Irish News.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVII, Issue 27, 6 July 1899, Page 9

Irish News.

ANTRIM' — Posthumous Charity. — It sometimes happens that the intentions of testators with regard to charitable bequests are rendered void by some almost forgotten Act of Parliament. A very interesting question on the law of charitable bequests his juot been decided in the Irish Court of Appeal. The result, as will be seen, is of the most wide-reaching 1 importance, llie L^Ulur, Thomas Coaklcy, Turkish -bath proprietor, Arthur street, Belfast, left real and personal estate to the amount of KBUOO to his exeouluis, the Very Rev. Daniel McCashin, administrator, Belfast, and Mr. Felix O'Hogau, J.P., Tullahogue, Belfast, to be distributed auiongst certain Catholic charities in Belfast. The will was dated the <!th of August, only five days before the death of the testator, and the charitable bequests therefore failed in law. But the will contained a clause to the effect that ' should any of the charitable beqne-ts be held invalid by the courts of law the testator gave every such legacy absolutely to his executors.' On the failure of the charitable bequests the executors claimed absolutely under this clause, while on the other hand it was contended they should hold in trust for the next-of-kin. The Vice-Chancellor decided in the firjt instance against the executors, but the Court of Appeal reversed the decision and declared the executors absolutely entitled. r rhe Gentle Ways of an Orange Mob.— Can Belfast really be the city of the superior type its admirers proudly assert it to be (says the Belfast Jnth Weekly, May (>). wh^n scenes of rampant party feeling 1 can be witnessed in its principal streets such as were witnessed on Monday night / For a time the peace of Belfast was put in peril by a motley array of drummers with ragged battalions of followers. The devotees of music strangely jarring out of tune were ' Sons of William,' and they turned out in their thousands to celebrate not the Battle of the Boyne, but the great triumph won over Ritualism and crystallised last week in the release of a ' martyr ' who had been consigned to durance vile by Mr. Hodder, our firm resident magistrate, with the full approbation of the Recorder, Mr. Henry Fnzgibbon, QC. The tunes played by the bands and chanted by the howling ragamuffins who e-corted the heroes of the big drum and kettledrum were the reverse of being Orpheuslike. Had the jubilant mobs confined their energies to shouting themselves hoarse there would not have been much out of the common in the parade of victory. But, ju^t to prove to the police the peaceful purposes on which they were bent, they hurled missiles at St. Patrick's Church, smashed glass in the Central Catholic Club, and became markedly obstreperous when passing through debatable territory. All the while the Royal Irish Constabulary looked on sheep-like. Squads of the force were here and there and everywhere. The word, however, has apparently gone iorth that the police are to practise the patience of Job, e>-en though the mob do disport itself and prove its loyalty to the Crown and Constitution by heaving bricks at whatever stray Papist heads and blocks of Papi«t property come in their way. No arrests were effected. Of course not. Did not the mob hold high revel round St. Clement s for a week of Sundays and make general pandemonium, while the police, to use Mr. Kruger's classic phrase, would "not budue an inch ' ? Mr. Balfour has warned the House of Commons that it is a serious thing to think of ordering the police to check a disorderly Belfast mob, and, to the credit of their sagacity, the mobs appear to be very well aware that the Irish Secretary is afraid of them, ARMAGH.— Giving up House-Keeping.— A quantity of silver plate and dining-room utensils, the property of the Grand Jury of County Armagh, has been sold by auction. CORK.— A Chaplain and his Salary.— A good deal of stationery has been utilised in the course of a controversy, which has taken place between the Mitchelstown Board of Guardian.s and the Local Government Board, with regard to the salary of the Protestant chaplain to the Workhouse. The chaplain. Canon Moore, receives a yearly sum of CIO for his work, which, in the face of it. does not seem much, and has asked for an increase. But all things are relative in this world, and the proportion between his salary and his duties has to be considered. The Guardians, at th-jir meeting on April 2 1st, unanimously refused his claim. The Local Government Board, however, returned to the charge with a letter pointing out that the salary of the Rev. Canon Moore is the smallest salary paid to the chaplain of any similarly classed workhouse. To this the Guardians responded that there is not a single Protestant inmate in the workhouse. The summary of the situation seems to be that the salary is small, but the duties are nil. Most people would be quite satisfied to receive X, 10 a year for doing absolutely nothing. The controversy in this case inevitably provokes the inquiry how many Irish workhouses are similarly situated.

