THE O'DONOGHUE, M.P.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume VIII, Issue 415, 25 March 1881, Page 7

THE O'DONOGHUE, M.P.

At the land meeting held at Odorney, county Kerry, The Donoghue, M.P., said in part :—: — Mr. Paruell gave the very soundest advice in recommending all our Parliamentary representatives at this crisis to come amongst their countrymen, and especially amongst their constituents. I can have no faith in those iuembeis who absented themselves from the meetings. It is plain that if they are domg anythii.g they must be conspiring with strangers and aliens, or with the landlord minority, to try and settle the land question according to some plan at variance with that in favour of which Ireland has declared. The English Parliament invariably botches all Iri^h questions. But, fellowcountrymen, the blame of this bad legislation must not be cast altogether upon the London Parliament. There has always been a, number of Irish representatives ready to side with the governing •lass in England, and not merely to countenance tbeir deed*, but actively to aid and abet all their proceedings against Ireland. What I fear is that this coming session, when the land bill is before the House and the interests of millions of Irishmen at stake, that we shall have a repetition of this tieachery. You may be sure that Mr. Parnell and his friends will do their duty fully and fearlessly, but it is useless to disguise the fact that we will be greatly embarrassed, and our efforts po^ibly neutralised, by the action o£ those who, although Bent to Pailiament as Home Eulers and tenaut-righters, hay.' separated themselves from Mr. Pamell and nestled under the wing of the Government. They will look across the House at us and say, " Oh, fin, you naughty, revolutionary boys ; it is we who represent Ireland, and uot you. You represent the young blood of the times, the farmer^ sons, the labourers, all those who feel a glow about their hearts when they hear '• Tramp, tramp, tramp, the boys are marching." We speak for the common sense of the couutry, for those who have faith in the kindliness of the landlords, and who believe the proposals of the Liberal Government must satisfy the " expectations of all reasonable men." I have always noticed that the Government lends its ears and calls upon the House to listen to those who make what are termed moderate statements — that is, statements suited to the class tendencies of Parliament. Those who refuse to give in to the landlords, who stand up for the rights of the people, are denounced as revolutionary and undeserving of credit. If Mr. Parnell had 80 oi- 70 followers our position would be impreguable, and our triumph certain, but as matturs stand now it is impossible for one body of Irish members conclusively t j refute the pretensions of another claiming to speak with equal authority. This is a point which must be di-ciiied at the hustings by your fellow-countrymen and our brothers throughout the land, about which I bope there won't be a possibility of di pute after tht. next dissolution. I assume that the present occupiers are agitating for r.hemselves as well as for posterity, and that what they want is a bill which will settle the land question not in ten, or twenty, or thirty years, but at once, by giving them secure possession of their farms. In the meantime, fellowcountrymen, till a bill which meets your approval is carried I will urge upon you to band yourselves together and act as one man. Unless you do this the efforts of your representatives, no matter bow determined they may be, will be in vain. See tbat no man pays more than Griffith's valuation, that no man takes the land from which another has been evicted, that no man buys at a sheriff's sale, or does anything that can help eviction, and let it be generally known that those who do those things will be visited with the just indignation of their countrymen (lond cheers).