Dublin Notes.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XX, Issue 21, 11 March 1892, Page 21

Dublin Notes.

("From the National Papers )

Thi ravages of influenza in our city have been marked during the week ending January 16 by the serious illness, and in some cases the death, of many prominent citizens. The death rate in Dublin last week was higher than in any other city in tbe United Kingdom. In addition to this, a severe epidemic of pneumonia has set in, owing to tbe severity of the weather. Several distinguished ecclesiastics (including the Catholic Archbishop of Cambrai and Genoa, and tbe Protestant Bibhop of Down and Connor, have succumbed to the disease in the past week. From all parts of the Continent, as well as from the English provinces, come reports of a very marked extension of the disease. Oa Wednesday evening the public mind was moßt painfully agitated by the news of the critical condition of the Duke of Clarence and of Cardinal Manning, both of whom were very badly attacked by tbe malady.

The following telegram was received in reply to the Corporation's resolution of condolence on the death of the Duke of Clarence — " Tbe Lord Mayor, Maneion House Dublin. Tbe Princess of Walei, Princess May, and I, are deeply touched by the resolution passed by the Municipal Council of Dublin, under your Lordship's presidency, which we have just received, and your words of sympathy have gone to oar hearts. Our dear son was very happy in Ireland during his recent visit, and was about to return there had he not been stricken down by bis fatal illness. — Albert Edward, Bandringham, Monday."

The lablet memoir of Cardinal Manning says of his mother that " she was the ideal English mother of the day, and a very pretty women in her youth. Her maiden name was an Irish one, and though her son knew little of her descent he had thoughts that she belonged to a family that had lapsed not very long before from Catholicism. His love of Ireland, which may almost be described as a pasßion of his later life, was probably not uninfluenced by his strong tribal feeling, and by the determination he ever bad to stand by bis own." There are few Irishmen who will not learn with pride of this link of relationship with the great dead. Cardinal Manning bad, in truth, the Celt's aversion for compromise and enthusiasm for causes which had the world against them.

It may not be generally known that the Bight Rev Monsignor Gilbert, D.D., who has been appointed Vicar-Capitular of the Archdiocese of Westminister pending the election of the late Cardinal's successor, is of Irißh extraction, his parente having been natives of Wexford. Monsignor Gilbert waß born in London, and educated in 8t Edmund's College, Ware. Since his ordination he haß laboured on the London mission with conspicuous success. His principal work has been accomplished among tbe poor and tbe afflicted, and with so little ostentation that to the present day few know that he has been the founder and mainstay of several refuges and asylums, the principal being tbe Providence Row Night Refage and Home, in the Parish of St Mary, Moorfields. Dr Gilbert is about sixty-five years old, but looks youDger, and had been for many years the rigat-hand man of the late Cardinal, by whom he was trusted with the most crucial affairs of the archdiocese.

Mr Matthews, the Catholic Home Secretary, who, when a Parliamentary candidate, boasted h's sympathy with Fenian ism, has been holding forth to bis constituents in Birmingham on the terrors of Home Bule, and the tyranny of the Catholic religion. It always takes a renegade to properly malign the faith or policy which he abandons. Mr Matthews endeavours to gi?e Mr Balfour a baud up with the Orange civil war bogie. Mr Matthews threatens England with a " religious war " if she darea to grant justice to Ireland in the teeth of Orange outcry. This is certainly a curious argument of fear and faction to address to England. But the scare is dead, for neither Mr Balfour nor Mr Matthews can reverse it. la England they now know Colonel Saunderson and Johnston of Ballykilbeg almost as well aB we do iv Ireland and laugh at them almost as much.

A fund subscribed by tenants for tbe benefit of a landlord is unusual, if not unprecedented. Such a fund is now open in the County Wexford, and, what is more, is being heartily supported by tenants and Nationalists. Captain Biddalph Colclough who. in an hour of trouble, his found strong support in the friendship of his tenantry, is not a usual type of Irish landlord. With the estates of the great Cloclougb family he took up the coble and patriotic traditions of Tintern Abbey. The fair and liberal treatment of the tenantry, and a sincere sympathy with the Irish people, lost Captain Biddulph Colclough his popularity with tbe landlord class. Highbanded treatment by tbe Court of Chancery threatened to deprive him of his residence and estates, but the spontaneous generosity of his tenants and neighbours has stood him ia good stead .

Mr Francis George Heath, in a letter to the Standard, throws light on the Cardinal's open-handednesss. Some years ago Mr Heath, when seeking pecuniary aid for a man who had been impoverished by bis unselfish labours on behalf of the English peasantry, wrote to amongst others, one of the richest men in England. The Crccsus>

replied '• offering to contribute one guinea nnder certain very stringent conditions." A letter to Cardinal Manning, for the same object , brought Mr Heath " a very charming letter " from the Cardinal, promising fifty pounds to the fund, and apologising " for the small* ness of tbe sift," occasioned by "tbe great and pressing claims npon a slender purse." Mr Heath is not surprised that the personal estate of the Cardinal " has been dissipated by the benevolence of the generous-hearted Bomaoist." It will be remembered that, on tbe receipt of the jubilee testimonial from his admirers, the Cardinal, having thanked them, in his reply declared that it was his wish to die poor, and there and then proceeded to distribute the jubilee fund — which amounted to some thousands — among the objects which moat forcibly appealed to his personal purse.

