The Irish Delegates A GREAT ORATORICAL TRIUMPH

New Zealand Tablet, 13 December 1906, Page 11

The Irish Delegates

A GREAT ORATORICAL TRIUMPH

- MR. DEVLIN IN INVBRCARQItfe; 1: : M

(From our Special"Reporter.) " " i •' ARRIVAL AT THE BLUFF. ' - On Monday monuiig p.^oseph"Dev-lin, M.P;, one of the two delegates of the Irish Party to these countries, arrived at- the Bluff by the ' Moer-aki'. He was there met and greetea with a ', cead.mile failte ' by a number of members of the Invercargill reception committee, headed by their chairman, the Very

Rev. Dean Bumc. Numerous telegrams of welcome ; also reached him there and in Invercargill during the day from all parts of New Zealand^. After- the pre- x liminary greeting on board the ' Moeraki ', a number ■of • members of the ' municipal council and numerous .other residents of the BluH assembled in the Drill .Hall, and welcomed Mr. Devlin to New Zealand. on_ . behalf of the Mayor (Mr. "Whealler, who was - suffering from a- severe . aittack of influenza), the senior council-" lor, Mr. Nichol, bade the" distinguished -visitor welcome, and, referring^ to. \t he "object of Mr.* Devlin's, mission-, .said that the people' of New" Zealand would be pleas- ,\ ed- to hear- ' discussed by so able a- speaker as Mrl Dey r lina question which had. exercised the minds of politicians for half a century. In his reply, Mr. Devlin" thanked the people of the Bluff for their kind and 'Tiospitable welcome, which was as pleasing as. it was unexpected. The people on whose behalf he had come .as

One of the Irish Delegates. Mr. Devlin arrived at the Bluff on Monday, and is now lecturing in New Zealand.

, , " . _, a delegate merely asked to exercise"'ijhe-^ght'-of *<selfgovernment'which New- Zealand, already enjoyed,- and he been Addressed /ou^tlie Subject 6 ooff f H^Snie thtv" ..would declare it their wish that "thY same- '-nllvffiS would-be extended to auolher portion^of fth'e- 'EmDire ' Mr. Devlin afterwards visited.- Sb« Mary's school' where the children presented him with' an address and entertained him with Irish songs. ' * ' -"< -

. . AT vIIsVEBCARGJLLi:v IIsVEBCARGJLLi: "/ • • Mr. Devlin, accompanied .by .the reception committee, .reached Invercarg*.ll by the 1.25 t p.in; v 'train'. Oh y toe platform they were met by a gathering of friends" and syinpatl&sers, and Mr. Devlin was 1 * officially weJtcome&Ao, the Southland ' capital by '„t he- Mayor' (Mr^Wvß. Skain-. "drett). -The party then proceeded to, .-the. handsome -newTown ' Hall and Municipal Theatre, -vrhich wfere 1 greacfer •admired by ' the visitor. They tlieri adjourried s ' -to "?ts©' Council Chambers within 'the' building," 'where- ah -audfr ence , had in the meantime gathered, and an . address of -welcome was read by ' Mr. -M. Gilfedderr secre£e?ty Ijo i the reception committee., " The address commended the - "Nationalist. Party's policy of sending out leaders of the Irish people from time to time to explain' their methods and aims to the self-governing people ■ of these countries. Small fractions of the population of Ireland, '- chiefly the landlord and ascendancy party, have had

