MR. W. REDMOND'S VISIT TO THE WEST COAST.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XI, Issue 26, 26 October 1883, Page 21

MR. W. REDMOND'S VISIT TO THE WEST COAST.

(From an occasional correspondent.) The Irishmen of Hokitika, hearing that MesSs!" V.^H. K. Redmond and J W. Walshe were about to visit the West Const of Su Zealand, immediately resolved that it should be through no Hokitika A patriotic few gathered, formed a branch of the Irish fnd Mr C S^Z un , amm ° USI - V ele^ed Mr. P. L. Lynch secretary, Mb^ letter from Mr. C. Horgan, a well-known Hokitika trade 2 and 25SSS f . a S P^ n the - USe Of the Town Hall °* behalf of the Redmond and Walshe Committee. The Mayor, Mr. Fowler, said he had declined to act as chairman of the Redmond meeting* i as aeainst the peace and goodwill of the people. He entertaK Hh 2 of the population from which Mr. Redmond derived his anc»st?y Tut he fai ed to fee how the Council could let the hall to Mr. RedSond tolectuic. Ihe question was a delicate one. But as Mayor o? the T«.wn Hall. He referred to the case of Mr. Brombv who was not Jllowet to speak in the Town Hall, Melbourne, by the Mayo^f the town The people here were quiet; they wanted no si rife • he objected to anyone throwing the torch of sedhfon among us 'Mi King (a German) said if Mr. Redmond came here to preach sedition WUllZ Ul r h bt ' d * starbailce - R e objected to lett?ne Z bS J Mr' Willmms (chemist) concurred. We were of all nationalities and SteHu L r -thfM (phOfO # r ? ber) Said geSen who applied tor the hall for the Messrs. Redmond were no doubt acting genuinely. But let them fight their Old Country grievances out at Home Vve did not want them imported here. Mr Peake fhotelkeeper) did not know anything about Mr. Redmond and his lectures The question was what was the subject of Mr. Redmond's lectm?? Unless the lectures were of such a nature as to cause bad fee S let Council ho would not let the hall. fi r . p catc mo ?edTit th™ hill Out nf thi'f^ °! 01Kl^ ttl " ! ., I ' S " sl rato - *>>*"> »<" »o seconder Out of the following Council-men. Jew an! Gentile, of Bokltita only one member hid a spirit of toleration :-Mavor IW erlE-M tion at Kumara. 1- ft for Hnkitika in the Rev. Father Wash's bn<«nr tr^c r^ Kumara; Corby Bros, of Rimu ; and J. J. Crofts of Boss who ?he r Wa?l fl ' OI V; SS » eet W-H.K. Redmond at KiSSLaJ SKfISiST i tPSS* v>°T e?ed U raeet him ' als * Goldsboroush, tomS «,« , IHok1 Hok " lka Irishmen engaged vehicles of every description to meet the talented young gentlemen. Men who could not get busies etc. engaged all the available saddle horses and a splendid pro' aSmnnf "f fiDe physi< l ac now At the Arahura Mr StaSS^J W ri 33 n T' b vf theH £itika reception committee, anHaken on * rV arke s bu £S v - The contingent, numbering many vehicles ana horsemen, proceeded to Hokitika, where they arrived about four

0 clock, and Mr. Redmond received quite an ovation from large numbers of all denominations, who assembled in crowds to meet him. He landed at the Occidental Hotel, where an illuminated address of welcome was read by Mr. P. L. Lynch, hon. sec, from the balcony of the hotel, as follows :—: — "To W. H. K. Redmond, Esq., M.P. " Honoured Sir,— Wp, the Irishmen of Hokitika and Rimu, tender you our warmest reception, and the expression of the honour accorded to us by your visit. Separated, as we are, thousands of miles from our native land, our hearts beat in unison with our countrymen at home in th*ir heroic struggle to obtain the right of being allowed to live ©n the soil they cultivate. We admira the courage constancy, and prud«nce of the noble band who take pride in the leadership of Charles Stewart Parnell, and we recognise io you, th-ir accredited envoy, the same indomitable ptuck, energy, and all the other sterling qualities by which they are distinguished in the Imperial Senats and ihe public platform. You, sir, have met with opposition in your journeying through these colonies from the traditional hatei'3 of our race, who would deprive you of your rights and privileges as a British subject, and deny you the hospitality and courtesy due toy out exal'ed character and hteh social position as a member of the Imperial Legislature, and as the esteemed representative of the Irish nation. But the measure of your success is in exact ratio to the amount of opposition you ivceive. Once more accept our Cead millefaUthe ou behalf of the Irishmen of these districts. "Signed by C. Horgan, P. L. Lynch, T. O'Neill, M. White, J Cavanagh, a. Dee, J. Fitzgerald, W. Kenny, A. Daly, T. Daly J. Clarke,. E. Hogan, D. Lynch, J. MeGoldrick, J. Dowlin*,' B. O'Connor, D. Bourke, and W. Pigott." ,_ c i, 11 J aminati on and engrossing of the address were entrust ed to the Rev. Mother of St. Columbkille s, Hokitika, and like everything entrusted to her car j was a credit to the Convent. Mr. Lynch handed the address to Mr. Redmond amidst tremendous cheers. Mr. Redmond stepped forward and said :— Mr. Lynch and fellow-countrymen,— I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the grand reception yoa have givea me this afternoon. I know'tbat this oration accorded me is not from any exceptional regard towards mys^P, but is more in consequence of my being a represantative