" I was only once," writes a correspondent of the Speaker, " close to the Duke of Clarence for a number of hours at a stretch. It was on the memorable afternoon in the spring of 1886 when Mr Gladstone brought in bis Home Bule Bill for Ireland. It was my good fortune to have a seat in the Ambassadors' gallery on that occasion, and I found myself sitting just behind the Prince of Wales and his eldest son. Both listened, as the whole crowded House did, with breathless attention to the three hours' harangue in which the great orator unfolded his proposals for a new and better way with Ireland. When he sat down, exhausted by an effort which might well have tried a younger man, there was a loui outburst of cheering from the members of every party. To my surprise I heard the sounds of applause close to me in the gallery— an unprecedented breach of rules. I looked up, end saw ' Prince Eddie ' vigorously clapping his handß. Far be it from me to suggest that he had any sympathy with Mr Gladstone's policy. He may or may not have had any sympathy, but of that I know nothing. What was evident was that the generosity of youth had drawn from him a spontaneous tribute to the genius and eloquence of a great veteran. I own I admired him for his frankness and naivete of his display of feeling."the

It is amusing to notice how silent tin Tory papere have become, now that the completeness of Minister Egan's triumph in Chili has become manifest. If we are to believe the Timet a month ago his recall was a settled affair, or, at any rate, was sure to be demanded by the Chilenos. His refusal to attend the inauguration of tbe President until the offensive imputations against him were withdrawn was treated as the rankest miscondnct, instead of being a dignified diplomatic protect, which every self-respecting nation should endorse ; bat now that the Chilian Government have withdrawn the imputations contained in their letter to Washington, and tendered repara. tion for the attack on the American sailors, tbe Tory yelpers have not a word to say. On Saturday, to crown Minister Egan's vindication, he was permitted with the assent of the Chilians to escort several leading Balmacedists from their sanctuary in the U.B. Legation to Valparaiso, and place them safely on ship board. In sanctioning this we must say that the new Government acted handsomely to their former foes against whom, of course, passion surged fiercely after the fall of Balmaceda, and we trust Chili will now settle down in peaco under its present rulers. As for the American Minister, we fancy he will now get a rest froJi being barked at ; and it is safe to say that every Nationalist rejoices at the discomfiture of his London libellers. Good old Patrick Egan. Ireland is with you every time 1

We regret very much to have to announce the death of Lord Ffrench, fourth baron of the name, which took place on Tuesday January 19, at his residence, Elm Park, Merrion. He fell a victim af er a brief and severe illness, to the all-prevailing and daily more' fatal influenza epidemic, complicated in his case by congestion of the lungs. Sir George Porter and Dr M. A. Boyd were in attendance almost from the first, and all that medical skill and care could do was vainly exhausted in his behalf. Lord Ffrench was an old man being in his eighty-second year. He was bom on September 13,' 1810, and succeeded to the title in 1860. He was a D.L. and a J.P* for Qalway, and in 1857 he married the only daughter and heiress of the late Bichard Thompson, Eeq, Stanesty, Wrexbam. There wts no issue of the marriage, and it would appear that the Hon Martin Joseph Ffrench, barrister and J.P. for Dublin and Galway, will succeed to the title and the property. Martin Joseph Ffrencb, who is himself an old man, has, however, sons to succeed him in the inheritance, the eldest of whom, we understand, is at present a law student, and is at the same time reading for honours in Trinity having been previously educated at Clongowes. The entire family are Catholics, and have shown a certain sympathy with Irish popular movements, which is not usual among the Irish aristocracy. The late lord was from the first an honest and earnest Home Buler. He expressed his views clearly and boldly in a famous letter which he wrote to Isaac Butt at the very inception of the movement. From those views he never wavered . He was a member of the committee formed to give a worthy reception to thi Marquis of Bipon and Mr Morley when they came as English Home Bule delegates to the Irish metropolis.

An incident connected with the death of Mr M. Macken at Drogheda, a week or two ago, illustrated the remarkable instinct of a cockatoo belonging to tbe deceased. The bird is a remark»bly fine one, white as a bit ot snow drift, and sporting a golden crown.

When Mist AUoken came forth ia the morning she found the bird much agitate J. On the neighbours coming in they found the bird perched on the dtad mia'd shoulder, tacking vigorously at the lapel of hit coat, and now and again turuiag his head to his ear j saying, " Get np, get up 1 old Scotchman, get up 1 " The bird was for years a household pet of the deceasad, who broaght it home with him about twenty years ago, after a coasting voyage amongst the Indian islands. He was bis constant companion while in the house, his guide, philosopher, and friend. The bird had the free raDge of the building untrammelled by a cage. He resisted with all the strength of bi6 beak and claws being remove i from his dead master. When got away at last from him he took up his position on the table, rocking his body while, repjatin^, "get up, get up, old Scotchman, get up." While the body was being coffined, the bird, stricken with silence, looked on, percbed on the back of a chair, swaying bia head to and fro. Some one went over to him and saiJ, " The old Scotchman is dead." The bird picked himself np, turned hi* head on one Bide inquisitively, and said, •< dead, dead, dead ? " This he continued to repeat at intervals during the whole time the remains were waking Undeterred by ths number cf people in the house, he hovered around the shell in which his dead master lay, and appeared to fully realise the situation. Since the interment of Mr Macken the bird is evidently in a drooping and dejacted condition, refusing to be comforted.