THE QUEEN'S JUBILEE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XV, Issue 7, 10 June 1887, Page 13

THE QUEEN'S JUBILEE.

TO THE EDITOR N Z. TABLET.

Sib, — The letter of D. O'Sullivan which appeared in your last issue is certainly most opportune. It is undoubtedly befitting that, as regards the manner of celebrating Her Majesty's Jubilee, Irishmen throughout N.Z. should be entirely unanimous. We here in Rangiora, I believe, have already taken the initiative, and if our opinions on the subject be adopted by our countrymen elsewhere, they will be found sub-tantially the same as the suggestions contained in the letter of your correspondent. While the Irishmen of Rangiora are as one in their opinion that to Her Majesty is due every mark of unaffected loyalty, and while they know it to be the imperative teaching of their|church that to Her, as their legitimate Sovereign, they are bound by Divine law to show every token of outward respect, yet they abstained from all active part in the celebrations which took place here on June 2nd. Newspaper reports declared that the local branch of the Hibernians had consented to march in the procession : this was not true. One or two]indeed were of opinion that it ought to be done, but they were over-ruled by the majority, and willingly submitted to the reasons brought against them. Neither is it true, as was Btated in the Times of the following morning, that, they abstained from marching because they could not procure regalia. They abstained because they believed that the present circumstances of their country and the present attitude of the Tory Government towards it, made it incompatible with the sympathy to be expressed to their countrymen at Home in their hour of darkest trial. Moreover, they are of opinion that the present Government, who have capacity for distorting anything to suit their purpose, would welcome it as news to the House of Commons that, while Irishmen abroad are faithful to the regime and Sovereign of England, because they are away from the influence of National agitators, at Home they are anarchists whose disloyalty must be crushed by coercion.

I have no intention to anticipate what may be said by Rathkealensis, but I wißh to prevent the local papers by their misstatements regarding the action of the Hibernians here, from misleading our countrymen in other partß of the Colony. — lam etc, E. P. HUBLEY.