for a long- Lime- the -ear of the world and used- all - their power and Influence <to maintain- -the existing conditions, beneficial Ho themselves but* calamitous for j the . country and -the people- -at large. -:~The Irish Party's eloquent advocacy and lucid explanations ; had -raised the question of Irish autonomy -above the level of a -mere * provincial- -dispute, and had" given'' • it" a merited" •lm-^_ penal aspect.- The sympathies'- of vast' ■ -millions 1 in - America -and -Australasia ! had 'proved -a great accession « : of- strength to *tho. 'cause. Opposition to -the donee's-,-sion of representative self-government;' sprang -from pre-" ' judice and from ignorance" .. of Ireland's " constitutional ■ demands Previous envoys during: the 'past 25- years had performed ■ ■excellent'* -service ' by ■ throwing -light on the whole question. Detailed reference was- made to pre"lJ^ S 'J^laudr to the change of feeling among British Cabinet Ministers ; and to the mannei • !»»/ »l\ the- great- eitr- democracies of England, Scotland, and Wales, stood for the extension to Ireland of her right to self-rule. The address was " handed ~ amidst applause, to Mr. Devlin. . "<w™,. ■ JV 1 ! 6 course of his reply,' Mr.. DevJin-' spoke of the • delegates mission in Australia as a triumphant success , iliey had been, instrumental in some : degree ' in remov^" ing. some of the prejudices, misunderstandings, and mis-" representations that constituted the-only opposition. - to- ~" Ireland's claim for the right 'of self-government Heexpressed the hope that thi s :v b eautiful>and richly endowed country would give, them the- same impartial tf™^ , same * u F? ri ' anVsymtfathy. ThatrecepS«£ r teildered >o : him^ first .of all .as an envoy of the Irish people and; in- .the second place as a raemJ e ' +1 . and . re P™sentative of- one of .the most democratic parties in the world-the - defenders -of all great-human causes, the advocates of / every measure that VouM make Jf'r* 1 ! 6 .^!"? 18 ' 0 ; -the-valt: masses of the p£s? encP n a i BB a nlalI \" hrnn $ *** S^years of its exist- . * + n ° l a slD S le member. -/of .thV-. Irish Party had accepted pace .power;,., or- from the British' - Government, and they- still ->tooX,to~d a y the incorrup tible and unpurchasable representatives of -the people in ' thP S useof Commons..! He "Chanted the Mayor and ™* * '^"s. -especially .those -not of -Irish birth or Me---vote 'of° r tl^lc, We rO"Tr 0 "T 7 had "- exte^ d to -him. A! ' \ote of thanks to- the "Mayor-; closed- the- proceedings:- "- THE; PUBLIC MEETING. »»il n • the x - eveni p n S -HiC Devlin formally, opened his campaign m New Zealand with an address in - the fine" wS^^SSf^ TO a J^Se attendance. TWS ? P iesided > aild besides. him arfd -the speaker of the vl^nff lhore V -^ e On l - he sta S e memfiers* of the : Rev P FLh^ mit i cc *fi<tog*&. -Pean Burke), • and the ■ ' rvLn; ?? Mv^ h r- .(Riverton),. O'Neill (Winton) 0M^ M(lnveM (Invei * ar ? ll Jl/J 1 /. I'--«d"'.Cleary.1 '--«d"'.Cleary. (Dunedin). - '•' The Mayor, in in fcrWucinig- Mr. 'Devlin - briefly "ala+^rtthe o bj ecfc of th ? delegates-v isit tS ' New-^SJand *ll • was on y occasionally „t-hat- the •, citizens -of iiivei "carrfir lS?X Vil |SS? t0 llßloHl IBIO H. to - wHr?hi' il m r ■ Parll c ame » t . and.- when /they -did, they got' a" How Mr. Devlin Captivates. ■' -■ |? quartos ! Peeeh laSted - 116ai " ly an ' hour and three-"-quaxceis. it -was an oratorical treat, of a hi«h orrieF ~' He depended noi fur his effects upon the^tricks- and '' l-iiKSs" •■ fflsawß *— is.