DUBLIN.— The Senate of the Royal University— The Protestants successfully attacked the peat of a retiring Catholic member of the Senate of the Royal University, Dr. O'Sullivan, and succeeded in ousting him in favour of their own candidate, Dr, Browne, a Protestant of the Protestants. By this performance (says a correspondent) the Protestants have succeeded — in defiance of the honourable understanding heretofore existing — in securing a clear majority of two on the Senate of the Royal University. It is worth mentioning in this little context that when, some little time ago, the Presidency of the Gal way Queen's College fell vacant a Protes- ' tant wa.s appointed in succc^ion to n, Catholic, and this though the population of the district supposed to be serred by the College is almost exclusively Catholic. The Congestion of the City. — The struggle over the Dublin Boundaries Dill is bitfer on the part of the outlying townships, but tht'te is little doubt that it will pass. The area of the city at present is :SMi)S acres, and the population 213,000, or sixty-two to the acre ; whereas the area of the united townships is about 17,000 aorcH. and the population sr>,o()o, or five to the acre. This shows that the city is a very ' congested district,' and common Bense approves of the extension. Charitable Bequests-— The hospitals of Dublin have fallen in for substantial bequests on the death of Mr. James Weir, a wholesale spirit merchant, whose assets at his death were worth £lU.j,OUO. KERRY.— Death Of a Priest-— A. talented young priest, Father Thomas Kirby. has just passed away in Tralee. He was only thirty years of age, and had been in delicate health for some months. Presentation to a Parish Priest-— The parishioners of Kenmare recently presented an illuminated address and chalice to the Right Rev. Mon&ignor O'Sullivan, P.P., V.G., in token of their congratulations on the well-deserved honour the Holy Fatner haa been pleased to bestow on him. KlLDAßE.— Refuting a Libel-— Mr. Ronaldson, who is a Protestant Nationalist, was defeated by Lord Frederick Fitzgerald in the County Council elections for Kildare, but subsequently got a seat as chairman of the Celbridge District Council. He now publicly refutes the libel circulated in England by paid Protestant clergymen, who maintained that ' Home Rule meant Rome Rule.' • A& a Protestant,' says Mr. Itonaldaon, ' I cast back that libel on those who made it.' LONGFORD.— A New Church at Tarnbarry.— At Tarnbarry about seven miles from Longford, the Most Rev. Dr. Clancy, Bishop of Elphin,onMay 1 2, consecrated the new Church of the Sacred Heart, which has been completed within two years owing 1 to the great efforts made by the respected pastor of the parish, Rev. W. White. MEATH-— uccessor to the Late Bishop Nulty.— Hia Holiness the Pope has signified his approval of the selection of the Riirht Rev. Monsignor Gaffney for elevation to the bishopric of Moath, made vacant by the lamented death of the late Dr. Nulty. Monsignor Gaffney bas been parish priest of Clara for a considerable time. At the meeting of the parish priests of the diocese, held in Mullingar on the 'j. tth of January la-t, he was elected dignittimut by a large majority, and special satisfaction is felt that the ohoioe of the priest-, has received the sanction of his Holiness. It will be remembeicd that the Right Rev. Dr. Higgins, the newly appointed Hishop of Roikhampton, Queensland, was elected dignior by tha priests of Meath, at that meeting. QUEEN'S COUNTY-— A Brave Irishwoman-—Ajcorrespon-dent ol the Sydney Fn emails Journal writes : — About nine months since 1 drew attention to the heroic conduct of Miss Theresa M Gr.it h. during the fighting in the late campaign on the North We-t Fiontier ot India. Major De-voux, of the 3rd Ghorkas, who is a native of the Queen's County, Ireland, brought from hia natiy* place two sHter-j, named M'Urath, to take charge of his cilildrenv' Major Desvoux had charge of a small fort of great importance, whica wab held by two companies of Ghorkas. As boon as the fighting # commenced one of the sisters went with Mrs. Desvoux and the children to a place of salety ; and Theresa M'G-rath volunteered to remain at the Fort to share the dangers of the siege, and look after the wounded ; during which time she herself proved a true heroine, and her brave and humane conduct was referred to by more than ona newspaper correspondent. On looking over the Daily Telegraph, London, of April 22nd. L met with the following 1 announcement : — • Last eight's Gazette announces that the Queen has conferred the decoration of the Royal Red Cross upon Miss Theresa M'G-rath, in recognition of the services rendered by her in the nursing of the .sick and wounded, during the late operations on the Punjab Fron-

tier.' I was greatly pleased to know that Miss Theresa M'Grath's noble conduct was recognised during that trying time, while the Afridis besieged the fort for weeks in great numbers. Major Desvoux's skill in holding the fort was highly spoken of by the Commander-in-Chief, and, a vacancy occurring, he was made Lieu-tenant-Colonel of the 3rd Ghorkas.

GENEEAL.

