He Had No Fear of Home Rule

New Zealand Tablet, 25 April 1912, Page 49

He Had No Fear of Home Rule

Sir N. T. Everard, Bart., speaking at a recent meeting of the Meath County Council, said that he had never since he first "entered public life in that county, 45 years ago, seen the slightest symptoms of intolerance among his Catholic fellow-countrymen, and he was not merely content to say that there, but he had when asked his opinions by one of the Nationalist members sent him precisely that information which he had now given there with regard to the state of toleration in Meath. Reference has been made to the ' bogey 'which has been set up. ~', Well, now, it may be a bogey,V but these are very critical times, and you know as well as I do the uses that were made of the most trifling circumstances, and I believe myself that these gentlemen who in the North are suffering from what is called Ulsteria are terribly in earnest. They believe all this. Well, personally I don't like to see you paying too much attention to this bogey, but the fact is it is having an effect in England. There is no doubt about it. In fact, you may have noticed T ,Mr. Birrell's speech—only the last speech he delivered—in which he said if it was not for this Ulsteria Home Rule would be settled in a week. Very well, you know the whole foundation of this Ulsteria is the religious question. I have no fear under Home Rule. It is not troubling me in that way. I am a great deal more afraid of the Belfast Radicals under Home Rule than I am of his Holiness the Pope. That is my honest opinion. I think you would have far more Socialistic legislation initiated by the Radicals of the North than we are likely to have denominational legislation by, we will say, the influence of the Catholic Church.