-hours. Well, 'the orator's voice is a mighty power. 'And in their- selection of Mr. -Devlin as a delegate to "these countries 1 ;, the' Irish Party -has been ' singularly ■ happy.- It -wouia- be' difficult to- pick- bne who could 1 voice the- wroifgs -of- Ireland -in a ' way more calculated / to/'contUiate* good -will' and -lead oppositioin captive 1 .- The ■- rearpo\y-er and ! magnetism of ."■ • J - •■r"^' -i ~ '■ '• * ';v; v Mi-.-, Devlin's Speech/-' -._ ,* "S^, ' ; r is not. to "be gauged from- -the • abridgmeiit -of it -which ■we -publish hereuhder'i • - - '' -i -;. -'' ' ■•. ' r 'Mr. Devlin, who 'arose amidst a -great' outburst of " applause; ' said ■ he thanked the- Mayor 'for .'-the public -spirit displayed by ■ hiiiir-fa "spirit 1 of -" generous 'fairness - wbwh he (the 1 -speaker) .had enjoyed" for nine months • , A^ tralla - He looked upon it as- a hopeful" sign - that his experience in New' Zealand would ; not be dis- - similar; that- he : would raeet -here ' with the' same in- . telligent appreciation of the economical, material, -and sentimental reasons that were at the' base of Ir&. . land s claim for "responsible government. He felt sure '•uhat he. would, get the support and -. sympathy of all ■r the lovers of liberty in New Zealand irrespective of .creed or political persuasion. He -came- in two capaci- : ties to . New - Zealand, first as an Irish envoy com--'..missioned to plead the cause -^of- Ireland before the people ; -secondly, " as a member of the Irish Parliamentary Party, a great democratic, liberty-loving and justice-inspired representative in the Imperial Parliament, who were not - only defenders of the rights of Ireian>d, but also agents and advocates of every cause . f: of-: freedom. To this party might be attributed- every great reform which had, during the past quarter of a century, been put on the Statute Book for the ad- ' vanoemenb of the working classes of Great Britain .-During that period, out of 670 members of the •House of Commons, there were only- half a dozen- .. direct representatives of the working classes. The in- ■ Mcrests of the workets were watched by the Irish % -'any, and to them was due the passing 'of the. YVoik-men s Compensation ,■ Act, eight hours day" for - miners, shortening of -hours' for railway servants, and the - weekly lialWiohday for women textile workers. (Applause.) Mr Devlin expressed his admiration for New -Zealand, which he said, /resembled in its picturesque beauty and fertility the lan"d : from whKoh he came New Zealand enjoyed the form of government which the Irish people were anxious to secure for Ireland. They askrd the same rights which the people of New Zeaiar.a enjoyed— a .system ot --. Well Ordered Government, • of the people, by the people, for the -people. (Prolonged -applause.). Sir Henry Campbell- . JJa»nerman, "the Prime' Minister of England, had said : that good government .was not self-government. That ..he .though*- was not only an accepted constitutional cuciuni but a democratic commonplace-, but in Ireland they did not- demand self-government instead of good government, but sel%>vernmcnt in place of bad govern^ ment it had been claimed,, as an impeachment, that Ireland s demand for Home Rule was merely a sentiment, but if it weie so he would still advocate • it «• it it were idealism, he would still defend it. But' - irom _lhe point of view of national existence, of indus- .- trial, welfare agricultural development, intellectual a-d-vance, and the spirit of enterprise that went hand in hand wim -greatness, he advocated Home Rule' ?Adplausc.) There, jtiever was, in the tragic story of huZTt™° l}Kt n r in th 1 e J - record of mis-government in an 7 % -counti y in the world, a more appalling ' Story of Ruin, ,- .desolation,- impoverishment, and tyranny brought on to ' r - hrnS In ( h ga l ant - PeOple ' or ais astei: or failure n t? i i?-'^ Fjl »PV e as was told in the. 100 years nf Jfi* .^f^T-a. story of a century of government hul from Pe °^ C> . "°V irom the Ca P ital rf Ireland, iSL** ' c A^ l]ja ?f? f England. (Applause.) He reminded the audience that' at one time -Ireland • had a -Parliament of its -own. It was a -Protestant ~ParlianH" n n' ln^ overwhelmingly' Catholic country It was a privileged -Par lament, because it was elected on a nar- " PaHiamenf W tCd franChlSC - Ifc WaS a^u?de%ocrX Irish -Parliament;- responsible 'to Ireland ' and T Iris£ Dunn-g eighteen years^ Grattan's Parliament ®dItoTt, ce aYa VV t ery p P^ lica , ndprivate inter€st - (AP Sfn ment ■wA P«l*"»ent was " destroyed.^ ■ That - • Parliament -was taken away from Ireland by 1 methods that •??rp' a * V ds^one' lumself had so vividly described. • That ■ f reat Enghsh statesman had -placed it on record that V v ih . th J human perfidy a ' tor? .«,«« ° n . to ' darken tbe"pages of human Wswas 7 dlstrnvM in " w + hic « - Irish Parliament was destroyed. JU all events,, whatever may have been y

