Dublin Notes.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXI, Issue 8, 23 June 1893, Page 23

Dublin Notes.

{Weekly Pr«eman t April 29 and May 6.)

Thb declaration of Judge Monroe in the Land Court that there i 9i 9 never an offer for land now except by tbe tenants, and that the advertising of encumbered estates is a mere throwing away of money, shows how moribund the institution of landlordism has become. Judge Monroe and his colleagues have struggled manfully to keep the life in the decayed institution, but without avail. Nobody aspires to become a landlord, few landlords desire to remain landlords ; everybody recognises that the tenants are tbe proper owners of their farms and their improvements,

The proceedings at the meeting of Inland Be venae officers held on Monday to take into consideration the provisions of the Home Bale Bill show with what litlte authority the Opposition leaders spoke when thty declared that the Irish civil servants were opposed to schedule 5. The meeting was composed of Proteptants at well as Catholics, and Unionists as well as Home Balers ; and it unanimously passed a resolution declaring the proposals in tbe Bill entirely satisfactory. Mr Balfour's assertion is, therefore, disproved, and one large section of tbe Irish civil B«rvice emphatically repudiates his declarations respecting them.

Mr John Pinkerton and Mr Ainswortb, M.P. for West Cumberland, both members of the Unitarian community, have presented privately to Mr Gladstone at the House of Commons an address signed by seven bnndred Unitarians from Belfast and its neighbour* hood in favour of the Home Bule Bill. This address was signed by merchants, manufacturers, magistrates, and poor-law guardians, and it was accompanied by a letter from the signatories stating that they adopted this mode of approaching Mr Gladstone, as if they appended their names to a pnblic petition they would be made to suffer in their business, and would be generally boycotted by the " loyal " minority. Mr Gladstone was greatly pleased at receiving the address, aod said he would acknowledge it by letter to the signatories, The address was signed by seven clergymen.

The address and testimonial of which Cardinal Logue was the recipient from several of the most important parishes in bis diocese is another testimony of the general satisfaction, amounting to enthusiasm, with which his Eminence's new dignity has been hailed since his return from Borne. All these expressions of spontaneous affection and loyalty which have everywhere greeted Cardinal Logue show what a lasting bold he had secured on those brought into connection with him not only by his great ability, but even more by his priestly seal and kindliness of heart. Tbe Catholics of Armagh and the neighbouring parishes have every reason to be proui of tbeir generosity and devotion to their spiritual head. As bis Eminence well said in his touching reply, these qualities, more than tbe material value of the gift, display the affection of a good Catholic people. An interesting feature of yesterday's ceremony was the presentation of a beautiful Bet of vestments to his Eminence from Mr Kelly of Courtray.

Lord Mayor Knill of London received a deputation of antiHome Bule delegates from Ireland on Tuesday, beaded by Lord Londonderry, It is ancient history that bis lordship is a Unionist so nobody need be surprised at the fervid language in whicb be talked of tbe great cause of tbe Union, But in view of the ruffianism which has bean going on in Belfast for the last few days, we are •emewhat surprised that a Lord Mayor, who has brought a storm around his head by putting the Pope before the QueeD in a Mansion House toaßt, should have no word of condemnation for the Orange crusade against his co-religiomsts. He must have been aware that he was addressing a body of men who have been doing their very best to rake up tbe embers of religious bigotry — men whose opposition to Home Bule is almost wholly founded on religious intolerance. Not a single word, as far as we can see, passed between Lord Mayor Knill, and bis guests about the thousand and odd Catholics wbo have been turned away from their work simply because they happen to be Catholics. But this is only a trivial business after all, which his lordship forgets in bis zeal for tbe grand cause of tbe Union.

When tbe first reading of the Home Rule Bill was carried there was a depreciation in the value of various classes of Irish securities so marked and so general as to warrant the belief that it was the result of a little Unionist game instead of the outcome of bona fidfi apprehensions on the part of stockholders. Tbe trick served its turo, was plainly seen through) Rni did no bairn. Ever so many millions wers said to have been lest ; and Mr Qoschen lent the weight of bis financial reputation to support the scare. Well, tbe second reading was carried on Friday night. We are a long way nearer Home Rule than on tbe date when Irish investors were supposed to be so smitten with panic in their dread of Home Bule that they were selling their securities at ruinous prices. And after tbe second reading the Dublin Stock Exchange is quite cheerful, or as we believe the correct phrase has it, " bouyant," Tnis is what the Irish Times says of Monday 'a doings :— " There was a very much better feeling on the Dubho S ock Exchange this Afternoon. All classes of securities almost without

exception, were actively dealt in, and as most of tbe orders in bands of the brokers were to buy, the effect on prices was distinct, especially for Banking Securities and Railway Stocks" The Ztaily Empress has it that — " The Stock Markets showed a good deal of strength and activity tbis afternoon, and business was of a satisfactory kind in most departments. Business in Home Bailways was large and satisfactory, aod a general improvement has taken place in prices" It remains to hi seen whether the London Unionist Press will take that keen interest in the upward movements of Irish Stocks which they showed in tbe artificial falls of some weeks ago.

