Irish News

New Zealand Tablet, 4 September 1913, Page 39

Irish News

■• ." GENERAL..; The death has occurred of. Rev. John.Bannon,.S.J., of Upper Gardiner.street,Dublin, who passed away in his eighty-fourth year and the sixtieth year of his priesthood. In the 'seventies his name and fame as a preacher were well-known. Judge Kenny, who was presented with white gloves at Donegal Assizes as a token of the absence of crime, said it was a highly satisfactory state of things. The county was in a very peacefu) state. There was no boycotting, no intimidation, and no one was under police protection. A meeting of the Nationalists of Cork, held on July 11 in the City Hall, passed resolutions, rejoicing at the Third Reading of the 'Home Rule Bill, and expressing confidence in Mr. John Redmond and the Irish Party. • _ • <: ' On Sunday, July 13, the -Right Rev. J)r. Clune, Bishop of Perth, celebrated last Mass in St. Patrick's Church, Castlerea, and preached an eloquent sermon, at the conclusion of which he announced that he was taking with him to preach the Gospel, beneath the Southern. Cross, a young Castlerea priest, the Rev. P. Lavin, whom he had ordained a fortnight previously at AU Hallows College, Dublin. " The Right Rev. Mgr. O'Neill, Vicar-Capitular of the Archdiocese of Cashel, was presented on July 13 with an address from the people of Lattin and Cullen. In replying, he referred to the question of national self-government, and said a Home Rule Government in Dublin would foster trade, develop the rich resources of the country, which undoubtedly were great, and the mineral wealth of Ireland, and it would be a centre from which, and around which, peace, happiness, and prosperity would emanate and radiate. Commenting on the satisfactory condition of Co. Tyrone, Judge Ross, in opening the Tyrone Assizes in Omagh, said he attributed the happy diminution of the Crown business to the advance of temperance and the fact that land purchase had been most successfully carried out, particularly in the southern part of the county. Now that the hostile feelings that had existed between landlord and tenant had been done away wtih, the gentlemen of the Grand Jury who had sold their land had a unique opportunity of doing great service to their country. There were only two cases to go before them, and Tyrone was in a peaceful and prosperous condition. ■ ; ■ ./■•"■■ MR. REDMOND AT PLYMOUTH. ■. Mr. John Redmond, M.P., spoke to a great meeting of Devon and Cornwall Liberals at Plymouth on July 11, and had an enthusiastic and inspiring welcome. Again he struck a note of confidence and hope for Ireland. Mr. Redmond said that 'Home Rule i united and inspired the Liberal Party as perhaps did no other issue of the present moment. What was the position in which Home Rule stood to-day For the fourth time the Home Rule Bill had been before the House of Commons, supported by a powerful Government, and for the third time had passed the House of Commons too. For the second time in this Parliament a Home Rule Bill had passed the House of Commons by a considerable majority of British members. Leaving the Irish members out of the question altogether, there was a British majority of forty-five. The voice of Ireland was declared by a majority of 64. Let them takes the votes of Ulster alone and ; reject the votes of the rest of Ireland, and they would find that the Bill was carried by two votes. The statesmen and leading men of , the great self-governing countries and of all the English-speaking part of.the world took it for granted, as a matter of course, that if the Government of this country- after fifty-eight days of discussion passed the Home Rule Bill by such a majority, the measure was certain to become law.'