the methods .corrupt and .baneful and criminal, that were-, brought livlo, ...operation to destroy, the free.constitutiooi, the- Parliament disappeared,", and , from, then till now Ireland - ha-d been ,governed,j,nbt from t'hje'capi-.JaL.pf-"lreland,--.tut from .the; capita}' of;. v England. He toolc.at that -a t .meeting of , New Zealanders,,', where „ free government existed, where- . ; th a ; rule of. the people ; was the 9 , rule of the nation, where" constitutional systems were broad-based..o n the people's will— he took it that -when- they. came_.to determine ,the. value of those' systems, of. what those systems had.,.- j altemipted,-- ,of /what they- had achieved, -these, tWlngs -must .stand vindicated <or condemned-, by -.the, character of c the , work. ..they had .done ; in human advancement „ and" social reform -~l Unfortunately, - they found it almost-. impossible -to"'" get people to study tne Irish question'; , =yet he" ventured to say that if, they .. applied- ,• the. test of results- to- the consideration ,0f ..-the value so-called union, between

England and Ireland, -, the- ,puly justificatipn for -the im- . position of this " system *of government' could „be, be its' success from an English p.oiut of view, or its achievement from an Irish.' point, "of view. He, would tell them the story , v the long and striking record,-, of the failure, disaster, folly, ' shame that had; come-, to- England in her cond.uct of Irish affairs, arid, of " the im r poyerishment, demoralisation, and the eviction -of constitutional and public principle which had been the con T sequence of t*he, extinction of the, Irish Parliament a - hundred years.. ago. „JJnder Grattan's Parliameiit industries, sprang, .up-^iu every part of : Ireland. - They could now visit that,; country, and travel from, Donegal ' i<o Cork, from Galw L ay ,to Dublin, and y there ;they would see empty mills aitd., f idle..factp.ries,' /standing as the, silent monuments./ o£\ the;, destruction of^ ."Ireland's.^industrial power and- Ireland's industrial " resources. Und^r.-Gra't-tari-^s' Parliament," .lit'lle'v'illages, containing. happy \ smil-

Qne of the Irish, Delegates, who is shortly to arrive ■--.-' in New Zealand.

.-ing, virtuous, and enterprising people were dotted all -over the agricultural parts .of, the country; but today, .the" land. had,, been .given over, to the' cattle and the sheep. Eighty years' ago,; the population was nine millions, „but.( it had fallen .to A%, millions. It .was re-; - corded that in. one year -.alone. t no- less than .1J millions- o.u population were lost by, extermination, hunger- " and pestilence. A claim-, had- been made.- that Irish -landlordism and English, rule, were .-not responsible -for- . this, but, that it ,was a pf Providence. But ■ .1^ that, year strong men. were, .dyin ; g- o n the roadside..women -were suffering Irom deadly disease brought on by hunger and want. When, little children* cried- for bread there could be.no response to their childish appeals., let in that -year it was recorded .- that there were exported from Ireland to. -England - one ■ million head of cattle ; one million 1 sheep ; - and one million barrels ,of corn ; wlvile the Celtic peasants were

starving on their own soil. THe .prices- secured for the produce yvenij ■to satisly the- rapacious! maw of the landlords, who conducted .the worst system: of * fandr* lordism, that ever xursed any 1 community. -But the' most

