A SCENE IN PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XI, Issue 27, 2 November 1883, Page 19

A SCENE IN PARLIAMENT.

The fight on the estimates wag continued on Baturday, August 18 by the Irish members. The Speaker took the cbair at twelve o'clock, and at twenty-five minutes to one the House went into Committee of Supply. The first vote taken was that of £4,927 to complete the sum necessary. for the Lord Lieutenant's household. Mr. Molloy moved the reduction of the vote by £1.000 for the purpose of going into a case very well known to the Chief Secretary, with whom he^ had had a long correspondence on the subject. A short time previous to November attempts were made to burn down three holdings belonging to three farmers on the popular side, who lived in the neighbourhood of Edenderry, on the borders of the Kings County. They hed been preceded by the issuing of letters threatening those outrages. When the letters were sent there was great police activity to discover their author*, but after the burnings there was not the same activity. One of the threatening letters was sent to Mr. Carew, oi Kildangan a gentleman of large property who had never taken part in politics, in the ordinary sense, bat who had shown great sympathy with the poorer classes of the tenantry during the last few years. The district was proclaimed by order of the Lord Lieutenant, and one of the most extraordinary features of the case was the way in which the proclamation was carried oat. Mr. Carew had been the object of a large amount of ill-feeling. The townlands proclaimed, and to which extra police were sent were the townlands in which Mr. Carew's property wa3 situate. The proclamation followed the irregular course of his property for five miles, the only inhabitants of one townland to whWi extra police was sent being a her I and his sister in Mr. Carew's employment. It was clear this was an act of revenge against Mr. Carew, who on November 18, 1882, wrote to the Lord Lieutenant setting forth these facts and received an acknowledgment with a statement that the matter would be attended to. In Mr. Carew's letter a very important fact was shown ; that a woman, arrested and imprisoned for theft, had made a writtea confession in prison that she was the author of the threatening letters, and that she had been assisted by a blacksmith. A prosecution was ordered by the Government on the strength of this confession, The woman had also stated that if they knew the instigators they would be astonished (Irish cheers). When the case, however, came on at the assizes by the orders of the Attorney- General (not the presenthon. and learhedgentleman), tne trial was stopped at the very beginning (Irish cheers). The learned judge asked what was the meaning of this ? The only answer given by counsel for the Orown -was that such were the orders received by him from the Attorney -General (hear, hear). He had always thought that one of the duHes of an executive waa the detection of crime." Mr, Molloy then detailed the efforts which both Mr. Carew and he had made to obtain an investigation into the case, but these efforts liad proved unavailing. The Chief Secretary for Ireland quite recognised the motive of the hon, member in moving this reduction, but it was quite clear to him that Parliament, in committing these powers into the hands of the Irish Government, did not intend that upon the application of hon. members sworn investigations should be given (derisive cheers). It was clear if they had yielded on this occasion, on account of their respect for the hon. member for King's County, and of the importance of the person who probably considered himself agerieved, that they would have had to yield in all cases (hear, hear, from the Irish members), and hon. members who took an interest in the remark would admit that if that were done in this case the last of this tax would have been levied in Ireland (Irish cheers;. He was sorry to say it was quite impossible for him at this period, as before, to accede to the request of the hon. member. Mr. Cowen, after the speech of the Chief Secretary, felt bound to say that no answer had been given to the case presented by the hon. member for King's County (Irish cheers). The way in which the right hon. gentleman tne Chief Secretary had answered the speech of the hon. member for King's County went to show the justification for many of the complaints made by the hon. member (Irish Cheers). It was painful and humiliating for English members to sit and listen to the Crimes Act having been put to such uses (hear, hear). Mr. Healy did not know whether or not he should wonder at the audacity of the hon. member for King's County in asking the Chief Secretary for an inquiry. How could the hon. member expect an investigaton into what had been done by the Castle? The Chief Secretary in his speech had started the doctrine that all natural-born Irish mea were liars except the Constabulary, and that they too, were liars until by taking the oath of allegiance they became full of saving grace. The Government bad also refused an inquiry into the case of Conaell, at Cork, who was not prosecuted, and who was now, he was informed, in the Constabulary. He felt certain tbat the right hon. gentleman would stand up" and