of your kith and kin, the Irish nation. lam proud to say that in no country that I have travelled have I been received with a greater warmth of true Irish feeling than, in the city of Hokilika, in comparison to the population, and I can only account for t^iat fact by the action of the authorities of this city in endeavouring to deny me the rights of a British subject, irrespective of my being a member of the British Parliament, I do not inttmi to make a speech on this occasion. All I want you to do is to come and hear me to-night, and I will promise jou that not one woid shall be uttered by me in any sense offen-iv e to prsons of other nationalities, or that I would not utter in the British House of Commons. I thank you most heartily. On Wednesday evening, October 3, at 8 p m.. a crowded audience assembled in the Corinthian Hall, Revell street, Hokitika, Mr. James Clarke being unanimously voted to the cbair. The chairman in introducing Mr. Redmond spoke in high termg of the action taken by him in advocating the Irish caive audvi-iting Hokitika. He (Mr. Clarke) regretted to think that the use of the of the Town Hall had been denied Mr. Redmond on this occasion The reason for such a step he was at a l->ss to uuderstand (tremendous applause.)— ( Mr. J. Clarke is very popular). Mr. Redmond, who was received with enthusiastic cheerin^ upon rising, commenced by thanking those present, one and all, for the cordial and hearty reception he had a°aia received at their bands. Such, a welcome was an emphatic protest against the refusal of his application for the use of the Town Hall. What object was to be gained by the refusal ? If the object was to prevent him speaking, they had failed most miserably. He had had the u«=e of the largest halls in london Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds. Edinburgh, and other large commercial cities, and he was surprised that the city fathers of Hokitika should be so narrow-minded as to prevent him from addressing his fellow-countrypeople on the Irish National Land League (applause) He then asked them to dispense with every feeling of bigotry or prejudice which they might have, so that their opponents and enemies might see it was their desire to carry on this agitation for the restoration of Ireland's right in a spirit of toleration, friendliness, and fair play aU round (cheers). This mission he described as twofold. First they desired to obtain the sympathy of the people for the cause of old Ireland ; and, secondly, they desired to obtain money for the support of the Irish National Leaaue. They had first wanted money for tha relief of those affected by the famine, and now they wished for money to continue the agitation for the Irish National League which had not been able to wring the reform it desired from "the* English Parliament. It was met with opposition, but that only stimulated them all the more, and they would not return to Ireland until they had fulfilled th-ir work in Australia and New Zealand. Ihe Land Leasne was established for the purpose of aboli-hing the land tenure of Ireland asir exists to-day, which is worse ihan slaveiy in many cases Even those who were least acquainted with Ireland, and Irish affairs, were aware there have been discontent, poverty, and starvation in Ireland. They were told the countiy lacked prosperity because the people were not industiioup, because the lands hicked fertility, and because the country was over-populated. He had heard these arguments advanced hy opponents of thtir cause in Australia, but God in heaven knew how much the Irish tenautiy had toiled and upop how little they had lived. How was it that in every country in all parts of the world an Irishman could h. >M his own, and occupy positions of honor and independence and prominence', except in one li-tle island, which God had appointed to be the home of the Irish race (loud cheers) ? Secondly, did the country lack fertility? They knew that even in Ihe bitterest periods of Ireland's woes, in that dire period of distress, when deaths became so frequent that coroners ceased to hold inquests, and newspapers ceased to

record the deaths, there was exported from Ireland sufficient "rain produce to have maintained in happiness and luxury three times the population the country held. The third and most ridiculous reason of all was that Ireland was over- populated. Sa far from its bein^ over-populated, it waa like a "land deserted. In the County of Kifdare, one of the richest in Ireland— (he spoke authoritatively of it, because six of the happiest years of his life had been spent iv Clongowes College there) -take that country alone, miles and miles of laud could be traversed without meeting a single person, bnt here and there were to be seen ruins of habitations, the only remaining evidence of the blighting influence which had been shown by landlordism. None of these three reasons, therefore, could ever held good for the admittedly unprosperous state of Ireland to-day. A fenile land, inhabited by a sober and industrious people, its produce sufficient for at least 10,000,000, and it was poverty-s rickeu and discontented. Landlordism was responsible for the bloodshed and rebellion of Ireland -which had blighted her fair history, atid