THE JUBILEE HIBERNIANS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XV, Issue 11, 8 July 1887, Page 11

THE JUBILEE HIBERNIANS.

TO THE EDITOR N.Z. TABLET. Sir, — la reading your article in last week's Tablet on " Irishmen and the Jubilee," I began to think there is hope for us after all We may yet be saved from the curse that seemed likely to descend upon us— the curse of having the bleached bones of Irish nationality strewing the plains of Canterbury— a sickly spectaole for any West Coast Irishman that might happen to pass by. And I was turning with grateful eyes towards my countrymen of the Coast for the noble example which had nerved us of Christchurch to.stand by our coloura, and to reflect that while the Queen's favoured subjects were right madly profuse in thanksgiving for the fifty years' favours, we had a right to look moodily on and think of fifty years' persecution, and even that to be outdone by the intensity of bitterness which prompts the " Jubilee Crimes Act." The Queen's most trusted and favoured Prime Minister, the man who declared his Irish policy to be " Manacles and Manitoba," is signalising this Jubilee year by that policy ; and, no doubt, unless the one great English statesman is successful in his efforts to thwart it, the Queen's royal hand will soon sign the Act that will place manacles on our conntrymen or transport them to Manitoba. Will any high spirited Englishman blame us for withdrawing from the festive scenes when we think of these things ? Ah, we would be cowards and sycophants had we done otherwise. I was congratulating myself on your being able to write Buch an article, to say that "you had not heard whether the members of the Society in other localities were also invited, but you had no doubt that where such was the case a refusal was given." That all made up a very brilliant picture of patriotism, but a friend of mine has just pointed out a huge black spot upon it lam afraid to look at it, much less to touch it, for I have already seen what threatened to befall a stronger hand that dared to touch it. Mr. Editor, it is no less a place than the hitherto immaculate West Coast. Now, ye outraged correspondents who may set upon me, I say nothing against it, only enclose to Mr. Editor a scrap cut from the Weekly Press, wherein is graphically described the loyal demonstrations at Hokitika. I pass over the list of those who engaged in the light fantastic at the Jubilee ball, although there are amongst them many old Irish names, and I come to the order of jubilee procession on Tuesday. It runs thus : Volunteer Band, Rifle Cadets, Fire Brigade, Oddfellows, Foresters, St. Mary's Band, Hibernian Society, school children. Now, sir. it is quite possible that this account of the Jubilee procession on the Coast may not be correct ; in this case I shall have done good by giving an opportunity to contradict it,but if it be correct I>ould respectfully suggest to|my countrymen there that they also aot in unity with their townsmen in perpetuating the event. I notice that his Worship the Mayor planted two oak trees in tha square fronting

t7t 76 * 1 ! B *^^' and made a moßfc appropriate speech on the occasion jSItS,??. devio. and Hokitika of tbe tamre could best a£%£ t \l "°° M ""''""bow notable Hibernian, droprnd etc * m Paddy.