Dublin Notes.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVII, Issue 9, 21 June 1889, Page 21

Dublin Notes.

(From the National papers.)

Pfelß ChA&les Russell, by his long residence in England seems to have lost his knowledge of Irish idiom. In his splendid analysis of the rubbishy case for the Times on Tuesday he interjected a comment on Father O'Reardon's telling denunciation of crime, and it shows that he missed Father O'Reardon's meaning. " Leave the village tyrant to us," ran the speech ; " aDd if Mr. Forster does not arrest him, speaking seriously, if be goes on disturbing the peace of this district, be has as good a right to be put in gaol as any other man in it." On which Sir Charles added — " As to one man having as good a right to be put in gaol as another, my lords, I may say it i» a privilege not exercised generally as a matter of choice." The distinguished counsel Beems to have forge ti en what an Irishman means when he uses the phrase " to have a right to be." While Father Marrinan was being hustled into prison in Limerick, two other priests — the Rev. John Cunningham, C.C., Silvermines, and the Bey. Michael Morris, C.C., Newport — were being prosecuted at Nenagh before Removables Gardiner and Evanson. The charges against the lev. gentlemen were of taking part in a conspiracy to induce Mr. Power Lawlor's tenants oot to pay their rents, and of using intimidation towards Land Agent Garvey. A large force of military and police lined the streets, comprising one hundred and eighty of the R.1.C., a company of ihe Derbyshire Regiment, and fiftyf ty odd Husgprs. Large contingents of people thronged the town, and cheered enthusiastically for the rev, defendants, who were professionally defended by Mr. John Redmond, M.P., and Alderman Dundon, of Limerick, Some desultory evidence was given by a few constables, wno were merely long note-takers. It was good enough, however, for the Removables, who on Wednesday, April 10, sentenced the two clergymen to two months' imprisonment. The case will come up fer review iv the superior courts. The appeals of Messrs, Sheeby and Finucane, M.P.'s, were decided before Judge Purcell on Tuesday. April 9, in Limerick. The County Court was densely crowded on the occasion, and tbe customary array of police and military lined the streets in the immediate vicinity. His Honour having at first reserved judgmentin thecase of ilr. Moran, who appealed against a sentence of six months' imprisonment, subsequently confirmed it, as well as a similar sentence pissed by the Removables on the Rev. Mr. Marrinan. His Honor, moreover, confirmed the sentence of six months psssed on Mr. Finucaue, M.P., but reduced that of Mr. Sheehy to five months. The prisoners were immediately removed to the county gaol, where they were visited in the afternoon by the Mayor of Limerick, who anuounces that they refuse to wear the prison clothes. No attempt, however, has been made np to the present to force them to do so. Judge Parcell's sentences are scandalously excessive. The extraordinary victory at Kennington has put new heart in Ireland, whicb wanted something to strengthen her in presence of the hideous Reign of Terror to wtiich she is subjected at present. In London the causeot the Home Kule has here ofore been considere 1 almost hopelesss. Dominated by the middle and lower middle classes, London constituencies have always been the narrowest, most prejudiced, and most ignorant of Irelaud'seoemics. That Keni ington should ratity the mighty protest which. England has been making of late against the base, bloody, and brutal policy of the Government, shows that the English Democracy is coming to the front in the metropolis, and is equally significant aad cheering. Mr. W. A. Mac Donald, M.P., is justly taking a deep interest in the case of Mr. Conlac, of the Carloiv Nationalist. The hon. ge itleman recently aßked the Chief Secretary in the House of Commons whether his attention had been cilled to tue imprisonment of Mr. Conlan for publishing the proceedings of an uasuppressed branch of the National League. Mr. Mac Donald w.sbed, moreovtr, to know uy virtue of what statute the punisbmtnt had been inilicted, and what was the nature of the evidence against tne accused. The following was tbi extraordinary reply : Mr. Conlan was not prosecuted, it seeme, for publishing the report of a meeting of an unsuppressed branch of tne National League. His offence was that ot publistiirg in a newspaper incitements (-wV) to subjects of her Majes'y to violate the law ot tbe land, and he was ordered to give bail or in default to be imprisoned. The justices acted under a statute of Edward 111. Mr. Mac Donald is justJy indignant ever the manner in which his question nas been met, and says :: — •' I would ask was there ever such an abuse of legal form .' Here was a man whose sole t\\ nee was that he published in his paper a speech made by another peison at a public meeting, a tuing which he nad often done bef ure, and which the proprietors and editors of newspapers aic constantly doing all over Ireland. England, and Scotland. He could not be brought up even under tbe Coercion Act. as the branch of the League at which the speech was made bad not bceu suppressed. The nieeuog was a perfectly legal one, and m attempt nad been made to stop it. By this travesty of justice the liberty of tbe Press all over Ireland is menaced, and 1 am satisfied that nothing but the widest publicity can prevent tbis rusty old statute, levelled originally at pc sons ot 'ill-fame,' from being applied to those provincial newspapeis which keep the lamp of Nationalism burning m the remotest corners of our land.' The Scotch members in Westminster claim the right of Home Rule for Scotland, iear after year the demand for Scotch autonomy is becoming loudei and more uncompromising in view of the fact /hat Scotch legislation it> being totally neglected in the big housj on fcfce Thames Embankment. Ur, Clark, one of the most energetic Scotch representatives, called attention in the House, on Tuesday evening, Apnl 9, to the necessity of a scheme of Hume Rule foi .^jotland, and moved that anangements should be made for giviug v the people of Scotland, by then representatives in a National Parliament, the management and control of Scottish afturs. Mi. Hun L.-, in seconding the motion, exprebsed the opinion that Hunt RuL l^r