-- ' 'Remarkable and Singular 'pircurnsta'nc'es in 'connection 'with r - immigration- from Ireland was thb astonishing , fact ,i>hat.-out of- the 4^o^ooo .young men and w,omen- who .. left- the sacred soil of Ireland ; every yearand were carried m that never-ending .stream to~ the great,. Republic, of the West, 95 per cent.- .-were from 12 to -45 , years of - age.- -I.t;; was- the young, the -virile, the .industrially useful, -who -were<lea-\tng Ireland' "and gbdng to a",. foreign land. . It was ,the diseased, .the decrepit, the useless members of the j community, in the'- main, Who remained --behind. 'Ireland- was left.-,- to-^da|y to , work out her fortunes, to /advance her imaterial- ' concerns,. to. develop her resources . with that remnant of

Jour and a half millions of population, who were today fighting for their veiy existence upon tfacfir own' son. (Applause.) •He now -came to 'another aspect ;of \the Irish question. In -Australia there were splendid social and economical conditions— everybody- seemed successful— but tite social conditions at, Ireland 'were the reverse. ,The" average .wage- of the Irish agricultural laborers, was 8s per Aveek, and they worked r from 6 l in the morning till 8- at .night, and were~ compelled to live m houses coniAsting.of one single room, in' Bo,ooo cases. The dog keimels of. the landlords w.ere castles compared with \hc peasants' squalid "houses. . .One * in ( every forty-four, of the population was living. on outdoor relief, and lunacy, consumption,:' and. cancer were alarmingly on the increase, due to wretched food, ,- poor clothing, and squalid houses. •• This was- > the first-result of foreign government, of. ..the' country / J*hile the population -were going down, industries/disappearin-g-and the economic conditions becoming- more appalling, their fiscal responsibilities became greater, and the burden of taxation was bearing more heavily , upon' the " people year l>y year. ~A^r the population went down, " taxation went up. With tils former - population oL, nine .million Ireland paid £2,000,000 into - the Imperial Exchequer • with 4£ million population, theyi were, "paying £10,000 000* taxation. Though- Ireland was one- of the most ' crimeless countries in the^world it .paid £1,000,000 a year m-!^m -!^ Aol'A 01 ' lts police system: -than did Scotland-, At paid s £000,000 more than' -Scotland for its.- judicial system, although .there, was 'not 'so much litigation ; and £750,000 more than •' Scotland for-local mcrnmftit administration,- - which was perhaps the ''most foolish and ignorant in the- world: The police system was a military garrison^- and the judiciary was- an embiem .of eveiy thing that .-was the negation of constitutionalism. .There had been, -„< „ \ Three Famines, Two Rebellions," aid Numerous Coercion Acts', '• - v the gjift of the English Governmen-k Was "it surpris- • ing that the people -Vskert'lof ' the' rifchf~ -Co' manage their own affairs ? (Applause.) It was governed at preby t a sort, of bureaucracy, a government by departments uncontrolled by Parliament or any public" body in Ireland, as Lord Dunraven had said. Mr. Chamberlain n'r C %n S nnn lt I?'a1 ?' as ' a system foundea .on trie- bayonets of 30,000 soldiers encamped permanently, as if ih'a hos- ' n H C °V n r} V ■ He ., , (lhe s P eaker ) thought he was entitleti to claim that whatever view was, taken of the ' Irish queswon, they ,wexe, justified in Ireland in agitatmg for Home Rule. (Applause.) Ireland, with , her ; praib, natural resources, picturesque sceiiery, sympathetic, bright, and intellectual people, Avas ordained by'Gwl ,?r, \, hoh . cr and higher purpose tliait to be for ever ThJf t« at l ? e , , cl 3 ar^— wheels of. another country. SJ r ° l ? lQ h K ob J ectol - s tfrat if Ireland was Ktaniea a system of responsible ,-governmeftt, it would-"' ThJ n Ti-fch dllslnd I lslnl l e B ral II l °n of the Empire, and:' separation, joyed in the Australian States and . New Zealand Z}2 ■ dc '7 1 ? themselves purely to. .the ,task of de- - ,orX gt« V ,° Wn i resources ™* their material pros- " nulJ" n i lad n ? 1 mMc States and othci colonies disloyal, tout Tar more '"loyal than if • .denied, responsible - government. It, would create . greater loyalty and a- better understanding. (-Applause ) meant Romf T? f iec^ tliat Home ' 'for Ireffl Uon Th?Trls S i/V^ a , m y s «ty**«C misrepresent a- ' I »H' 4i, %I \ Catholics had not attempted to perse- • iolnn • frotestani-s. The objection was merely an academic denunciation. Out of Bfi Irish members vofcipfi ?% convictious of the Irish people «Jn the lit "' penal Paiiiameni, 25 of them were Irish Protestants Returned by Irish Catholics. /.. (Applause.) • He mentioned .several individual instances «olic to represent -Protestant Belfast (Applause) The" proved very successful, and . he . hop^, they toSM bett£ -

