval and Mr Timmons respectively, and a similar compliment to the Chairman was proposed byßev, Father Devoy, seconded by Mr Harney. The proceedings then terminated.