The Catholic University Question.— Mr. Balfour, speaking in the Hou«e of Commons recently, declared" that Great Britain would never sanction a Catholic university in Ireland unless professorial freedom was secured. The Nationalists were reported to be bitterly disappointed at the Government's refusal to legislate. The Irish National League of Great Britain— The Executive of the Irish National League of Great Britain has made public its annual report, which is an eminently satisfactory document, and shows a pleasing revival of National spirit all over Great Britain. Last year the total received from the branches was £1659 7s 8d ; this year it is £20ti0 10s Id. That is to say, the Executive has received this year about £ Id" more than in the previous year. The last few weeks of the finau< ml ypar are those in which the subscriptions flow in mobt largely. Last year the sum received in the fortnight preceding the Convention was £403 9s 6d ; this year the sum received in the carae period was £547 14s 9d, showing an increase of no less than £140 in that period for this year. A Literary History of Ireland.— Dr. Douglas Hyde's Literary History of Ireland, which has been looked forward to with intense interest for months past, has been published by Mr. Fisher Unwin. It extends to over (550 pages, and, considering its subject, is not, therefore, a work to be lightly judged or easily pronounced upon. The literary history of Ireland has hitherto, for the most part, been a fallow field, and even experts will hesitate to dogmatise on an achievement such as this without considerable thought. The Literary History of Ireland (says the Freeman's Journal) is a memorable book, and lifts Dr. Hyde at once into the position occupied by Herculano in Portugal and Palacky in Bohemia, for it is not merely a contribution to the literature of Ireland — it is an event in her annals. The Heroes of '98-— Although 1898 is past, the popular wave of enthusiasm for the heroes of 1798 has not subsided. A meeting was held the other day (says a Dublin correspondent) of the Executive Committee appointed to superintend the erection of a statue of Bartholomew Teeling at Collooney, Co. Sligo, and the following districts were represented : — Sligo, Collooney, Ballyrush, Ballysodare, Ballygawley, Calry. Coolaney, Ballymote, Ballintogher, Laragan, and Geeragh. It was decided that the monument should be unveiled by Miss Maude Gonne on Sunday, July 2, and that all taking part in the proceedings phould wear green scarves. In Dublin the Wolfe Tone and '98 Memorial Association are taking steps to organise regular collections in the city in aid of the fund for the erection of the National memorial to Wolfs Tone and other United Irishmen. A '98 monument is also to be erected in Clonakilty, Co. Cork. The Irish Party and the Transvaal— in the article on the Transvaal, which appeared in the list iesue of the N.Z. Tablet, we referred to the fact that Catholics were debarred from becoming members of the Legislatur •on account of their religion. This is a sample of religious toleration as practised by an essentially Protestant State. The Jews resident in the South African Republic labour under the same disabilities. Had the boot been on the other foot, that is, had such a law been in force in a Catholic country, the matter would have been repeatedly referred to as another awful example of Catholic intolerance. Mr. Kruger is a fine example of what the fanatical Piotebtant of a century or two ago was like The Irishmen of Cape Colony know him well, and, as a cable message of last week stated, they are astounded at the action of the Nationalist members in the House of Commons extending their sympathy to the President of the Transvaal. Another message received last week was to the effect that 20,000 Jews and Catholics in Witwatersrand demand the removal of the disabilities imposed upon them under the present Transvaal laws. Land Hunger in the West. — In the course of a letter in an English contemporary, the Bishop of Clonfert says : — Much has been already done for the West of Ireland by the Congested Districts Board ; and they are now in a position of doing still more. The men of the West will, I hope, never forget what they owe to Mr. A. Balfour, lor the establishment of that Board, and for the railway grants he gave to the West of Ireland. There will, no doubt, be a Board of Agriculture also established for Ireland during the present session. It is to be hoped that it will have large powers for dealing with the grass farms in the West. There is no need of compulsion ; plenty of land — uncultivated, but excellent land — will be coming into the market. The Board only needs the use of money, and it can buy up these farms or estates, sub-divide, and re-sell them to deserving agricultural tenants, who will cultivate them with the labour of their own families, or, if need be, of a little extra help during the busy season. This solution of the difficulty is simple, and it will be found to be efficacious. We have better land and quite as good a climate in the West as they have in the North of Ireland ; yet what a difference ! The main reason is that in t,he North the good land is under cultivation ; but in the West, owing to the iniquitous Jaws of the past, it has for the most part gone out of cultivation. Let the laud be cultivated to feed the people — famine will disappear, work will be iound at home, the produce will be in the country, the towns will have better business — and contentment will reign. There is one and only one effectual remedy for Ireland's lack of prosperity — cultivate the land, and make the people the owners of the soil they till.

Tunnelling Under the Irish Sea.— The proposed tunnel under the North Channel to connect the North of Ireland and Scot- I land is attracting a good deal of attention. Among the supporters " of the project are the Marquis of Londonderry, formerly Viceroy of Ireland, the Earl of Rosebery, Earl Spencer, and Viscount Wolseley, commander-in-chief of the army. It is estimated that the tunnel will cost £10,000,000. and the promoters of the scheme intend to to ask the Treasury to provide tho money. About two years ago a deputation representing Ulster and the South-West of Scotland was introduced to Mr. Ritchie, president of the Board of Trade, by Mr. Arnold Porster, M.P. They came to ask the Government for a grant of £15.000 to carry out boring's and soundings. Mr Harrison Hayter, past president Inst. C.E., said that the Irish tunnel would be in deeper water than the English Channel tunnel, and that the strata, instead of being chalk, consisted of silurian rocks and red sandstone. After the necessary borings and survey, an expenditure of £200,000 would be required to siuk a shaft and drive a heading, which would set at rest the question of practicability. Mr. Barton, C.E., said that four routes hid been examined, and that any of them would cost between eight and ten millions sterling. In the course of a critical reply Mr. Ritchie said that he had seen estirates as high as 16 millions. It was a new departure to grant public money for such a purpose, but the Government were prepared to enter into a conference, and to give the absiatance of the engineering deparment of the Board of Trade.