MANIFESTO OF THE IRISH MEMBERS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume VIII, Issue 417, 8 April 1881, Page 7

MANIFESTO OF THE IRISH MEMBERS.

The moment Mr. Parnell and his followers were suspended a meeting was held, at which an address to the Irish race at home and abroad was frame "1. The Freeman gives the following as the text of the address :—: — Fellow-countrymen — At a moment when too many acts of the Irish executive abrogate law and tend to drive you from the position of constitutional action, the reign of force has been inaugurated against us as your representatives here. A proposal has be«n made to depart from the ordinary and legitimate procedure of Parliament, and to suppress at a strike the liberties of oui country ; to impose upon us duties from which we could not shrink. Strictly confining ourselves within the rules and laws of Parliamentary action, wt resisted this flagrant proceeding. Only by a resort to open illegality could our efforts be foiled. On Wednesday last, in violation of the laws and liberties of Parliament, the voice of the Irish representatives was arbitrarily silenced — not to facilitate any effort of beneficial legislation for the English people, which has always received from us advocacy and support, but in order that a Coercion Act for Ireland might be forcibly passed through the Legislative Assembly. Last evening we — 35 of your representatives — for claiming our rights within the rules and precedents of this Assembly, were removed by force from the chamber, and a scene recalling the worst days of the Stuarts disgraced the records of Parliament. Advantage was taken in our enforced absence to rush through the House a resolution which, designed against Ireland, vests in an individual autocratic power and deprives us, as your representatives, of all guarantee of freedom of action or of speech. In the midst of such proceedings the news which reaches us from Ireland daily grows in gravity. Meetings are illegally suppressed ; arrests arbitrarily made. Yesterday a man well known to us and to ma.ny of you, during these recent events, as a counsellor of tolerance, restraint, and prudence, has been seized, without warning, and flung back to the horrors of penal servitude. Fellow-countrymen, we adjure you, in the midst of these trials and provocations, to maintain the noble attitude that has already assured your ultimate victory. Rej ect every temptation to conflict, disorder, or crime. Be not terrorised by a brief reign of despotism. If you be true to yourselves your triumph is certain. To our countrymen in Great Britain we appeal to frustrate all endeavours to excite enmity between them and their English fellow-citizens, amongst whom many generous voices are even now raised in our behalf. Fellow-country-men — In the discharge of our duties here, our attitudes and our actions have been, and shall be, in every instance guided by consideration for your interests. We ask you, by your self-restraint, your unshaken organisation, your determined perseverance, to strengthen our hands in the struggle we maintain. Signed by — C. 8. Parnell, J. M'Carthy, J. Barry, Wexford county ; J. G. Biggar, Cavan county ; G. Byrne, Wexford county ; W. J. Corbett, "Wicklow county ; John Daly, Cork city ; C. Dawson, Carlow boTough ; John Dillon, Tipperary county ; H. J. Gill, Westmeath county ; E. D. Gray, Carlow county ; T. M. Healy, Wexford borough ; B. Lalor, Queen's county ; Edmond Leamy, Waterford city ; James Leahy, Kildaie county ; E. M. Marum, Kilkenny county ; B. C. Molloy, King's county ; R. H. Metge, Meath county ; Isaac Nelson, Mayo county ; Arthur O'Connor, Queen's county ; T. P. O'Connor, Gal-way city ; F. H. O'Donnell, Dungarvan borough ; The O'Donoghue, Tralee borough ; O'Gorman Mahon, Clare county ; Jaa. O'Kelly, Roscommon county ; R. O'Shaughnessy, Limerick city ; W. H. O'Sullivan, Limerick county; Richard Power, Waterford city; J. O'Connor Power, Mayo county ; J. E. Redmond, New Robs borough ; Thomas Sexton, Sligo county ; J. T. Smithwick, Kilkenny county ; A. M. Sullivan, Meath county ; T. D. Sullivan, Westmeath county.