The gentlemen who, by tbeir incitements, provoked the display of savage bigotry and intolerance that has been proceediog in Belfast in defence of the Union have come to the conclusion that savagery is inopportune. The four Unionists that represent the city issued an appeal to their supporters to stay their hands. Mr Wolff, the German gentleman who represents one of the divisions of the city that is to revolt ajjainet Irish rule, came post-haste from London to appeal to these defenders of the Union to spare tbe Union their defence. Even the political instincts of tbe Bey B. B. Kane have, for the moment, risen superior to his religions rancour, and in an address wherein he denounces " the hoary British Pharisee and bis infidel accomplice " be appeals to these Unionist lambs to cease their outrages "at the present time." Throughout all the manifestoes and appeals, however, there is not one word of protest against the outrages that have disgraced Belfast and disgraced the name of Protestant and Unionist within the past few days. Not a sentence is ntlered in repudiation of the intrinsic wickedness and brutality of attacking inoffensive Catholic workmen and workgirls, because the Parliament of the United Kingdom has affirmed the principle that Irishmen are fit to rule their own country. On the contrary, all tbe declarations involve an enconragement to such proceedings should the Home Rule Bill become law. Mr Dunbar Barton declared in tbe House of Com* mons on Monday evening that be would " take to the streets " with these scoundrels in that event. This is what the descendant of Plnnket calls asserting civil and religions liberty. Tbis it the " war " with which we have been threatened. Tbe " war" is to be war, not against the forces of the Crown or the forces of the nation, but war upon wage-earners and women who happen to be Catholics. How perverted the political sentiment of Mr Dnnbar Barton and his class has become when a gentleman of his repute and position does not hesitate to give a prospective blessing and a vow to such uncivilised brutality. On Tuesday an attempt was made ia one of th« factories to hang a Catholic workman. Does Mr Barton restrict his condemnation of the attempt to tbe circumstance of the time chosen for snch a deed ? So far no word of honest censure has passed the lips of a Unionist on these crimes. Their appeal to the criminals is an appeal to them not to damage the political fortunes of Lord Salisbury and Company and injure the prospects of Unionist ascendency. We observe that even the gentlemen who went deputating Lord Mayor Knill had not a word to say on the subject. One of them, indeed, was 60 brazen as to threaten that in a few months more the ruffianism would not be disorganised as it is at present, but would be organised. Lord Mayor Knill, wbo, we regret to Bay, used the compliment which the Nationalist Corporation of Dublin paid him some months ago as giving him a special c'aim to be heard against the National demands of Ireland, stopped short there, and declared that he for one would not travel outside the constitution with the firebrands. They will scarcely ask bis lordship while they have such distinguished patrons as tbe Marquis of Salisbury and tbe Duke of Devonshire. Tbe "Catholic Unionists" of Ireland are not so scrupulous as Lord Mayor Knill, however. For the character of these gentlemen we need not travel beyond the speech of Sir Bichard Mar* tin at tbe London Mansion House. Mr Balfour has spoken of the " creep ng hypocrites " of Irish Catholics who stand up in the centre of London and describe their countrymen and their co-religionists as terrorists among whom the exercise of personal political liberty is impossible. That is tbe description Sir Bichard Martin gave of his countrymen on Tuesday, The description iB false and malicious to tbe last degree ; and tbe every day events of Irish life since this antiIrish agitation began are proof of it. Such libellers of Ireland and Irishmen are contemptible.

The Ulster Defence Union does not appear to prosper. The plan of organisation was resolved on so far back as the 17th March, but the ranks have not filled. It was at first to be an organisation of clubs " ready to meet any contingency." Tbe clubs were to receive their orders from a council of forty, who were to " formulate and carry out the policy to be pursued by the Unionist party should an Irish Parliament be forced upon us." It is significant of much that on the council of forty no place is to be allowed any representative of the Unionists outsido Ulster. Even Mr Horace Plunket, Mr Wm. Kenny, and the redoutable Mr Carson are not to be al.owed a voiqe in formulating the policy. Toey will, however, be allowed to subscribe to the funds. " We know," say the Orang ■ bosses, " that the Unionists in the other provinces of Ireland can be depended upon to take tbeir par s in every patriotic effort to preserve our country from the ruin by which she is tnreateaed. ' But what tha effjrt is to be no Southern " loyalist " is to be allowed a voice in deciding. Considering

that at least a third of the Unionists are not from Ireland this is cool'

Mr Thomas Sinclair has been obliged to come to the rescue and try to induce the Presbyterian clergymen of Ulster to act as recruiting sergeants for tbe new Orangeism. " Many Unionists," he says in a circular just issued, " who desire to become electors do not wish to join clubs or kindred orginisa'ions. It is, therefore, felt that other means should be provided to enable (hem to do so. It has, therefore, been suggested that the clergy and other office-bearers of oar own and other Protestant congregations should be requested to aid in the registration of the class of Unionists to whom I have referred." Mr Thomas Sinclair is most eloquent usually on tho topic of "the priest in politics." Tbe Protestant minister in politics is, however, an agency not to be despised in tonting with Lord Erne, Lord Arthur Hill, and Colonel Saunderson for recruits for the decayed ranks of the society which has cherished and f ottered the spirit whose latest expression were the riots of Apri', 1893.

A letter from Mr C. H. Oldham gives another example of the toleration which the ascendency party exhibit towards those who venture to join the majority of their countrymen in claiming Home Bale The effective manifesto of Protestant Home Bulers, which received the signatures of some of the most respected members of all denominations of Irish Protestants, is a document which, it need not be said, proved highly displeasing to the Orange firebrands in the North, and some of them have carried their displeasure to the point of sending threatening letters to the mm who signed it. It is a serious matter for an Ulster Protestant to identify himse f in any way with tbe Irish popular movement. It means in too many cases not only social ostr ciem but business ruin amongst a people who could not contain their indignation against the iniquities of boycotting land-grabbers. The threatening-letter method of intimidation, however, is like the Belfast riots, one not likely to be encouraged, for the present at any r ite, by tbe Orange leaders. Like tbe riots, the effect of such tactics cannot Ml to help the cause they are meant to hinderAnarchy, however academic, is a dangerous doctrine to mtddle with, and the dupes often indiscreetly exceed the instructions of their guides.