PARTIES.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XX, Issue 42, 5 August 1892, Page 17

PARTIES.

fj HE result of the general election at home is the return U of a majority of Members pledged to support a C measure of Home Rule for Ireland. Will effect * be given to the will of the majority of the nation, v or shall a majority of the House of Lords be perW mitted to render negative the deliberate voice of the people ? The minority of the nation appears to be determined to rule in defiance of the majority of the people, or, in other words, their contention is that the House of Lords, not the House of Commons, is to decide the policy of the oountry. Under such circumstances, it may be asked : What reason can there be for a Houie of Commons at all, and what is the meaning of consulting the nation and allowing a few hundred peers to defeat the will of some millions ? The thing is ridiculous, and we may rest assured that the Commons of the United Kingdom will not long tolerate the dog-in-the-manger and selfish policy of the Tory party. In order to frighten the people of England, Scotland and Wales, the Prime Minister of England gave direct instigation to the poor dupes of Ulster to threaten bloody wars and we know not what else besides, should Home Kule be granted to Ireland. If the aspiration of the overwhelming majority of the Irish people be granted, the people of Ulster were instigated to rebel, and it was hoped that the threat of lining the ditches would so terrify the electors in Great Britain that they would run away from their convictions and vote for Lord Salisbury. But the electors of Great Britain were not frightened, and so it has now come to pass that the instigators of rebellion deny they ever instigated it. Indeed, this step backwards was taken before the elections had actually commenced, so manifest had it been made that the threat, instead of terrifying, had the exactly contrary effect. Hence we find that at the great Belfast convention, the resolutions were of the mildest kind, counselling only passive resistance, and that the disappointment of the blood and thunder people was so great that, thinking the meeting had better come to an end after the first resolution was passed, the vast assembly sang " God save the Queen," and that it took some time to convince the meeting that more resolutions were to follow. This meeting, though very numerously attended, was in reality a grievous mistake, and, for the Tory party, a disaster. But this was not the only great mistake of the party. Another is Lord Salisbury's threat that the House of Lords has determined, as a foregone conclusion, that, no matter what the nature of Mr Gladstone's Home Rule Bill may be, no Home Rule Bill shall become law, at least not till after another general election. This defiance of British public opinion and contempt for the deliberate opinion and policy of the majority of the nation can result in only one effect, viz., that the people will become more determined than ever to have their views embodied in an Act of Parliament, and more firmly resolved that a handful of peers shall not be permitted to dominate the country. And as the Ulster Convention ended in a fizzle, so Lord Salisbury's threat can be expected to endjin nothing but empty bravado or disaster to the House of Lords.

But the Tory party is pretty much the same all over the globe. In their estimation there is neither knowledge, honesty, nor patriotism outside their own ranks. The pitiful exhibition that has been going on for three weeks in our Parliament at Wellington is a striking illustration of this. Not being able to deny some good in the administration of the present Government the Tory Opposition attributes all that is commendable in it to Sir H. Atkinson's policy and the laws he enacted, and simply because Liberals are in office all sorts of disasters are predicted In the future. This is funny, but at the same time a clear manifestation of overbearing conceit so characteristic of Toryism, so ingrained in the classes that have assumed to themselves the title of the governing classes and families. But the day for this sort of thing is passed, and nations and peoples will stand this nonsensical assumption no longer. At the same time there are a few cranks who are doing immense harm to both their own party and the nations whom they infest. These are the Socialists and the land nationalises, who, though a very small minority, are ready to go to extremes to force their nostrums on unwilling people, and who by their folly and extravagance bring discredit on the Liberal party, paralyse their efforts in many directions, and, whilst scaring away

many sympathisers, strengthen the hands of Tories. The Liberal party ought, for its own sake, to shake itself free from these undesirable people, even at the njsk of losing their rotes. Well may Liberals say, " Save us frocu our friends." Such friends as these are worse than enemies. These friends are helping the Tory cause much more efficaciously than the most rabid and zealous Tory.

The Archbishop of Wellington, the Bishop of ChristCHurch, and the Very Bey Dr Egan, 0.5.8., Procurator for Auckland, arrived in Danedin on Thursday evening. The Conference was held at the Bishop's Palace daring the following days, and on Tuesday the distinguished visitors left this city by the Ohristchnrcb express on their return journey. The resolutions adopted by the Conference will be published in our next issue.

Pontifical High Mass was celebrated at St Joseph's Cathedral, Danedin, on Sunday at 11 a.m. The Bishop of the diocese acted as celebrant ; the Bey Father O'Donnell (Port Chalmers) as deacon ; the Bey Father Murphy as sab-deacon ; and the Bey Father Lynch, Adm., as master of ceremonies. The Archbishop of Wellington and the Bishop of Ohristchnrcb, who also preached, were present in the sanctuary. The Bey Dr Egao, 0.5.8,, conducted the choir, tht music performed being variously selected. In the evening the Bishop of Dnnsdin was the celebrant of Vespers ; the Archbishop preached ; and the Bishop of Ohristohurch gave Benediction of the Most Holy Sacrament. On each occasion, but particularly in the evening, there was a crowded congregation .

