MR MICHAEL DAVITT IN DUNEDIN.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIII, Issue 29, 15 November 1895, Page 13

MR MICHAEL DAVITT IN DUNEDIN.

Mb Davitt arrived in Dunedin from Lawrence on Saturday evening. He had been met at Mosgicl by the Very Rev Father Lynch, Mr J. F. Perrin and Mr Jjhn Murray — representing especially the NEW Zealand Tablet. Mr L°f» Smith and Mr Slater joined the train at Abbotsf jrd and the R n v Father O'Neill of Milton came in at Burnside. At Mosgiel too, several of the settlers there came to shake bands with the Irish leaier. Tne evening was wet — the rain earning down in a manner that Mr Davitt said reminded him of the County Mayo, bur, notwithstanding, a large crowd had assembled at the terminus and on aligh'iDg from the train the visitor was heartily cheered. He was welcomed ie a few appropiate words by Mr J. B, Ca'lan and then conducted to a carriage which was in waiting, and in company of Father Lynch and Messrs Armstrong and Callan, drivea to Mr J. Liston's Criterion Hotel where it had been arranged that he should stay.

On Sunday afternoon Mr Davitt in company with the Hon Mr Ward and Mrs Ward, Fathers L7rch and O'Neill, and Mr J. B. Callan paid a visit to Mr A. Lie Smith at his residence at Green Island, where also Mr Divitt passed the night. Oj Monday he was the guest of t'.e c'.ergy of the mission — being accompanied in the forenoon by Fathers Lynch, O'Neill, Murphy, and Hun , in a drive to see the scenery surroun lin? the town and afterwards dining at the Biihop's palace. In the evening Mr Davitt lectured at the Garrison Hall - taking for his Bubject the " Trend of the Labour Movement in Great Britain."

For many years Mr Divitt has been before the public. The history of his life is knn W n to all of us. With his personal appearance, too, bo far as pic ures of one kind or another could make us acquainted with i*, we hay.* been familitr. Were it not so, thosa among us who should meet him — were they possessed of any discernment or penetration — must be coisciou9 that they were in tha presence of a man of note. The marks of a man with a history are inseparable from him , and he could by no means pass nnnoticed in the crowd. He baa the heavy eyebrows with which his pictnres have made us familiar, but a higher art only could give us th« expression, keen but kindly, of the deep set eyes. Their owner is evidently a man whose notice little can escape, but whose judgment is not likely to be harsh. If we were left to judge from sight only, and had no other guide, we should say that thia was a man of whom a helpful pity might be cufilently expected, Michael Davitt's tone is that of a strong man — a man evidently possessed of an i finite power of resistance — patient and calm, but not to bj bent or turned aside. To see this man and hear him epeak brings to the heart a throb of indignation. This is the man, one says to himself, they threw into gaol. The man whose intellect they tried to ruin— one of those rare men of whom the world so sorely stands in need, who, having tha

will to do good, and knowing how to do it, was shut out from the light of day, and thrust beyond the reach of those he would serve, and who were perishing for want of such services as he could bestow upon them. But, on second thoughts, has not good come nut of the evil ? Great are iho purifying inflnerces nf fwfferirjg, flnd Michfiel Davitt has palpably undergone them to thuir fullest extent. He is now a keen man, a strong man, but a pitient man. What he» mght otherwise have been it would perhaps be difficult to cay. As things are, he is a man eminen ly and exceptionally fi' ted for the part he has to play. That, at lei 9', we may conclude the hand of tyranny has happily, though with unhappy intentions, brought about.

In mar.n n r Mr Davitt is genial and quietly friendly — a man of genuine simplicity, with whom from the first, hone9t and singlemkded psople must feel at home.

As a public speaker he possesses many advantages. His voice is soft but sonorous and powerful, and his enunciation is clear and distinct, every word be u'ters can be plainly heard. Hs style is graphic, vigorous and terse, and he speaks wi'h all the freshness and force characteristic of a speaker who deals with his personal experiences, or the independent conclusions of his own min'l. He speaks as a wiae a n d moderate man— of great earnestness ani of a sincerity that it is impossible to question.

