IRISH NATIONAL LEAGUE, CHRISTCHURCH.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XII, Issue 1, 25 April 1884, Page 19

IRISH NATIONAL LEAGUE, CHRISTCHURCH.

A veby interesting gathering of this Branch took place at their rooms on the evening of Thursday, April 3, being the second ordinary meeting held Bince the commemorative banquet celebration on St. Patrick's night under the auspices of the League in this city. After the President had opened the meeting in the usual manner, Mr. Leahy, the Treasurer, at once proceeded to acquaint the members with a correct statement of the expenditure in connection with the banquet, also to make out an acconnt of the somber of ticket* placed in their bands for sale at a previous special meeting, and likewise of the various sums of money obtained for Buch as were disposed of,— all of which consumed a lot of time, and was a work of some difficulty, fully exercising the abilities of Mr. Leahy as an accountant, though of no mean character. Indeed, as all thronged round him, each with a handful of tickets and money Mr. Leahy's pencil for a time had to move, as Te Whiti would Bay, in his customary figurative and imaginative style of diction, " with the speed of the wind." And had the prophet seen the table so completely strewa with such sums of money of all kinds, bank notes, gold and silver, it is easy for one to magine, who is possessed of the least amount of knowledge as to his •haracter and particular turn of disposition, what impressions would have risen up vision-like in bis poetic mind. Assuredly the sight would have caused him to grieve and to weep at finding that the affairs of the world and money have still so deep a hold on the affections of men and occupy their attention so much, and at the more than Egyptian darkness that yet prevails amony the genus homo in these parts, notwithstanding the vast amount of spiritual light we have received from his own inspired discourses— to say nothing of the noble exertions of the Salvation Army to enlighten us on these matters ; and it is more than probable that he would have been tempted to think and say of the world at large, with the exception, of course, of his own followers, what he has been reported to have said of our Lords and Commons, and of State officials generally a little oefore that ever memorablp military event took place— the eiege of Parahaka. " These men," said he on that occasion, " come to os and talk about justice and right, butitis simply money and land theylseek." Government men from the highest to the lowest, one and all, their object is money. Take away the purse and then they will do nothing at all for you. Hven the Governor stands and holds out his band for his wages. The gratifying announcement being made that the banquet had proved a financial success, and other routine business concluded, a very animated discussion commenced for a second time among the members of the League, since ite establishment in Christchurch, on what is perhaps the greatest of all political questions— the nationalisation of the land, and of the theories now being put forward on this question by such writersjas Henry George, of San Francisco. Especial reference was made to the interesting debate which lately took place in the Canterbury Literary Society, occasioned by the reading of a paper on these subjects before the members of that institute. Mr. Nolan, who is likewise a member of the Literary Society, and who was present at the time referred to, ppoke first, and reviewed at some length in his usual caustic and exact manner nearly all the speeches then made, both for and against the state ownership of land, pointing out what appeared to him to be the weak and strong points of each, and dwelling especially on that made by the President, as his was considered to be the speech of the evening. Mr. Leahy next took up the question, after him Mr. Baxter and Mr. Milner, the result being that a considerable portion of the evening pissed away both profitably and agreeably, and many important facts and new aspects of the question were satisfactorily elucidated and disposed of. After which Mr. Leahy narrated in a brief but entertaining manner the principal events in the life of James O'Kelly, as sketched by the Melbourne Advocate. Altogether an enjoyable evening was spent, and as the attempt to render the meeting nights pleasant and edifying by supplementing the ordinary business with more attractive matter, such as readings, debates, and lectnres, has ended so well, the objects oE the League here, therefore, are now not only " to render snch moral and pecuniary support as is in the power of its members," as the preamble to our code of laws states. " to those in Ireland who are endeavouring to obtain for their country the great blessing of a local government" by ]ust and lawful means," but to revive, and having once revived, to foster a national spirit among Irishmen, also to educate them in the affairs of their native land, and as to their duties and obligations in its behalf. It is to be hoped, then, that those who live in these parts, a* well as all who may sympathise with so noble a cause, and mutually feel for their fellow-men will have the good sense to regard tha League in this lurht, and evince the same by joining it as soon as possible. Furthermore, when once it is joined, let tnose who have prom wed to advance the principles upon which it is based remain united and steadfast so that the League, not only in Christchurch, but in every other place where a branch has been started, may progress until ita mission shall have been accomplished. After a notice of motion had been tfiven to the effect that the League should hold it meeting monthly, instead of once a fortnight as at present, the meeting terminated.