The Hon J. A, Tole delivered a lecture on Tuesday, July 26, in St Patrick's Hall, on the " Life and Times of Daniel O'Connell.' The hall was literally packed, the people standing around the sides and at the bottom of the building. The lecture was under the auspices of the Auckland Catholic Library Society, Father Hackett, Adm. St Patrick's ; Father Leniban, P.P., Parnell ; Father McMillan, P.P., Pukekohe, and Father Sheridan, N.S.W. The chair was taken by E. Mahoney, Esq., President of the Society, who briefly introduced the lecturer and patron of the Bociety, Hon J, A. Tole. At the conclusion of the lecture Mr W. E. Hackett, aenr. , vice-president, moved that a hearty vote of thanks be accorded to the Hon J; A. Tole. The subject was most admirably chosen, and would, he felt sure, havt • lasting effect upon all those who bad the good fortune to listen to its delivery. The hon lecturer was an example to all young Catholics and Irishmen. He was foremost in every work connected witb our Church, and likewise in the furtherance of every Irish movement, and he was now the honoured president of the Auckland Branch of the Irish National Federation. Therefore, it was most fitting that he should appear before them that evening and enlighten them upon the great Catholic and Irishman, Daniel O'Connell.— Mr D. Flynn, in a neat and appropriate speech, seconded the motion, which, npon being put to the meeting, was unanimously carried, the chairman adding that he hoped Mr Tole would again favour them ere long with such another treat as they had bad that evening.

The Walker incident, alluded to in our Wellington letter, is very suggestive as to the refusal of the Governor to comply with the request of the Ministry for the appointment of Members of the Legislative Council. His Excellency is, of course, under strict instructions to preserva such a tone in the Council as will make all Liberal measures as detestable there as Home Bale is to the Hon Walker. Under the circumstances, it is not at all surprising that the Governor also refuses to lay his correspondence on tht matter with the Secretary for the Colonies before the House. But will the Colony consent to be bullied into Toryism by Lord Salisbury, his colleagues, and bis employees ? It seems to us that this question alone demands a dissolution in order that the country may b« afforded an opportunity of asserting its independence in no doubtful terms. As a leader of society Lord Glasgow may havt exceptional virtues— especially in Wellington : as a political catspaw his rtcall does not appear unadvisable — or, indeed, improbable.

We shall publish in our next issue the lecture on the life and times of Daniel O'Connell, delivered the other day in Auckland under the anspices of the Catholic Literary Society by the Hon J. A. Tole: The lecture is a very able one and oar readers will find it of the highest interest.

No-Popery has become the last refuge of another bankrupt politician. Poor old Bismarck follows the example of Lord Salisbury. Speaking at Jena (he other day he declared he had sworn to defend a Protestant Empire. It was out of the question, he said, to rale with the Catholic party as the ohief factor. — Bat we always return to oar first loves : ie is the infallible custom of dotage. Even the broken down veteran who has stood in the cold at the gates of Oanossa forgets his humiliation with the loss of memory, and in senile drivel fights his battle over again. Alas for poorhoman nature.

Mr Jambs Jeffrey Roche, who has succeeded the late John Boyle O'Reilly, his well beloved friend, as editor of the Boston Pilot, has also inherited the} poet's mantle so nobly won by the deceased. Mr Roche was invited to compose and read the verses for the dedication of the Gettysburg monument. Wa publish the poem elsewhere. It is magnificent — sublime in the simplicity of its grandeur.

According to the Wellington correspondent of the Otago Daily Times the following confession of faith was made the other day in the House of Representatives by the Member for Waitemata . " I was onca a Wesleyan, then I became a Presbyterian. I was confirmed in the Church of England, sir. In another place I joined the Boman Catholics for a considerable time, Then, sir, I used to attend the meetings of the Ohristadelphians and Calathnmpians." And what is the Hon Member now ? A K*kothumpian, par exemple 1

"Thb Vostiche Zeitung describes the English missionaries in German Africa ac setting about their work with a Bible in one band and a rifle in the other, and demands their expulsion." And this is Protestant testimony, How these Christians love one another 1

We are requested to state that there will be no postponement of the drawing of tbe art union in aid of the building fund of the church at New Plymouth. The names of these persons who have sold one or more books of tickets will be published in this paper. It is hoped that every exertion will be made to promote the Buccess of the undertaking, on wbich very important issues depend.

The return of a follower of Mr Gladstone for Orkney and Shetland ferves to increase his majority to 43. Tbe returns had not been received when those of the elections generally were made up, The Member in question is Mr Leonard Lyell.

" Sib C. G. Daffy coneiders that the Home Rule proposals of 1886 are not suitable, and he points out that the youngest of her colonies "would not allow England to control its purse." — Sir Charles Gavan Duffy, no doubt, understands wbat he is speaking about. Still all pronouncements of this kind appear to us premature until Mr Gladstone has made known his proposals. Meantime they tend rather towards confusion.

Advantage (cays the Southern Standard) was taken of tbt large attendance at the Roman Catholic services on Sunday, at Biversdale, to hold a meeting for the purpose of considering the ways and means re having a church built in the township. The Rev Father Newport presided, and urged the gentlemen present to unite together to get a church built as soon as possible. He pointed out that they Lad already secured an acre section in the centre of tbe township, and it was simply a matter of putting their shoulder to the wheel, to have the section fenced and planted, and a church erected at an early date. The rev gentleman's ideas were very cordially supported by several of those present, and a committee was formed, consisting of the following gentlemen, to arrange details, send out lists, etc. :— Messrs J. Kelly, D. Dunn, M. Shea, P. Stanton, E. Fitzgerald, L. Cooney, M. R. Lawlor, J. P. Matheson, and M. M'Carthy. Mr James Kelly was appointed treasurer, and Mr Matheson secretary to the committee. Considerable enthusiasm was shown in the matter by the meeting, and there is every probability that a church will be erected in Riversdale Boon ; and judging from a remark made by Father Newport, he means to aek the Longridge Village settlers to make a start in the same direction in the near future.