The lecture on Monday night was delivered in bbc Garrison Hall to an audience, whose frequent applause in several instances became enthusiastic and broke out into cheering. The people some two or three times rose from their seats as, for example, they had risen when the lecturer made bis appearance.

The chair waß taken by Mr J. B. Oallan and the following gentlemen also had seats upon the platform :— The Very Rev Father Lynch Adm ; the Rev Fathers Newport, O'Neill (Milton), O'Donnel) (Palmerston South), Hunt and Ryan, the Hon J. G. Ward (Colonial Treasurer), Hon W. M. Bolt, Messrs D. Pinkerton, W. Hutchioson, J. A. Millar, and A. Morrison (M.H.R.'s), and Messrs Slater, Crow, Fergusson, Bodda, Carroll, Armstrong, Lee Smith, Liston, Judge, Colcloagh, and Barclay. Tne Rev Father Howard, who had accompanied the lecturer on Saturday from Lawrence to Mosgiel, was in the front seats — where were also Mr and Mrs F. MeenaD, Mr P. Cotter, Mr and Mrs C. S. Chapman and many others of our well-known citizens.

The lecturer, who was introduced in a few suitable words by the chairman — referred to tne reputation that Dunedin hid deserved by its hospitality to visitors from the old country. He instanced the receptions given here to Mr John Dillon, and others. He refused to acknowledge the recent defeat of the Liberals as fatal to Home Rue for Ireland. The ciuse indeed, he said, had been set back for a little time. Circumstances, nevertheless, were Buch that succcbs could not even be delaveJ for very much longer. Two mi, lion BntUh voter?, he explained, had cist their votes iv favi ur of it. Thi°, with U c steadfastness of the Irish people at home, and the support of their friends abroad, gave strong reason for bopa. The lecturer also dealt with the question of th) divipions anong Na'ionalistB — of which fo much has been made He showed by comparison that they were of little consequence — and ot far lees extent than those prevailing in other countries— England, France, G'rminy, the Unite! States Even in New Zialand, he adriei in effect, itwis possible fjr such things to be. To Sad Mr Divitt posted up in our politics, as proved to be the case, bo far as to be able, wi'hout hesitation, to name our Seddonites, Stcutites, an 1 Ru3selliteß, was v.ry amusing to the audience.

Mr Davitt then entered upon the suV jetj -ct of his lecture, =.n>l g >ye a very full, exact, and most interesting nee >unt of the condition of labour in Great Britain — with telling allusions to, or vivid bketches of its leaders. John Burns, or " Honest John," as be is called, he especially placed before bis hearers in a very attractive light. Mr Davitt disclaims sympathy with the programme of the extreme Socialists. Their views he looks upon as Utopian and impossible to fulfil.

The lecturer spoke for about an hour and forty minutts — all the time keeping the attent'on of the audience fixed, and obtaining an interested and sympathetic hearing.

A vote of thaoks was moved by the Han Mr Ward — who alluded to the lecturer in highly appreciative terms — describing him as co firebrand, but a cultured acd intellectual genileman. Mr Ward, too i spoke a word in defence of dissension — which he described &9 possibly a chaos, out of which came progress. Here, no doubt, all those who have read our recent Parliamentary reports will be inclined to look upon the bun gentleman as an authority. Of chaos, at least if dissension be cbaop, he has nad tis shhre. Let us hope he may have a proportional part in the progress so evolved.

The vote of thanks was carried by acclamation. Mr Davitt, in acknowledging the vote, and the manner in which it had been responded to, allude 1 to Mr Ward's late visit to London and its happy results. He suggested also that the hop gentleman had slyly crossed the channel and kipsed the Blarney stone. la this case, however, tne audience for onca withheld thuir sympathy. Mr Ward in tht ir opinion — a very just opinion too — had said no more than the lecturer

well merited. A vote of thanks to the chairman, proposed by Mr Davitt terminated the proceedings.

Oar regret, meantime, is that instead of o-:e lec'ure, Mr Davitt was not able to rpmain hpre and deliver his whole course. The only f<\nU wp have to ft -d with him is the shortness of hia stay— but that-, as we have said before, was inevitable. Mr Davitt s one fault must necessarily be held excused. May the utmost success, in every way at 1 end upon his tour in New Zealand.