(From the National Papers )

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XX, Issue 27, 22 April 1892, Page 21

(From the National Papers )

Mb Michael Davitt, presiding at the annual meeting of the Irish Woollen Manufacturing and Export Company on February 16, stated that the net profits for the year amounted to £914, which added to the balance carried forward from last year, amounted to £1057. Out of that earn an ad interim dividend of 6 per cent had been paid for the six mouths ended 30 sh June last, leaving a balance of £707 to bo disposed of — a condition of tho company which he ihought would be deemed Tery satisfactory. He explained it was the intention of the directors to send a representative to the United State? during the coming winter, for the double purpose of securing a wider market for the goods of the company and making arrangements for an exbibit of them at the Chicago Exhibition. He added that at present the outlook for the Irish woollen industry is most encouraging. A dividend at the rate of 6 per ceut per annum on the paid-ap capital of the company was declared, and a vote of thanks passed to the directors. Speaking at Newbury the other night Mr Justin M'Carthy described Mr Balfour's Loc*l Government Bill as a most entertaining and interesting specimen of fancy legislation. It proposed on the Grand Jury system, which was the most barbarous and grotesque thing known to civilisation, to found entirely new and equally absurd anomalies. He condemned the proposal to exclude illiterates from the County Council franchise, and deprecated the suggested cumulative Tote. In ridiculing the proposal to subject the action of the County Councils to revision of judges, he said that in all the history of absurd and grotesque legislation he had never heard anything to equal it. If anything could stiffen and harden the Irish Parly in their determination to have a Government of their own, it wonld be the fact that there could be found amongst any party in English politics, however ignoraot, stnpid, and selfi9d they might be, a set of statesmen who could really belteva the Irish Party woulJ accept suoh a measure as that proposed. There ne?er was more idle phantasy than the suggestion that Home Rule meant Some Rule, for the humblest peasant understood perfectly woll the difference between religious faith and political action.

Dr Sheehan, Bishop of Waterford, already known as an advanced educationalist, is devoting special attention to the institutions in hia dioceses which are centres of mental improvement. During his visit to Clonmel last week he went the round of a number of educatiooal establishments. He visited the Irishtown Christian Brothers' schools, the Presentation Convent schools, Mr Boyle's academy, the Lor^tto Convent, and S.S. Peter and Paul's Christian Brothers' schools. In each school tbe children preseated his Lordship with addresses of welcome. At the Loretto Cjnventthe Bishop said it g>ve him great pleasure to find co many religious institutions in the town, which proves the zeal of the priests and the faith and piety of the p2ople. " Other lands, once remarkable for f^itb, eeem to be losing the light but to-day we can proudly boast,' 1 said tue Bishop, '< that Ireland now, as in the days of her prospe-ity and learning, whea she was styled the Island of Saints and Scholars, and later on, when in days of dire persecution ami deep huiii iation, eae was kn>wn as the • Island of Martyrs,' still clings unfalteringly to her present faith, and many a man, and woman too. has mvie heroic sacrifices ra her than give up the faith." On Sunday evening be delivered an address before the Waterford Young Men's Society, in tha course of which after alluding to the social aivait^es offjrel by that society as a Catholic club, in which the guiding spirit of reli-i m prevails, said, " I rejoice that this society is non-political, and I am glad to hear that it is Irish. Tuere is no reason why we should not be true to our country and not haul down its colours (applause), There was a time when the names of Irishmen were known and respected by the banks of great riv^ra flawing through foreign lands ; and even if Ireland be now lowly it should be de<ir to every Catholic. There was a tiim when it was ' treason to love her and deUh to defend ' bnt that time has passed away. The sea-divided Gael is building up a great Church in America and A>istralU. I shall ever take a w^arm interest in the society in adversity and prosperity. May it be what it has been for many years to come. May its members be true Catholics and true lusbmen. The™ is no society in all this land of which we can more proudly claim membership than this," The Rev George T. Stokes, D.D., read a very interesting paper on " The Kaowle ige of Greek in Ireland between 300 and 900 a .d.," before the Sojal Iri-h Academy oa Monday afternoon. In a pr - evioua pap2r he proved that there was a knowledge of Greek in Gaul duriDg the centuries between the Christian era and the year 600. He then explained how this knowledge may have passed into Ireland! and traced tbe historical notices of the trade between Ireland and Franc*, quoting the confession cf 8t Patrick, the Jife of St Kiernan of Clonmacnoise, showing that French wine merchants vieited the centre of Ireland about A D 550 He a! B o alluded to the works of St Colombanus and of St Conbula, to show that vessels sailed direct and regularly between Gaul, Ireland and Scotland. The second por-

tion of the paper showed that Greek and Hebrew did pass over to Ireland and became known among Irish scholars. The ancient Irish scholars not only knew Greek, but wrote Greek manuscript. Ha regrette I that Greek was not, in this year of 1892, being followed up as it was centuries ago. On the motion of Dr Atkinson, seconded by Professor Haughton, F.T.C.D , the paper was referred to the Council for publica'ion.

