FORECAST OF MR GLADSTONE'S REPLY TO THE ULSTER DEPUTATION.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXI, Issue 20, 3 March 1893, Page 17

FORECAST OF MR GLADSTONE'S REPLY TO THE ULSTER DEPUTATION.

R GLADSTONE will probably say :—Gentlemen, — I am greatly flattered by your presentation of this eloquent memorial, and the presence of so many distinguished irishmen. I regard the deputation and memorial as a compliment to myself as Prime Minister, and an expression of loyalty to the Constitution and Queen. No doubt you use some expressions which to inexperienced politicians may mean at least a suggestion of a threat. But not so to me, who regard these as a playful mode of expressing intense loyalty and devotion to her Majesty and her Government. Experience justifies me in regarding the matter in this light. lam much gratified at your declaration that you are ardent supporters of civil and religious liberty for yourselves, but could have wished you were equally advocates of civil and religious liberty for others. And 1 am not without hope that the mode in which civil aDd religious liberty has hitherto been understood and practised in parts of Ulster, especially in Belfast, where all Catholics are religiously excluded from all share in municipal government, for example, will, after this deputation, bo entirely changed, and that a truer and more rational interpretation of the words " civil and religious liberty " may be more generally accepted. I notice also that you claim to represent Ulster on the Home Rule question, and this sets me seriously thinking and examining some recent statistics. I find that Ulster is nearly equally divided as to Home Rule, and that an Ulster deputation in favour of Home Rule would be as justified in claiming to represent Ulster as you are. This, I must confess, is very striking, and well calculated to enable people to understand the, exact import and force of your vi^ws on this question. 1 further find that in the County Cavan, for example, where Catholics are to Protestants in the ratio of 10 to 1, the people of that populous county, where civil and religious liberty are not understood as in the Protestant parts of Ulster, have returned to Parliament two Protestant Members, whereas Protestant Ulster, so energetic in proclaiming its devotion to civil and religious liberty, has not returned one Catholic. And leaving Ulster, which perhaps under the circumstances I ought not to do, I find that some of the most Catholic constituencies in the other provinces of Ireland so incorrectly, In your view, understand the meaning of the words "civil and religious liberty " as to have returned Protestant Members. I find also that, whilst in Belfast — the home of " civil and religious liberty" — there is not even one Catholic Town Councillor, in Dublin, where Catholics are in an enormous majority, theie is a Protestant Lord Mayor and several Proteßtant Aldermen and Town Councillors. These are facts, which, taken in conjunction with innumerable other similar facts, have puzzled me not a little ; and I am thaukful to you, gentlemen of the 5000 deputation, for enlightening me on the subject. 1 perceive, too, that you are so energetic in proclaiming your loyalty and devotion to civil liberty that k you are providing arms of precision for the purpose of emphasising this loyalty and devotion. Your expressions of loyalty and devotion to the cause of liberty, justice, and fair play, are most commendable, and will be duly taken into

consideration by the Cabinet, and I trust that there is no troth in the sinister suggestion of your opponents, that these expressions are only so many ways of telling your friends to keep their powder dry. There is only one thing I regret, and that is that you should so firmly believe that to give a local legislature to Ireland and the management of their own affairs to Irishmen can only lead to the ruin of tho country and the destruction of real civil and religious liberty, if there be one thing which I regret'more, it is the unnatural opposition on the part ot one corner of Ulster to the enfranchisement of their native land, and the granting of that which must, in the nature of things, elevate Irishmen to true citizenship and promote the peace and prosperity of their country. When Ireland, a hundred years ago, obtained a free Parliament, she sprang, as it were, with one bound to a pitch of prosperity — agricultural manufacturing, and commercial — unparalleled in the history of nations, and on its withdtawal she sank into misery of almost every sort. Neither can or ought it to be forgotten that during her days of liberty she produced a galaxy of orators and statesmen which the most illustrious nations in their days of greatest splendour did not excel. Gentlemen, I must now with deep regret dismiss you, depriving myself of the pleasure of your exhilarating company, but wishing you a happy return to liberty-loving Belfast and a sober and peaceful future, during which you may by meditation and the exhortations of your mild pastors prepare yourselves for the good time coming for your native land, the Cinderella of nations.