defend the spitting of Irish babies upon Irish bayonets with as much aplomb as he had defended this proceeding (oh). The right hon. gentleman had admitted that Mr. Carew had had nothing whatever to do with these outrages. The Chief Secretary — I did not admit it. Mr. Healy — No. The right hon. gentleman said nothing about it. He allowed that part of the case to go by default (hear, hear from the Irish members). The Chief Secretary — The hon. member for King's County did ?v Sa y the author of the outrages had been discovered (cries of Yes ). He said that a woman had admitted that she had wiitten some threatening letters. Mr Healy said the statement of the hon. member for King's County was in the recollection of the House. He said the woman admitted having committed those outrages. ™ c w hief Secreta ry— Not the thirteen outrages. **■'' Healy eaid very well, take her admitting some of them. .But wby, when she had been put on trial, was the case withdrawn, and why was she spirited away ? (Hear, hear). Perhaps she was nowta Ballybough drinking champagne out of the secret service fund, and she would be produced when next the Orown wanted some

mfamons woman— some prostitute— for these were the only persons they could get— to identify some person as a criminal. What was - the explanation for this state of facts? Of course the statement of the hon. member for King's County would not be reported in the English newspapers, and nothing wouli be said except that theie was another Irish row. There was a conspiracy of silence on the Treasury Bench and in the English newspapers. Every exposure made in that House by the Irish -members was cushioned and prevented reaching the public gaz*. The. language of tbe Chief Secretary in reference to this case was a throwing up of the sponge on the whole question of the blood tax. The old motto of fiatjmtitia had been taken down and replaced by an other—" Let justice perish, but let the Castle stand" (laughter). They found that the Lor t Lieutenant has given much larger sums as compensation for maiming, injury, and murder than had ever beea given by the grand juries. What were they to infer from this conspiracy of silence, and this design to cushion exposures ?— a device which was resorted to by those who loved darkness because their deeds were evil. No investigation, no printing of documents ordered to bs pri-ited a month ago by the House, nopublication of the facts in the English newspapers— this was the state of things with which the Irish people ha Ito contend. Mr. Field . got a stab from the Invinclbles, the doctor said his life was not at any time in danger, he was able after a few weeks to go and give hisvote at the election?, and yet he received £3,000 compensation— the girls who were murdered in Ballina by the police nothing at all, thepeople who werj murdered at Batlyrageet nothing at all : everything for the landlords, nothing for the people except the blood tax. These were the engines by which the rule of the right hou. gentleman was maintained in Ireland (hear, hear). Then' he came down to the House and complained that the Irish members laughed and mocked j at him. The right hon. g >ntleman seemed to want them to fight him on velvet. E very thing was tj be made soft and velvei ty for the right hon. gentlemen. But wheu they crossed to Ireland and were in his clutches, it was the jail the right honourable gentleman had for them (Irish cheers). The Irish member?, when statements were made in the House, were to fee so very sensitive of his (the right honourable gentlemen's) sensibility that they must not laugh or cheer ; but in Ireland the right bon. gentleman was ao little sensitive of their feelings that the prison cell was quite grod en ugh for them (Irish cheers). The other day the right hon. gentleman, speaking on the Registration Bill, said that the time had comp for everybody to apeak his full mind on Irish questions. When the Irish members spoke their full mind the plank bed was their reward. Their full mind, indeed 1 Tbe right hon. gentleman must remember that he treated the Irish members in Ireland as his enemies, and he could not expect that they would do auytoing less in tie Hoise than treat him as their enemy. This wa? a quarrel for lifo or death. This was the struggle of the Irish people being fought out in tbis House as their fathers fought it our under different circumstances ; and it was supposed that they could impart into the proceedings of that Houss all the refinements and mildness of language which might be expected in a discussion on the details of the Loudou Water Bill. They were fighting for men's lives, for their liberties, their homes, and their families, and were they to be shaken by no emotions ? The English did not understand the position in Ireland. It was as much'war between the two countries as ever (Irish cheer?). They were tbe exponents of the state of feeling which exists in Ireland. You could not expect from them in this House to do anything but give expression to the feelings which inspire hatred and contempt for the Government of the great mass of the people in Ireland (Irish cheers). Mr. Gladstone, following Mr. Healy, stated that when he entered the House he had not intended to take any part in the debate, but he felt