General News.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XII, Issue 1, 25 April 1884, Page 27

General News.

Mr Plunkett, England's new Minister to Japan, is a Catholic. During the past year the Catholic population of Wisconsin has increased nearly 17,000. A despatch from Halifax, N.S., says :— " Numerous desertions take place daily from the Nineteenth Regiment, which is under orders for Malta, the men fearing that they will be sent to Egypt for active service. The following is the exact text of Mr. FarneU's amendment to the Address in Reply to the Queen's speech :— That the recent policy and conduct of the executive in Ireland have not tended to the interest of tranquillity or peace amongst the Irish people, and that we particularly deplore the wanton prohibition of legal and constitutional public meetings throughout Ireland, whereby the right of the exercise of free speech has been practically extinguished in that country ; also that we condemn the Irish Executive for having permitted magisterial bodies to make with impunity public declarations applauding the conduct of Lord Rossmore (an ex-magistrate, superseded for disturbing order and for provoking ill-will and strife between different classes of your Majesty's subjects in Ireland), which public declarations have directly incited your Majesty's subjects in Ireland to illegal acts and disorder ; and furthermore, that we humbly assure your Majesty of our firm conviction that the policy of forcing or stimulating by the agencies of the State the emigration of the Irish people out of Ireland should be definitely and at oace abandoned. Death has just stricken down one who in a former day occupied a prominent position in political and civic life in Dublin. After a somewhat lengthened and severe illness, Commendatore Peter Paul' M'Swiney died at his residence in Baggotstreet, Dublin, on Wednesday evening. He had reached the advanced age of 74 years, and throughout the greater portion of his long life he was an active figure in the political struggles of his country. He was an ardent Repealer, and the political principles of O'Connell were strenuouslyadvocated by him whenever occasion arose. In later years he refused to associate himself with the popular party in Ireland, and for an extended period be had withdrawn altogether from the strife of politics. He was known everywhere as an active and devoted Catholic, and the various charities of Dublin, and indeed of Ireland, found in him an indefatigable friend. The staunchness of bis Catholicity was recognised at Rome, and, on the occasion of his visit to the Eternal City some years ago, he was created a Commander of the Order of St. Gregory the Great by the late Pope Pius the Ninth. In the municipal affairs of Dublin he bore a prominent part, and he was twice elected mayor of the city. He filled the civic chair for the first time in 1861 and he was again called to it in 1875, the year of the O'Con* nell centenary. He was the head of the well-known mercantile house of M'Swiney, Delany, and Co., and in commercial circles he was justly esteemed for his unimpeachable integrity. May he rest in peace.— Nation, March 1. The patriotic men of Cork can say as the exiled Irish soldiers were able to say at Fontenoy, " The field is fought and won." Bight well did the spirited electors of the Southern city responded to the call of Ireland on Saturday last, when it became their duty to elect a Parliamentary xespresentative in succession to Mr. John Daly. By a larger majority than was ever known in any previous election, they returned the national candidate. Mr. John Deasy, to serve in the House of Commons as the colleague of Mr. Parnell. At first it was announced that Mr. Deasy had won by 997 votes/and it was subsequently discovered tha-t his actual majority was 972— the numbers being, Deasy, 2,125 ; Goulding, 1,153. If the Irish Tories and Whigs were not such exact counterparts of the Bourbons in never learning anything, this election should teach them the absolute futulity of forcing a contest on any of the popular constituencies in Cork. It is, however, too much to expect that this latest experience will make them wiser in the least degree. The overwhelming victory won by Mr. Deasy will at once be apparent when the number of votes cast for him is contrasted with the support received by the popular candidates in former elections. In 1868 Mr. John Francis Maguire ! polled 1,894 votes, 1872 Mr. Ronayne received the support of 1,883 electors, and at the general election in 1880 Mr. John Daly polled 1.923 votes, while Mr. Parnell polled 1,505. It will be seen from these figures that the newly-elected member has won by 620 more votes than were given at the general election to the Irish leader.— Nation, March 1. "Royal" Meath — the constituency of Frederick Lucas, John | Martin, and Charles Stewart Parnell — has proved anew that it is an impregnable stronghold of the national cau c c Whatever chance of success the Irish Whigs and Tories may think they have elsewhere! they know well that in Meath their West-British principles would not be tolerated for an instant. They very wisely, therefore, steer clear of the county altogether. Thus it was, as we fully anticipated that the Lord Mayor of Dublin. Alderman Meagher, found himself returned to Parliament on Thursday week without having been put to the expense or inconvenience of a contest. The Lord Mayor's candidature was received everywhere throughout the constituency, with the greatest enthusiasm, and we are quite confident that his lordship's career in the House of Commons will fully repay the confidence which Meath has reposed in him. In his speech returning thanks for his unopposed return the Lord Mayor, as might have been expected, voluntarily promised that he would give a loyal adherence to the Irish party led by Mr. Parnell. The Land Act and the Labourers Act were both condemned by him as inadequate, and b>-. I declared that it was absolutely necessary to amend both befov > the? could be made to work beneficially. The mere amendment of these measures would not, however, satisfy his lordship. No laws, he emphatically said, no matter how constructed, or with what intention I they were enacted, could be satisfactory to the Irish people as long I as those people were debarred from legislating for themselves in their 1 own country. — Nation, March 1.