Really our contemporary tbe Otago Daily Times wants a dose of salvolatile or, perhaps, it might do to barn a feather under his nose. Something, however, he requires to revive and calm him. " Donnybrook," " insolent," " Bombastea FurioßO," " hectoring." — Why, even if our contemporary is up a tree, he need not spit like a treed cat. But up a tree he is, as prettily placed there as ever was a man who talked about what he was completely ignorant of and had not a word of honest explanation to offer when brought to book. As may be seen, in another column, from the note appended to Father Lynch'n first letter, he tried to quibble and lead off his readers on a false scent. As may be Been from Father Lynch's second letter he was kept to tbe pomt — not insolently sb he is brazen enough to assert — and much he must think of the intelligence of his readers in dariug to make such an assertion — but civilly, though firmly. Now he loses his head and, as we have said, spits and squalls like a treed cat. A nice child's guide, too, our contemporary acknowledges himself to be, ia giving rein, as he declares he has done, to a youth fresh from Donnybrook and wanting more. His understanding of the reverence due to youth in somewhat original. His pretence, indeed, is altogether fake, foolish, and impertinent. But the salvolatile bottle it is that our contemporary's deranged nerves require. He will be better by-and-by when he is brought around. Our readers, meantime, caa judge for themselves and we need cay no more on the subject. As to the barbarous bones of St Olaf and tho new-born glories of the reformed Icelanders, all that belongs to the Great Protestant Tradition. If corrected and exp'ained tc-day, it would be as exuberant as ever to-morrow. The Tradition must last as long as the system bas a kick left in it. The serious nature of the whole affair is, however, the sad condition of our contemporary. We shall charitably hope for his speedy recovery.

Mb Habry Eossiteb, who had been already favourably known as a composer from his " Onslow 'Waltzes," has now published a " Barn Dance." The music is extremely pretty, bright, and spirited, aod bears stroDgly the stamp of originality. The melody is most pleaßing and the harmonies are admirable. The composition, which must be ranked among works of genuine merit, will do much to add to Mr Boßsiter's fame and to make the lovers of music wish for more from his pcD — a desire, we understand, that bids fair to be fulfilled. Messrs Wickins and Co, Bond street, London, are the publishers and ihe printing was done in Germany. The dance will form a valuable addition to tbe repertory of bri'liant pianists.

Here is Labour verms Capital with a vengeance. " Sail Francisco, February 25. A man named Ratcliffe to-day shot Mackay, the American silver king, in the back, and then committed suicide. Mackay, who is only slightly wounded, declares that he had no previous knowledge of Ratclifie." It may be proposed as a problem for philosophers as to how far accountable M*ckay ig for the suicide of Katcliff e. If, at least, the one had not made hia mooey, it may be assumed that the other would not have shot himself,

A highly distinguished visitor is now expected at Wellington — the highest in rack who has visited the colony since the visit here of the present Duke of Edinburgh. We allude to His Imperial Highness, the Archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir apparent to the crown of

Austria-Hungary. The object of His Highness'a visit is said to be a search for a somewhat eccentric member of the Imperial family, who, some few years ago, renounced his rank, and, under the ordinary name of John Orth, tailed away as a sea captain for parts unknown. Nothing has since been beard of him, The Archduke Francis Ferdinard has been adversely spoken of ; but this wns due to a malevolent bigotry regardless of calumny. He is a prince who, as a matter of fact, is of a most estimable character.

Here is* a bonne louche for our friends t^e well-wishers cf Ireland. "At the Clare assizes Judge O'Brien declared there was no security in the country for life and property." But it wa» himself that said it— Judge O'Brien — nicely made up, too, for transmission abroad. People even in the County Clare, nevertheless, will live on without having tbeir heads broken or their pockets picked. Judge O'Brien, forsooth I And what does Mr Balfour say ? What Lord Salisbury says when be goes to Belfast, n»us allons voir. All these sayings may go together for what they are worth.