that the style of language which the hon. member had adopted made it impossible for him to remain altogether silent. Havingcondemned the language which the honourable gentleman the member for Monaghan used as calculated to directly stimulate and inflame national hatreds, Mr. Gladstone asked does he (Mr. Healy> really think that it is necessary to say that my right hon. friend is pursuing a policy exactly the same as a man who would justify the spitting of Irish babies upon bayonets ? Mr. Healy— l'es. Mr. Gladstone — He does ? Mr. Healy— Yes. I do. I believe the right hon . gentleman would! defend it. ! Mr. Gladstone — He complains very much that such language aa that is not reported by the English newspapers. Well', I must confess that I am very friendly to reports in newspapers, but I am by nomeans certain tbat it is very desirable such language should be reported (hear, hear). Mr. Gladstone then proceeded to " beseech and entreat" Mr. Healy and others who might have spoken in similar tones to use language leas inflammatory in its character. Mr. Harrington in a vigorous speech called attention to the treatment which he had received at the hands of the Irish Executive, He challenged the right hon. gentleman the Chief Secretary to produce a single expression from' any speech of his during the agitation in Ireland which would justify his imprisonment. He believed in his soul be was imprisoned for twelve months on account of a speech made not by him but by another man. He believed he was imprisoned on account of a speech delivered at a meeting in Westmeath. He certainly attended that meeting as a delegate from the Land League, and, hearing a speaker indulging in language which he regarded as violent, he left his place and interrupted him with some such remark as this—" If yon make a speech of that character I shall leave the meeting, and I «ba'l have to protest against the course of your agitation. " He believed that the reporter, the official reporter, whose report he had never been allowed to see r egged on by the late Chief Secretary, put him down as' taking up the speaking, and attributed to him the observations made by the speaker during the suceeding ten minutes. Mr. Harrington then referred to the case of Mylea Joyce, and again declared his conviction that that unfortunate man had been hanged although he was innocent. Mr. Sullivan said that while sympathetic speeches like that of the Prime Minister were all very pood and useful in their way, they would do little to improve the relations between the two countries.

Mr. W. O'Brien and Jir. Biggar then spoke. flph»?I r ;i?, e fi y> 1 H dld DOt tbfnk would be suitable that that fo . a ! fi n«!t C i°f S t, Wit p <lUttW ; OTO T . Or thr «*™*ls from him in answer to tha speech of the Prime Minister (hear, hear) There was no power of which he was able to carry his supporters whb 82 in any iLTI Znt* any ttt ° ment he Pfc««f ("ear, hear). Of course ™1 »* me f mbe . rs . wer I * v ery small baud of men in that House - men uneducated in its affairs-and when the Prime-Minister chose to avail of an occasion of that kind to make a speech that would be 5^ P i°W tj^hont the*w".af the country, he P was able in regard to. them, it he might say so, » to make the worse appear the bitter reason (Irisb cheer*.) The Prime Minister was not there :be was not cogmsant of the facts when he addressed the Housl, and his fe^g appeal to peace and good-will was no more germane to the discussion than if one man knocking down another had said to the man on the ground, "Little children, love one another » (Irish cheers) Appeals to Christian sentiments were all very well, but io?«v tn X? flUif lU i tO fi Say t0 c isBUCS befol ' e them i the y nothing f?. 10 ,* fttC , te ' fi \ ure |' allegations, and contentions of the character which they brought forward (Irish cheers). The Prime Minister told them to use language in the House which would not creTte prthim (Irish chee^-wpuM he instruct the Pre idea? of The Council long as th. y had <he tborn thrust into tbeir side, so long as the cancer w<t s eating into th Blr vitals, so long should Fri me Minsters contume to hear expiessions in that H.use grating on their feel n?s?ud the feelings of the majovi.y (loud Irish chem). The sooner •the fart was the truth of that statement (Mr. Fur&wr dissented). If not then why keep thousands of armed soldiers and poliw .garrisoning the country ? (Hear, hear.) He merely stated the State ofE3£g m Ire! if the people had the power, and why was it surprising that the reresentatives which these people sent there, in sofar af language was concerned, .hould break out in insurrection when they find the r^WithWr lC \ th f 8 "d grievances of their country were deal with ? (Irish cheers.) They wanted no eloquent appeals to The Chief Secretary replied at length to the soeeches which had been made by M-. Joseph Covvenj and the Irish 'members, but he carefully avoided answering the specific charges brought against his feS fKr lAl**""**, tO "* wbat be^« of the XnSS refened t«, by Mr. Molloy as having been spiritedaway from the Kite's Ooutty, although .he had confessed that she withe vsriter °vl threatening letters. He contained of the- way in which thalriS members attacked both himself and the AttorneVSenraal