We have never acknowledged Mr Balfour's much-lauded capacity for statesmanshiD, feeling that his claims rested altogether on the simple theory that coercion is a panacea. Therefore whilst others have been amazed and amused at bis indescribably stupid Local Government Bill, his dismal failure in framing the measure has caused us no astonishment. At present he occupies a position which the meanest politician need not envy. On the eve of the general elections be has dealt the Government a far wone blow than it could under any possible circumstances receive from its political •pponents. In preserving the evils of the Grand Jury system his Bill perpetuates the most essential grievances which called for redress, and in placing it withia the power of twenty cesspayers and a jadge to dissolve the proposed councils, it is absolutely childish. Scarcely less ridiculous are the proposed cumulative voting and tbe exclusion of illiterates from the County Conncil franchise. The measure, of course, will not become law ; tut it serves a useful parpose for the Liberals. It enables them to prove to conviction the futility of any other policy than that of trusting the Irish people and allowing them to mmage their own affairs.

Oa Tuesday evening February 23, Mr. Jackson, Cbief Secretary, for Ireland, received in his room in the House of Commons an influential deputation, who asked that some grant should be made to Ireland for tha purpose of promoting technical education. The deputation was introduced by the Duke of Abercorn, and included Lord Pembroke, Lord Mooteagle, Sir B. Hirland, M.P. , Captain McCalmont, M.P. ; Colonel Waring, M.P. ; Mr. Sexton, M.P. ; and Mr. McCarUn, M.P. Various suggestions were made as to tbe source? from which such a grant might be drawn, and its importance was urged. It was also pointed out that the Irish authorities had not left to their discretion the mode of applying the share of public money which fell to that country corresponding with what was known as the equivalent grant to Scotland. As the money io the case of Ireland was allocated by Parliament in aid of local taxation, the Chief Secretary, in the course of his reply, hinted that it might perhaps be possible to make some grant out of the unexpended balance of the £40.000 which was given some years ago to Ireland for intermediate education, but he would not commit himself to any definite pledge on the subject, and simply promised that the matter would have careful consideration.

On Saturday, February 13, Mr. Thomas A. Macawley, of Ballina who was sentenced at Cork A^zes in March, 1884, to ten years' penal servitude (or comphc ty in what was known as " The Mayo Conspiracy," was released from Mountjoy Convict Prison. Mr. Macawley was h een on Saturday by a representative of the National Press, and gave some facts as to the treatment of bis fellow-prisoner, the late ratrick Nally, who 3 e prison treatment was so strongly condemned by the coroner* jury at the inquest in last November. For several days previous to his admission to hospital, Nally was complaining of bi3 health to the prison doctors, but he was not admitted until be had reached such a stage that for several days before he could scarcely touch food. Finally, from sheer exhaustion, one day he left work, and lay down in his cell. He was snt to hospital a few days laer. His cons itution was so far broken down before he received special treatment that he succumbed to the malady which attacked him— typhoid fever. Nally was almost always put to disgusuog work. The prisoner Matthew Kinsella, if examined, could have proved that provious to his admission to hospital, Nally was unable to tat his food, but s ill was kept working at the foul and loaihscme piggery, though he protested against it. Mr. Macawley further commented on the exceptional severity with which prisoners charged with offences bearing a political tinge are treated.

A genuine poet has died in the person of T. C. Irwin. His p?etry was of that delicate, qoiet.and remote kind, whose mer'iia are not of wide appeal ; but it bears upon it tha unmistakable marks of genuine poetic inspiration. He was a worshipper of nature, and a watcher of nature's moods, and under Irish skies his goddess has many ; nor did he altogether miss the " still sad music of humanity." But his poem* never attained a great popularity. All hh work's showed the author to be a sahohr and a man of taste.BHe had the critical faculty, too ; ani his litertry articles in the revised Nation, down to a compara ively recent date, were worthy of the traditions of the journal whose criiical fame ln<l been established by Duffy, McCarthy, O'Hagan, and Mitchel- His literary work, however, was a'most altogether without political motive. He was an artist pore and staple. No fewer than eight volumee bold the effusions of his muse, and they contain compositions worthy to rank among the best in tha too small library of Irish literature. Hts career, from the worldly point of view, was not prosperous. He was the son of a physician, and inherited considerable wealth. In early life he

elected to study for the medical profession, but the complete loss ofo f hit property in 1848 compelled him to seek the more precarious rewards of the literary life. His poetic temperament did not fit him to meet the harder shocks of life, and he underwent some trials of affection whith were sore to bear. Tae cffjrt to lessen tin difficulties of life for him by obtaining him a small pension was not a suoeess. He has left work, however, which few of the pensioners hare equalled, and which will S9cure him a place in Irish literary annals, and in the memory of those who cherish the expression of the genius that is "kindly Irish of the Irish, Neither Saxoa or Italian."