Ireland's money was spent everywhere save in Ireland. Landlordism lives by the armies of the British Crown. He quoted from Mr. Froude, the historian, Dr. Woodward, a Protestant Bishop, and others whose impartiality nobody could doubt. At the best of times the farmer could scarcely live and pay rent ; and when two or three oad seasons followed, his position was truly pitiable. On one side the agent and emergency men, and on the other wife, and children crying for bread. But, thank heaven, they were beginning to recognise their duties, and first see to tbe welfare of their families (cheers), [n many cases they braved eviction, and before the Land League the stoutest-hea-ted dreaded eviction. Last year landlords had thrown out upon th^roadside, like dead dogs, 5200 families, or 36,000 souls, with a ditch for a bed- side, and the canopy of heaven for a cover. Last year, prior to his arrest, he received a message from Miss Parnell and the Ladies' Land League (loud cheers), a message to proceed to the scene of a contemplated eviction at Carlow, and brin^ money -with which, in conjunction with the parish priest, to properly provide for the sufferers — this was a time when a thousand leading workers of the Land League were in prison—he could not refuse. He met the Rev. J. Dalany who drove him to the eviction. He remembered the day as if ifc was but yesterday. It was a cold, bitter day, the hills covered with snow, and icicles hung dripping from the trees. On the roadside were thiec cottages where id free-born Australian would house his horses or his dogs. From these the families were to be evicted, not because they would not pay the rent, but because they became members of the Land League. Fifty of the Irish constabu ary were on gnard, and admittance demanded. The p.ople within held a sullen s\b nee. In an instant bayonets and axes shivered the doors • every article of furniture, even to tbe beds, was thrown upon the snow clad road. From the houses went old men and women, children clinging to their paients, wondering at the scene, and iv ignorance of tiu'ir fate. He remembered one poor old woman throwing up her aims as sac came oat, and exclaiming, '< My God I hive lived here Mxty yeais. and now there is no ioof to cover my grey hairs " (sensation). As he stood and watched that scene he registered a vow that whatever little energy he bad would be devoted as long as he lived to destroy that system which made it legal to throw women and children out upon a snow clad road (loud cheers). People said those peopl<? should emigrate. They emigrate 1 Among them there was not enough to emigrate one to the nearest village for one night s shelter, or food for oue chil i. But he thanked God there was is his pocket money for them from the Irish National League wherewith he might find relief and protection for those people, until the landlords chose to be better for the future, and not to throw helpless women on a snow clad road in the middle of winter (Loud cheers). He then described the Irish Land League, its object*, its works and its hopes. By their support, moral aud material, the movement was constitutional and its demands were based on the holiest and firmest principles of justice. The Land League was an organisation of all kinds of Irishmen, Protestant, Catholic, Presbyterian and Methodist rich and poor, great and small, all united and meant to conquer, heal pait differences, and carry fthe social and political reforms they desire He and his brother appealed to all classes for support and help in the name of Ir. land (loud cheers). Ireland called for assistance in that struggle—constitutional and moral— for the right of governing and making the laws for the land in which its people lived (cheers) He earnestly besought every one to give a help and they would be rewarded by tbeir consciousness of a great and good work towards their faith and fatherland. He ended with a splendid peroration, stating that opposition only made him the more determined to boldly face the work before him, and, in the words of the poet, " Let sages frown, Let cynics sneer, Letheartless cowards doubt and fear, Let traitors barter and betray, And hollow friends go creep away ; Through sun, through shade, Through good, through ill, We'll keep the green flag flying still." —(Loud and prolonged applause and three times three ) The next evening he lectured on " Forster's Coercion Act," when he was greeted with rounds of applause. Mr. James Clarke occupied the chair again, and was enthusiastically cheered. Mr. D. Lynch proposed a vo!e of thanks which Mr. C. Horean seconded. fe +>,* JIT;J lT ; R , e , dm ? n d brkfly replied, and finished by proposing a vote of thank, to Mr. J. Clarke, the chairman. So unanimously was it taken up that everybody seconded it amidst tremendous applause. The collections and subsci iptions in Hokitika were larger than on any other pprt of the West Coast, no doubt owing, in part, to the bigotry displayed before Mr. W. H. K. Redmond was heard. B J fl ?RG? RG °- C] ° C * 0I ? Friday> October 5 « fa e left for Boss escorted by fZrld WW S ™' SlDgl^ bug?ies ' fife* etc ' Such a procession never RoS« «« a1?a 1 ? Slich . n!iaib ers was the unanimous opinion of old lios&ites. Ross account ia my next.