Ix has been mentioned to us as a suggestive fact connected with the ecclesiastical history of Scotland that a recent visitor to Edinburgh, who wished to explore the ruins of the old Church of St Anorew, on applying to the local grave-digger for direction, was told by that functionary that no such church had existed. That known as such, he said, had, io reality, b"en the Church of St Peter. The suggestion is supposed to leer u> a tradition of a devotion to the Prince of the Apostles surviviDg atco^g the Scotch masses.

Monsieur Charles Morkl the chief tenor singer of the Cathedral of San Francieco, who is now making a tour in New Zealand, sang in St Joseph's Cathedral, Dunedin, on Snnday. The music rendered by him wig Cberubini'd " Aye Maria" and an "O Balutaris," composed by himself. M. Mortl'a singing was cultured in the highest degree and profoundly devotional. The organ accompaniment was finely payed by Mr Towsey of Melbourne. In the evening Mr F. L. Jones sang Gounon'd " There is a green hill far away," of which he gave a successful interpretation.

The Auckland Herald of F^bruaiy 17, reports the annual picnic of the patients of ihe Avondale Lunatic Asylum, which took place Ihe preceding day on the Ellershe racecourse :— Father Walter McDonald, says our contemporary, was in attendance with hia Panmure Drum and Fife Band (under Mr Smith, bandmaster), which added much to the enjoyment ol the day.

The following ladies and gentlemen have kindly given their ■ervices for the concert of Ir sh National music, to be held iv Dunedin on the evening of St Patrick's Day. Mrs T. Lynch (formerly Miss Walsh). The Misses R. Blaney, K. B'aney (pupil of Misb R. Blaney), Morrison, and Molonny. Messrs V uny, Jones, Eager, and Carolm. Mr J. B. Callan will Reiner thu occasional address. An orcoestra wi I psrform several duop, tno«, nnd quartets, and the members of the choii of St Joseph's Cathedral willsing some concerted selections. The programme, as may bj gathered, *ill be extremely inviting.

ETOBMY weather hns bren th? rule in the North, a good deal cf mischief being don* 1 in some p'ac s. The supposition is that the fag end of the cyclone th<it caused such destruction in Queensland had reached our shores. We lave had a little roughness in the South, but nothing more than what ia common hire.

" THE Pope, in bidding f >rcvvell to the English pilgrim 3, who were present at the Jubilee c-lebritionfl, expressed a hope that E 'gland would soon be a Ca'nohc country again."— No doubt the Holy Fatrer entertains such a hope. But " soon " ? Ttut seems another question.

We take the following from the Wellington correspondence of the Obago Dai];/ Time* : —A. case just hear A on appeal in the Supreme Court by Mr Justice kicbmond (Andrews v. Smith) is worth special notice. The appellant in tne Rev J. C. Andrews and the reepondeot is the Wairarapa rabbit inspector. The proceeding was an appeal from a judgment ci' Ihe it. M. against the appellant, under the niDth section of "The Babbit Act, 1882":-" If immediately upon the service of such notice (io destroy rabbits) such one or more of the persons upon which the same is served do not commence to do all such acts, deeds, matters, and things as in the opinion of the inspector may be necessary to destroy the rabbits on the lan i mentioned in Buch notice in the shortest time possible, and having so commenc d do not continue such acti< n until such rabbits are destroyed, each cf the owners upon whom auch notico has been served shall be liable to a penalty of not lees than £l,nor more than £20." The question which the court decided was in cff -ct that the contention of the appellant (the defendant in the court below) was right— namely, that the fact of the commencement to use means to destroy rabbits was a question for tho resident magistral, ami tha opinion of the inspector was not necessarily conclusive. Ihe conviction wasquatbed.

Wk announce with regret that Mr w. Norton Taylor, Junr., has severed hi? connection with the N.Z. Tablet Company. Mr Taylor, however, leaves us to better bis position in life. Wo wisn him all possible success and happiness in bis new sphere.

Herk is a cablecr.im un^er date New York, February 27 :— " The Irish t> atonal League in America have issued a manifesto condemnii g the Home Rule Bill as ruinous to the welfare of Ireland. The financial proposals are described a? a clever piece of juggling, and it is ureed that a sovereign parliament will a'one suffice to meet the wants of the people." If this bs true the body in question have taken a very reprehensible step. All true friends of Ireland wil repuiiae the ; r action.