last envoys found necessary to send to Australasia to help :a - persecuted ., race in their struggle,- that the next enyoys ; : would the' Panics of. Ireland ■ .to tfcese countries, and -.the welcome, message' •that J the-;conflict was over, and . Ireland was * free. :. (Prolonge_d- Applause)., ".,-"' '/ - . l ] frtyj. ' "-''•■- r 'f -<" ■■^ Very Rev. Dean Burke ''.move<i r , ' that'the^ citizens of Invercargill and- seti;lers,. T ,of Sooithland, .', assembled .'at tU-s- meeting, enjoying, ;the ; privilege ? and great -benefit of >s e if_g O yernment, -declare ' it - to -beVttieir desire, .that, free autonomy, should be granted, ;fd'- Ireland,- r.a sister country,, believing ' that such- concession would' not only. promote the prosperity 4 a ad' contentment xof Ireland, but .would, by cementing tho bonds of uniop- . within the British, Empire, contribute *£o. its greater .strength and. jsolidity. 1 ,Dean- Bufke,.-'in ' ihe course „o f an able speech, 1, dealt. /■ 'in.' detail with the three. -i leading ideas contained in- the N .resolution, concluding^.with references,. to the happy results';^ Home - KuI.Q -M\ the Sta les of >: Uie . , American ' ..tloiioo,: Canada. Switzerland, Hungary, -N.ew .Zealand, and, the Commonwealth of Australia. . The motion was seconded' bv Mr M. O-iltedder in a, short - speech,, and- carried unanimously amidst rounds of applause"."' •' • ■ tt- Ml * w J i A / Haaan, M.H.R., also spoke in favok of Nome Rule for Ireland, and concluded with a vote of thanKs to Mr. Devlin " for his eloquent and brilliant discourse • This was- seconded by Mr. Carr and carried with acclamation. Mr. Devlin.-suitably. replied and, proposed vote-. 0f, -thanks '/to , ; the Mayor. The 'meetinff concluded with three-great cheers for- Mr. sD'evlin'- and one for ; the Mayor. "-,.,- During the evening selections were played upon -the stagei-byv the- Municipal Band; and 'The Dear Little Shamrock-! (which- was heartily encored) was sung by Miss.- H : .Sweeney.- - ■>.-.- ,>•■■ . yt . ' V^ 0 ? '"'-Tuesday- morning, the pupils of the, ' Catholic schools, ..Invercargill, presented aii address to Mr. Devi"lwfM.Save a musical entertainment in his honor. ~" _ ' OTHER ENGAGEMENTS,-;--^ -" . ,pairlaru, Thursday/.- December 13 ; >Timaru, Friday, Jtember Id.;,', Ashßuribh, Saturday,'^December 15 ! uaunate, December 17; Christchurchf. December 18.Ransiora,. December I!).. ,•' "/"- '