THE MOST REV. DR. MaoEVILLY ON THE MIGRATION COMPANY.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XII, Issue 13, 18 July 1884, Page 31

THE MOST REV. DR. MaoEVILLY ON THE MIGRATION COMPANY.

(Dublin Freeman, May 31.) On Monday a largely attended parochial meeting was held in the Cathedral ground, Tuam, in furtherance of the migration scheme, His Grace the Archbishop, Most Rev. Dr. Mac Evilly, presiding. His Grace having been duly moved to the chair, amidst loud cheering, said : — You need hardly be told that the object of this vast assemblage which 1 see round me here to-day is intended to be, as I make no doubt it will be, eminently practical. You are aware there was a preliminary meeting held the other day at the presbytery, over which I had the privilege of presiding, as I have here, composed of such of the representative men of the parish as could possibly attend — men of practical earnestness, as was evidenced by the number of shares they had taken on the spot. At that meeting it was agreed that a parochial meeting of the parish of Tuam should be held here ! to-day to promote the same object. For, mind you, this is not a | general meeting of the district, but a parish meeting of this parish, r to be followed by other similar meetings throughout the diocese *of Tuam, of which this is to be the precursor, and, let us hope, the. model. This meeting, then, is to be practical. Speeches may be good in their waj if followed by corresponding results. But to my mind one hundred shares are worth two hundred speeches (cheers). And here let me warn you in limine against being scandalised by the hypocritical cant of certain saintly men, and women too, who no doubt will feel shocked at seeing an Archbishop and his clergy and people assembled here to-day, under the shadow of the Cathedral, for promoting what they would term merely secular business. Nearly tww thousand years ago similar plaints ware uttered by pharisaical hypocrites, and they were quickly and scornfully set at rest by the voice of Truth itself. These people would not feel shocked if a meeting were held for the purpose of transporting our people. We are assembled to keep them at home. They would feel no qualm of conscience at defrauding on a large national scale the labourer of his hire, which has already reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth* against them. We are assembled for establishing the' everlasting laws of justice (hear, hear). All we can say of such is, we leave them to God, but are we so sure that God will take them from us 7 Our object in meeting here to-day is to promote one of the most patriotic projects that was ever put forward in the memory of living men for advancing the interests of our country (hear, hear). Now, what is that object 7 It may be said to be two-fold— destructive and constructive. Our object first is to denounce in vigorous but respectful language the insidious scheme of subjecting the remnant of our fast-ebbing population to the horrors of transportation and exile, brought about in many instances by blandishments coupled with necessity (true, true), and the exhibition of false hopes and delusive promises sure to end both in disappointment and unavailing regrets. Our object is to save our country from becoming a waste and our towns from having the ploughshare drawn through their streets, or at best the grass grown at their doors, which is sure, to happen if the present process of depletion be continued. That these are not the false sounds of unfounded alarm can be easily seen from the startling statistics of depopulation published every day in our daily papers. Is it net sad to see men elected, or at least legally constituted, guardians of the poor employ their influence to have our struggling, industrious ratepayers taxed for the transportation of their own flesh and blood 7 Tome it is painful to contemplate the heartlessness of the guardians of the poor so prominently exhibited in the western portion of the diocese of Tuam, urged on in some instances by mercenary agents well paid for the work of destruction. | I would wish to see the golden maxim of treating others as they would reasonably expect to be treated in turn, applied to these humane men. If their own children were in queetion would they act in this way 7 Alongside the picture of happiness and prosperity enjoyed by our exiled couotrymen beyond the ocean painted in roseate hues and daily exhibited before our eyes by those interested advocates of emigration, I woul'l place the truthful description given by one whose testimony is disinterested and beyond all suspicion, the Archbishop of Toronto. This illustrious prelate came to this country some years ago as the accredited agent of the Canadian Government. He held out to the assembltd bishops of Ireland on the part of the Dominion Government the most cheering prospects. He had vast tracts of land placed at his disposal to be panelled out to Irish emigrants. I must confess that at the very time 1 instinctively recoiled from encouraging any of our people to emigrate, even with such prospects held out to them. What account does that great but humble archbishop give us now of the result of the project 7 In a general letter addressed to all the bishops and priests of Ireland he implores of them in the name of God and country to dissuade by all jneans their people from encountering the evils as well of a temporal of a spiritual character which they were sure to suffer in Canada. H? not this worth a thousand testimonies to the contrary? (Cheers Bor Dr. Lynch.) It has been also shrewdly remarked that all the •accounts sent by emigrants have been written in the same ■ hand. This tells its own tale. If one halt the moneys that have been ' lavished in transporting ourjpeople were judiciously spent in keeping them at home, we would have a happy, contented, and orderly population. And this brings me to the second object we have in view in this and similar meetings. The work of mere destruction won't do ; we must enter on the work of construction. It would be idle to content ourselves with merely denouncing emigration ; we must provide a substitute. Now, I need hardly tell you that such a substitute is provided in the Migration Company, which has for object to root the people in the soil without injuring the rights of any man living, without trenching on the laws of God or the just law of man (cheers and applause), to place them on the lands which in many instances have been fertilised by the sweat of their brows. This company is now launched before the country. It is for you to say, not by mere empty words but by work, by some present sacrifice, by taking shares according to your means, whether it is to be a succen or not. I met

a respectable man the other day who wished well for the company, and said, "It will be a wonderful event if it succeeds." t told him, in reply, it is nut a question of if at all. Put your shoulder to the wheel, to the work, and help to make it a success (hear, hear). We all Bin cere ly regret the absence of the patriotic and learned Professor Baldwin, who intended being present to explain in his own lucid way the practicability of the projected scheme, and its remunerative character even from a fiscal point of view (three cheers for Professor Baldwin). But some one will say, no doubt with the best intentions, is it not better to wait till the land becomes cheaper, as it surely must 1 But, I ask, is that so certain ? Wait ; but where will our people be in the meantime ? When will similar terms and prospects present themselves ? No ; let us avail ourselves of present opportunities, of what is feasible, in order to strengthen our position, to secure greater and more general national rights hereafter (hear ; " that's the talk"). Will any man venture to say that by using at present every available means for rooting our people in their native soil, or foregoing other national advantages (no, no) we weaken for further objects our efforts at legitimate, peaceful agitation, which, -is the recognised means in this free country within the limits of the Constitution for making the reasonable wants of our people known to our rulers with a view to just remedial legislation (cheers). No sane man would venture to say so. In promoting the migration scheme we are engaged in no visionary or Utopian project, but in one which comes home to our doors. We must be prepared for some sacrifice and not act on the selfish principle of unprincipled hirelings, "it is better to receive than to give." I impressed on Professor Baldwin the necessity of securing good land at any cost, for no one ever throve on bad. land (" That's true, your Grace "), and by transplanting men to bad laud we would be only producing a crop of mendicants whose latter condition would be worse than the first. It is cheering to see the public bodies throughout the land encouraging this patriotic project, and it is to be observed that it ia encouraged by every board of guardians and public body wherever constitutional liberty is not stifled or unreasoning despotism not enforced. To me it is a matter of perfect indifference where the people are located, east or west, north or south, provided it be in Ireland (cheers* and applause). And now, in conclusion, let me ask each one to take shares according to his means ('• we will "). Let a large number of people take a small number of shares each ; without risk or loss to anyone, the result will be the same, while at the same time this patriotic project will be firmly rooted in the hearts of our people (cheers).