Scotland could wait until the Irish Home Rule problem was definitely solved. Mr. Gladstone, in a few well-chosen remarks, said that they had not yet reached the time, and the circumstances are not ripe to dispose finally of the question of Home Rule for Scotland. If Scotland, by a clear and unanimously expressed voice, demanded Home Rule from a United Parliament, he could not deny the title of Scotland to urge that claim, and he believed Parliiment would accede to a demand made under such circumstances. Mr. Balfour followed Mr. Gladstone with a few flippant observations, in the course of which he said that he doubted if the sentiment of Home Rule for Scotland was growing rapidly. Then, a-suming the heroic attitude of a doughty champion of the integrity of the Empire (.bless the mark !), he said that the Imperial Parliament would be hopelessly mad if, at a time when every cation iv America and Europe is drawing closer the bonds uniting different parties and sections, they were to scatter and divide when they are endeavouring to unite. These clap-trap platitudes were, of course, expected by the House from such a quarter. The motion was eventually rejected by its usual Tory majority. The Home Rule cause in Scotland will, however, Ire neither scotched nor killed by the votes of the Unionist battalions. The progress made in the study of the Irisn language is one of the signs of the awakening of a spirit of Irish nationality. Side by side the increasing interest in our antiquities and early literature is worthy of all praise. The Royal Irish Academy especially deserves credit for the scrupulous care with which it gathers and cares for the numerous remains of ancient art with which the country abounds, and which proves that Ireland, long before the Christian era, enjoyed a civilisation only second to Greece and Rome. During the paßt year many remains of Pagan Ireland of great value and importance have been added to their mußeum. Amosg them were a gold neck torque, found in a drain in Lissedrom, County Mayo ; bronze axe-head and rude stone implements, from Scanff, Coun'y Clare ; bronze penannular circlet, recently found iv County Tyrone ; bronze bracelet, bronze fibula (knownas the Cunningham Brooch), and bracelets of silver, from the Londesborough collection ; bronze leaf-shaped sword, from Lough Girr, County Limerick ; ancient leather shoe, from promore ; slab of wood, with intdglio designs ; ancient and rare silver coins, casts from ancient sculptured stones, inscribed tombstones from graveyard of All Hallows Monastery, Rathdrum, County Wicklow. In the library a considerable amount of work has been done in continuation of the catalogue of pamphlets and broadsides. A valuable Irish language manuscript, on vellum, has, during the past year, been obtained for the library! The Yellow Book ef Lecan, the last of the great Iriih manuscripts which the Council propose to reproduce in fac simile, is now in hana ; and it is hoped that a large proportion of the work will be completed in the summer of tbe present year. • The Tories are to be pursued with an energy and fury in England heretofore unknown. •' Force a dissolution " has now become the war cry, led off by Sir William Harcourt wi f b the ringing words . " Up, guards, and at them ! " The Ministry, whose members have proved themselves the patrons of thieves aud forgers.'and even the partners of their crimes, "must be rooted out, if English honour is no more than a name. The note was struck by Sir Wil.iam in a fierce and witty speech addressed to a great meeting at Lambeth Biths. He said among otner things : " Depend upon it the election of Kennington, like the bittle of Gravelotte, only precedes trie disaster of Sedan. We have well routed tne enemy ; we have broken their ranks; but every strategist will tell you that what happens depends upon the pursuit of the routed tioops. Your great chieftain has given out the word to us, • Up, guard«, aud at them ! ' Yes, gentlemen, and we are going to be at them. We must give them no time— we must give them no rest — y, c must give them no quarter. 1 have read in ihe papers that the Liberal Unionists are goin_: to meet one day this week. I forget what day it is -I think Friday— not a lucky day. They are going to organise themselves. The Liberal Unionists are very much like the aicuy of the Court of Pumpernickel, of very great personages, serene highnesses, transparencies. There is Lird Hartington in stars and garter. There is Mr. Chamberlain. I was saying Lord Hartington was at the bead of the Pumpernickel army in stars and garters, Mr. Chamberlain of the white plume, and our good friend Sir Henry James knocked into a cocked hat, and they command this army, aud they are going to meet on Friiay to organise themselves and save hsr M.ijesly s Government. There was one portion of the organisation cf this army I had forgotten. You know a great army must always have a band, and I do not know whether the Pumpernickel army hive a band ; but 1 dare say they have, and I should think it probable Mi. Came and Mr. Jesse Collings (the remainder of the sentence was lost amidst tbe loud laughter which followed the mention of these names). The leader of this party is Lord Hartington. Lord Hartington was good enough to challenge me the other nignt at Islington. lam a man who when a person challenges me am always ready to meet him.''