■;?"/?'■■'- BIG IRISH RAILWAY SCHEME. From an authoritative'-''source the London Evening 'News learns that a contract of over £1,000,000 has just been signed (and the work will begin in the f autumn) for the construction of a railway and a hew?harbor on the West Coast of Ireland in connection with the All Red Route scheme. The railway 3?ill run from Collooney in Co. Sligo, to Ballina, Belmullet, and Blacksod Bay, in Mayo, which is to be the port for the steamers, which will make the run to Halifax in "three and a-half days. Blacksod Bay will be reached from London in 14 hours instead of two and a-half days which it takes at present. The proposed railway was sanctioned by Parliament three years ago, but the scheme has been waiting for Canadian approval. It is stated on the" highest authority that 2000 men are to start work on the railway. Truly the West of Ireland promises to undergo a transformation, and seems destined to become the highway of the world's traffic. THE ASQUITH DINNER. ■■/..'■.: On Thursday, July 10, the Irish Parliamentary Party- celebrated the second passage of the Home Rule Bill by a dinner in the spacious Harcourt Room at the House of Commons. Mr. John Redmond presided, and. the guest of the evening was Mr. Asquith, the Prime Minister. The other guests included Sir Rufus Isaacs, Sir John Simon, Mr. Herbert Samuel (the three Ministers responsible, with the Premier and Mr. Birrell, for the conduct of the'Bill in the Commons), arid Mr. lUirigworth, the Chief Government Whip. The proceedings were not open to the press, but enough has transpired to show that they were most cordial and friendly throughout, and that Mr. Asquith made a speech in which Ee spoke so confidently of the passage of the Home Rule Bill into law next year as to make that event as certain as anything human can be. Mr. Asquith is reported to have said that he did not anticipate any more difficulty in the remaining stages of the Home Rule Bill than in those stages alreacy passed; and a London Sunday paper credits him with saying:— ' - 'I am prepared to stake my existence that a Parliament will be sitting in Dublin before two years.' At any rate, the Prime Minister's speech evoked great enthusiasm, and it is spoken of in terms of unmeasured eulogy and satisfaction by the Irish members who were present. DEATH OF MRS. JOHN MARTIN. With profound sorrow, which will be universally shared amongst Irishmen, we (Freeman's Journal) have learned through a telegram from Newry of the death of Mrs. John Martin, the '4B patriot. The deceased lady, who had reached to a grand old age, was a sister of John Martin's colleague in the Young Ireland movement and in the exile that followedthe illustrious John Mitchell. Long after the death of husband and brother she evinced the keenest interest in every movement that made for the realisation of their ideals, and often contributed by her presence at their meetings to inspire the young men of a later generation with the resolve to persevere in the cause for which they toiled and suffered. - ' INTOLERANT ORANGEMEN. While a clergyman was addressing an Orange meeting on July 12, at Castlecaulfield, Co. Tyrone, one of the crowd called attention to the presence at the reporters' table on the platform of Mr. Conway, a member of the staff of the local Nationalist paper, and called on him to come down. Other members of the crowd joined in the demand, and the proceedings were interrupted. Mr. Conway eventually left the table and was walking down. the field towards the road when he was followed by a crowd of several hundred, who closed in upon him. Mr. Conway was kicked and beaten with drum-sticks and the small wooden mallets usually carried in Orange processions. At last the Rev. Gordon Scott, the local Protestant rector, and Colonel Brown appeared on the scene, and pushing their way through the crowd rescued Mr. Conway and placed him on a

jaunting car. " When examined by a doctor afterwards ■; he was found to be bruised all over the head and body and to have a cut on the leg caused by a knife. Mr. Scott was also bruised and was stabbed while engaged in the rescue. ' . . ';■ SOME PLAIN SPEAKING. The annual demonstration of the Independent Orange Order took place on July 12 outside Belfast. Mr. James Mateer, who proposed the resolution affirming loyalty, said they did not belong to any party that imported Italian rifles to shoot down the King's soldiers. They knew the real value of civil and religious liberty, because they had suffered for it in their business and employment. They 'did not want separation, but they should be given power to legislate on their own * affairs. Mr. Henry Carleton, seconding, said the people just then talking at Craigavon had the Duke of Norfolk" as their leader and Lord Talbot as their Chief Whip, while. they were blackguarding the Catholics of Ireland. Mr. Thomas H. Sloan, ex-M.P. for South Belfast, said he did not believe in separation. He never heard separation proposed by any living statesman. . The proposal to establish a provincial parliament in Ulster was nothing more or less than an admission of the principle of self-government. He was a stronger opponent of boycotting than ever, because he had his share of it. He asked them to be true to Ireland, and to do her all the, good they could regardless of classes or creeds. Rev. W. J. Calvin strongly criticised the Unionist policy in regard to the temperance questions, and in reference to the appointment of Lord Edmund Talbot, said he would not take Rome rule from Sir Edward Carson or anybody else. The old Orange Order were a fine set of men, who were being grossly misled and deceived at present. It was said that English Catholics were broad-minded, but Irish Catholics were bigoted. He objected to any man maligning his countrymen, whether they were Catholics or not. They would never be dragooned, bought, bribed, or bullied to follow Sir Edward Carson, but they would work for the day when Ireland would be free, grand, glorious, and redeemed. The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks. MUTUAL CO-OPERATION AND COMPROMISE. In the debate on the Second Reading of the Home Rule Bill in the House of Lords, it was pointed out by Lord Mac Donnell that it was common knowledge at the last election that the Liberal Party, if returned to power, would introduce a Home Rule Bill. Any request, therefore, now made to take the opinion of the country upon it was an endeavor to reverse the decision of the people expressed in 1910. The speech of the Marquis of Lansdowne would be a great disappointment" to those Unionists, who were increasing in number, and who wished to see the Irish question settled oh. fair and equitable terms. After the speech of the noble marquis it was useless to attempt to justify the Bill. When the question was last before that House a spirit of conciliation was shown, and during the debates in the House : of Commons the Government and the Irish Nationalists expressed the utmost willingness to consider any and every proposal for the amendment of the Bill which the Ulster Unionist Party would bring forward, provided it was consistent with the essential principles of the measure. But all that had been received either in silence or rejected with contumely. Too much was made of the Ulster preparations to resist the Bill in the House of Commons. It was represented that what Ulster Unionists feared was not religious persecution nor legislative persecution, but administrative'persecution exer- ' cised outside the law and contrary to its provisions. If that were so, he would provide in the Bill concrete and material safeguards against this feared persecution; and if it were proposed to establish an administrative independent body for four counties of Ulster, he would favorably consider it in no niggardly spirit. The problem should be settled on the basis of mutual co-opera-tion and mutual compromise. Except that basis it would never be solved.